The Toxicity of Caffein: An experimental study on different species of animalsSalant, William
Science
The Toxicity of Caffein: An experimental study on different species of animals
Salant, William
Caffeine -- Physiological effect
In the eight experiments comprising series B rabbits Nos. 567, 254,
279, and 255, which may be designated as Group II, received doses of
162, 160, 166, and 158 mg, respectively. Nos. 562, 561, 560, and 559,
which may be designated as Group I, received about 200 mg caffein per
kilo. In Group II, which received the smaller doses, one (No. 254)
survived. This may be regarded as exceptional, since, as was shown
in the experiments of the preceding series, even smaller doses may
be fatal. About 160 mg per kilo is, therefore, the smallest surely
fatal dose. This might be regarded as a contradiction of the results
obtained for rabbit No. 559, but it will be noticed that in this case
diuresis was very marked. The results of experiments Nos. 294 and 255
are of interest in this connection, since they indicate that a moderate
difference in the rate of injection is without any effect on the
toxicity of caffein. The greater resistance to caffein of rabbit No.
559 is in all probability due, therefore, to increased diuresis.
SERIES C.
In these experiments the minimum toxic dose was determined. The
conditions were the same as in the experiments of the other series.
_Rabbit 293. Belgian hare, female. Weight, 1,610 grams. Diet, oats._
February 18: 3.40 to 3.43 p. m., 4 cc 2 per cent warm caffein solution
injected into ear vein, convulsions when 3 cc were injected, repeated
attacks; 4 p. m., raised itself on legs, but fell over immediately and
lay stretched on abdomen.
February 19: 9 a. m., rabbit looked normal, apparently recovered.
_Rabbit 227. White male. Weight, 2,320 grams._
October 26: 3.29¼ to 3.37½ p. m., injected into ear from burette
6.7 cc 2 per cent caffein, no symptoms; experiment discontinued;
survived.
_Rabbit 563. Gray female. Weight, 1,650 grams. Diet, oats._
February 6: Injection began at 1.02 p. m., injected 3.5 cc 2 per cent
caffein (42 mg per kilo) in four minutes, 0.6 cc more within the
next two and one-half minutes, total amount injected 4.1 cc; 1.10
p. m., hypersensitive, some disturbance of muscular coordination;
restlessness; 1.35. p. m., reflexes decreased, urinated and walked
about, gait normal. Under observation for several days; no symptoms
noted.
_Rabbit 564. Gray female. Weight, 1,515 grams._
February 6: Injection began at 1.26 p. m., 3.5 cc 2 per cent caffein
(46 mg per kilo) injected at the rate of 1 cc per minute; 1.30 p. m.,
reflexes increased; 1.34 p. m., marked paresis of the extremities,
rabbit stretched out on abdomen, legs abducted and partly extended,
able to hop about but gait disturbed, no untoward symptoms noticed,
under observation for several days after experiment.
_Rabbit 565. Gray female. Weight, 1,545 grams. Diet, oats._
February 6: Started to inject at 3.40 p. m., received 2.5 cc 2 per
cent caffein intravenously in two minutes or 32 mg per kilo, under
observation all afternoon, no symptoms.
_Rabbit 566. Gray female. Weight, 1,900 grams. Diet oats._
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