THE ELIMINATION AND TOXICITY OF CAFFEIN IN 

 NEPHRECTOMIZED RABBITS. 



ELIMINATION OF CAPPEIN IN NEPHRECTOMIZED RABBITS. 



INTRODUCTION. 



That the elimination of foreign substances from the healthy body 

 is accomplished chiefly by the kidney is a fact well established by 

 numerous investigations and has been found to be true not only for 

 compounds differing widely in chemical composition but also for 

 those differing in physiological action. The urinary tract is not the 

 sole channel, however, for ridding the body of substances not normally 

 present in the tissues. The stomach and intestines, as well as the 

 digestive glands, likewise perform the function of excretion, in some 

 cases supplementing the activity of the kidney, and in others serving 

 as the sole path for the removal of substances which might find lodg- 

 ment in the tissues either as a result of accident or disease or when 

 introduced artificially for experimental purposes. Although much 

 information has been secured on elimination into the gastrointestinal 

 canal in health, elimination by this channel in various renal affections, 

 when accompanied by deficient excretion of solids or when the kidney 

 is entirely removed, has not as yet been made the subject of extensive 

 investigation. 



REVIEW OP THE LITERATURE. 



Statements that impairment of the renal function or removal of 

 the kidney may be accompanied by a compensatory increase in the 

 elimination of some substances by the gastrointestinal canal have 

 appeared from time to time in the literature, but have never been 

 supported by data sufficient to render them of scientific value, although 

 clinicians have utilized such information for therapeutic purposes. 

 Bing 6 a observed a greater output of chlorids into the stomach in a 

 few cases of chronic nephritis in which the kidney became imper- 

 meable to these salts. Similar observations regarding chlorids were 

 made by Javal, 11 according to whose analysis from 3 to 4 grams of 

 sodium chlorid were found in the feces of patients suffering from 

 Blight's disease during an attack of diarrhea, while in the healthy sub- 

 ject only from 0.1 to 0.2 gram was obtained in the feces of 24 hours. 

 Widal and Javal," who also analyzed the vomitus in cases of chronic 



. The superior figures refer to the bibliography at the end. 



