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
February 6: Injection began at 3.05 p. m., received 3 cc 2 per cent
caffein intravenously in three minutes or 31 mg per kilo, no symptoms
observed.
These experiments show that a dose of about 50 mg per kilo when
injected intravenously produces mild symptoms, such as increased
reflexes. In the four experiments with this amount of caffein these
effects were observed in each case. In the experiments in which
smaller quantities, 30 mg per kilo, were given intravenously there
was no manifestation of symptoms. A dose not over 50 mg per kilo
may, therefore, be regarded as the minimum toxic dose when injected
intravenously under the conditions stated.
SERIES D.
A 0.5 per cent caffein solution was used in these experiments in order
to test the effect of concentration on its toxicity; the rate of
injection was 1 cc per minute.
_Rabbit 569. Gray male. Weight, 1,475 grams. Diet, oats._
February 6: 11.50 a. m. to 12.01 p. m., injected 10 cc 0.5 per cent
caffein; 12.03 to 12.12 p. m., injected 10 cc of 0.5 per cent caffein;
12.13 to 12.26 p. m., injected 10 cc of 0.5 per cent caffein, total
amount injected, 30 cc; 12.20, passed 35 cc of urine; 12.30, increased
reflexes, but no convulsions; 4 p. m., reflexes increased.
February 11: Alive, condition good.
_Rabbit 574. Gray female. Weight, 1,555 grams. Diet, oats._
February 8: 10.25 to 10.33 a. m., injected 4 cc of 0.5 per cent caffein
in salt solution, injection discontinued for five minutes; 10.38 to
11.10, injected 30 cc, total amount of caffein solution received, 34
cc; 11.55 a. m., very sensitive; reflexes markedly increased.
February 9: Alive, condition good.
_Rabbit 571. Gray female. Weight, 1,530 grams. Diet, oats._
February 7: Injection 3.18 to 3.50 p. m., received 30 cc in 32 minutes,
not hypersensitive; 3.55, restlessness and weakness of extremities;
4.10 p. m., control of anterior extremities impaired, distinctly
paretic but tried to walk about, died the same afternoon.
_Rabbit 568. Gray male. Weight, 1,605 grams. Diet, oats._
February 7: Injection 10.53 to 11.01 a. m., injected 10 cc 0.5 per cent
caffein; 11.03, injection resumed after two minutes interval; 11.14,
received 10 cc 0.5 per cent caffein intravenously in 11 minutes; 11.16,
injection resumed; 11.35, received 12 cc 0.5 per cent caffein, total
amount of caffein solution received, 32 cc; 12.30 p. m., urinated 14
cc of bloody urine; 12.55 p. m., convulsions and death a few minutes
later. Autopsy showed congestion of viscera, but no other lesions.
_Rabbit 570. Gray female. Weight, 1,225 grams. Diet, oats._
February 7: 2.06 to 2.35 p. m., injected 24.5 cc 0.5 per cent caffein,
reflexes increased but no convulsions, paresis especially marked in
the anterior extremities; 3 p. m., passed urine which was normal in
appearance, reflexes not increased but rabbit was weak.
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