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
These experiments were performed on well-fed animals which were kept
under observation for several days before the tests with caffein
were made. The diet consisted of meat exclusively. In some cases the
urine was examined for albumin and sugar before caffein was given. No
tests with caffein were made if large amounts of albumin were found.
It may be remarked that sugar was never found in cats before the
administration of caffein, but that considerable amounts of it were
found in some cases after it was given. Studies by various modes of
administration were made, by subcutaneous injection, intraperitoneally,
or by mouth. Attention was also directed to the resistance to caffein
in young cats, several experiments on kittens being made with this
object in view.
SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTION.
Rost stated that caffein is eliminated in the urine unchanged after
its introduction into the body and that the amounts found varied with
different species of animals. In the rabbit the amount eliminated was
about 21 per cent; in the dog about 8 per cent; and in the cat somewhat
less than 2.5 per cent. It would appear, therefore, that the cat
decomposes caffein more readily than the rabbit or dog; its resistance
consequently ought to be greater than that of the other animals.
Moderately large doses were accordingly employed in the preliminary
experiments (series A), but the results obtained, as shown in the
protocols, indicated that caffein is fully as toxic for the cat as
for the rabbit or dog. The doses were then decreased and experiments
were performed in order to ascertain the smallest toxic as well as the
smallest fatal dose.
SERIES A.
Three decigrams of caffein per kilo were administered in these
experiments. The results are shown in the following protocols:
_Cat 4. Black and white. Weight, 1,440 grams._
May 26: 10.05 a. m., 22 cc 2 per cent caffein (0.3 gram per kilo)
injected subcutaneously; 11.10 a. m., copious salivation, cat
irritable, muscular stiffness present, but no tetanus; 11.45 a. m., cat
restless, convulsions, attacks of short duration, no paralysis observed
after the convulsions, pupils dilated; 4.45 p. m., cat quiet, slight
paralysis present.
May 27: Cat exhausted.
May 28: Found dead.
_Cat 5. Black and white male. Weight, 1,396 grams._
June 3: 10 a. m. 21 cc of 2 per cent caffein (0.3 gram per kilo)
injected subcutaneously; 12 noon, found dead.
Although there was considerable difference in the duration of life
following the injection of the same dose of caffein per kilo, the final
outcome was the same, as both cats died from the effects of the drug.
One died within 2 hours and the other lived more than 30 hours after
its administration. Three decigrams of caffein per kilo is, therefore,
surely fatal to these animals. Tests made with smaller doses are shown
in the following experiments:
SERIES B.
In these experiments the doses employed ranged between 0.20 and 0.25
gram caffein per kilo.
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