Part 29

SERIES B.

In these experiments the doses employed ranged between 0.20 and 0.25 gram caffein per kilo.

Cat 3. Black and white female. Weight, 2,854 grams. Well fed.

June 4: 10.30 a. m., 35 cc 2 per cent caffein (0.25 gram per kilo) injected subcutaneously; 11 a. m., found dead.

Cat 6. Black and white. Weight, 1,645 grams.

June 3: 20 cc 2 per cent caffein (0.243 gram per kilo) injected subcutaneously at 3 p. m., cat grew very irritable in a few minutes; about 4. p. m. reflexes decidedly increased; 5 p. m., cat paralyzed.

June 4: Cat found dead.

Cat 8. Weight, 1,735 grams.

October 7: 4 p. m., 22 cc 2 per cent caffein (0.25 gram per kilo) injected subcutaneously in the back; 4.30 p. m., cat irritable, salivation profuse, convulsions; died at 5.30 p. m.; no urine passed after caffein was given.

Cat 9. Weight, 1,960 grams.

October 7: 3.45 p. m., 25 cc 2 per cent caffein (0.25 gram per kilo) injected subcutaneously in the back; 4.45 p. m., cat very irritable, repeated attacks of convulsions, salivation copious; died at 5.30 p. m.; cat did not urinate after injection of caffein.

Cat 12. Striped kitten. Weight, 1,185 grams.

October 9: Urine examined, no albumin, no sugar; 1.45 p. m., 12 cc 2 per cent caffein administered; 5 p. m., cat alive, no symptoms except salivation and general irritability.

October 10: 10.30 a. m., found dead. About 15 cc urine collected, but no examination made.

Cat 14. Black. Weight, 1,855 grams.

October 8: 1.40 p. m., 18.5 cc 2 per cent caffein (0.2 gram per kilo); 3 p. m., cat became restless about 10 minutes after caffein was injected; cried persistently and moved about in cage, no convulsions, cat urinated about 15 cc, cat defecated.

October 9: 9 a. m., cat found dead in cage. Urine gave very heavy reduction of Fehling's solution (much more than was obtained from urine of rabbits); 20 cc urine analyzed contained 4.65 per cent sugar. Autopsy: Lungs deeply congested; liver marked fatty infiltration and degeneration; spleen normal; kidneys pale and anemic; intestines normal; stomach normal.

Cat 15. Striped. Weight, 2,145 grams.

October 8: 2 p. m., 22 cc (0.2 gram per kilo) 2 per cent caffein injected subcutaneously; 2.30 p. m., cat irritable, restless, trying to get out of cage, crying persistently; 2.40, convulsions lasting about two minutes, then cat raised itself and made attempts to get out of cage, no salivation, cat urinated about 10 cc and defecated.

October 9: 9 a. m., cat found dead in cage, about 10 cc of urine contained enormous quantities of sugar. Autopsy: Lungs severely congested; liver showed marked fatty degeneration; spleen normal; kidneys slightly pale and anemic; intestines mildly congested; stomach normal.

Cat 19. White. Weight, 1,100 grams.

October 20: 13 cc of 2 per cent caffein (0.236 gram per kilo). About 15 minutes later cat became irritable, reflexes increased, persistent crying, stiffness of extremities, diarrhea present; 4.30 p. m., stiffness of muscles, coordination much disturbed, walked with great difficulty; 4.30 p. m., no new symptoms, persistent crying continued.

October 21: Found dead.

Cat 20. White kitten. Weight, 790 grams.

October 20: 11.35 a. m., 10 cc 2 per cent caffein (0.25 gram per kilo) given subcutaneously; 12 noon, convulsions followed by paralysis; 1.30 p. m., still breathing, apparently in comatose condition, lay on its side, dyspnoea, profuse salivation; 4 p. m., convulsions and death.

The results of the experiments of series B show that a dose of even 0.2 caffein per kilo is very toxic for the cat. Symptoms appeared in one animal 40 minutes after the injection of caffein. Some of them were found dead 18 hours after injection, which means that the duration of life was probably a great deal less since there was evidence that they had been dead for some time. Death occurred quite soon after larger doses were injected. Cat No. 3 died 30 minutes after it received caffein. The amounts employed in these experiments can not be considered therefore as the minimum fatal doses. Smaller doses were then tried, as shown in the experiments of the next series.

SERIES C.

Experiments were performed on five cats which received from 140 to 155 mg per kilo, as follows: