Part 39

Rabbit 387. Belgian male.

Given 1 cc of 1 per cent caffein for each 100 grams through stomach tube.

-----------+---------+------------ Date. | Weight. | Treatment. -----------+---------+------------ | Grams.| cc. Aug. 17 | 1,260 | 12.5 Aug. 18 | 1,340 | 13.0 Aug. 19 | 1,335 | 13.0 Aug. 20 | 1,300 | 13.0 Aug. 21 | 1,325 | 13.0 Aug. 22(1) | | Aug. 23 | 1,205 | 12.0 Aug. 24 | 1,200 | 12.0 Aug. 25 | 1,285 | 12.5 Aug. 26 | 1,185 | 12.0 Aug. 27 | 1,255 | 12.5 Aug. 28(1) | | Aug. 29 | 1,115 | 11.0 Aug. 30 | 1,135 | 11.5 Aug. 31 | 1,175 | 12.0 Sept. 1 | 1,050 | 10.5 Sept. 2 | 900 | 9.0 -----------+---------+------------

(1) Not fed.

September 3, found dead. Autopsy: Stomach and small intestines showed numerous hemorrhagic spots; thick coating of mucus surrounded the contents of the stomach; bladder was greatly distended with urine; the other organs were apparently normal.

Rabbit 388. Belgian male.

Given 1 cc of 1 per cent caffein for each 100 grams, through stomach tube.

-----------+---------+------------ Date. | Weight. | Treatment. -----------+---------+------------ | Grams.| cc. Aug. 17 | 1,080 | 10.0 Aug. 18 | 1,115 | 11.0 Aug. 19 | 1,150 | 11.5 Aug. 20 | 1,130 | 11.5 Aug. 21 | 1,120 | 11.0 Aug. 22(1) | | Aug. 23 | 1,020 | 10.0 Aug. 24 | 985 | 10.0 Aug. 25 | 960 | 9.5 Aug. 26 | 900 | 9.0 Aug. 27 | 875 | 9.0 Aug. 28(1) | | -----------+---------+------------

(1) Not fed.

August 29, found dead 9 a. m. Autopsy: Heart and lungs normal; liver and kidneys engorged; stomach normal; intestines showed a catarrhal inflammation, though not severe; spleen normal; walls of colon somewhat injected.

Rabbit 391. Belgian.

Given 1 cc of 1 per cent caffein to each 100 grams through stomach tube.

-----------+--------+----------- Date. | Weight.|Treatment. -----------+--------+----------- |Grams.| cc. Aug. 17 | 940 | 9.5 Aug. 18 | 950 | 9.5 Aug. 19 | 955 | 9.5 Aug. 20 | 935 | 9.5 Aug. 21 | 945 | 9.5 Aug. 22(1)| | Aug. 23 | 835 | 8.5 Aug. 24 | 805 | 8.0 Aug. 25 | 800 | 8.0 Aug. 26 | 765 | 7.5 Aug. 27(2)| 690 | 7.0 Aug. 28(1)| | Aug. 29 | 565 | 5.5 -----------+--------+-----------

(1) Not fed.

(2) Poor condition.

August 30, found dead 9 a. m. Autopsy: Heart injected; lungs normal; liver affected slightly with coccidiidea; stomach normal in appearance; small intestines normal, but colon considerably inflamed; kidneys slightly engorged; other organs normal.

Rabbit 402. Black female.

Given 1 cc of 1 per cent caffein to each 100 grams.

-----------+--------+----------- Date. | Weight.|Treatment. -----------+--------+----------- |Grams.| cc. Aug. 20 | 2,030 | 20.0 Aug. 21 | 1,950 | 19.5 Aug. 22(1)| | Aug. 23 | 1,955 | 19.5 Aug. 24 | 1,905 | 19.0 Aug. 25 | 1,890 | 19.0 Aug. 26 | 1,780 | 18.0 Aug. 27 | 1,765 | 17.5 Aug. 28(1)| | Aug. 29 | 1,630 | 16.5 Aug. 30 | 1,540 | 15.5 Aug. 31 | 1,510 | 15.0 Sept. 1 | 1,425 | 14.0 -----------+--------+-----------

(1) Not fed.

September 2, found dead 9 a. m. Autopsy: The lungs were badly congested, the posterior lobe of the right lung showing hepatization; the liver was considerably enlarged and congested; the mucous membrane of the stomach and small intestines was congested and showed numerous hemorrhagic spots; the kidneys showed slight congestion; all other organs normal.

SERIES D.

The evidence brought forth in the preceding pages regarding cumulation of caffein naturally suggests the question whether or not the body acquires a tolerance for it. This question has already been answered in the affirmative by Gourewitch,(28) but owing to the method he used for the identification of caffein and the few experiments made his results are not conclusive. The experiments of series A, B, and C might be regarded as indicating that tolerance for caffein is not acquired by the rabbit. It was noticed, however, that the rabbit apparently does tolerate increasingly larger doses under certain conditions, as the following experiments show:

Rabbit 223. Belgian hare, male.

October 22: Weight, 1,520 grams; 15 cc 2 per cent caffein injected subcutaneously at 2 p. m.

November 1: 10.30 a. m., weight, 1,510 grams; 17 cc 2 per cent caffein injected subcutaneously (225 mg per kilo), reflexes observed, but no tetanus.

November 4: 10.30 a. m., weight 1,535 grams; 19 cc 2 per cent caffein injected subcutaneously at 2.40 p. m.; 4.40 p. m., no symptoms.

November 8: Weight, 1,425 grams; 20 cc 2 per cent caffein (285 mg per kilo) injected at 11.45 p. m.; 5 p. m., no symptoms.