ACUTE INTOXICATION CATS. 57 



Cat 94. Black and white. Weight, 790 grams. Age, about 3 months. Diet, meat. 



June 24: 10 a. m., 8 cc 2 per cent caffein injected into peritoneal cavity; 4 p. m.. 

 under continual observation since injection, cat very irritaDle, respiration more rapid 

 than normal, diarrhea present. 



Examination of the above protocols show that a dose of 2 decigrams per kilo was 

 fatal within one hour to one cat and that a somewhat smaller dose killed another 

 individual in 30 minutes. Amounts under 0.15 gram per kilo were just sufficient to 

 induce mild symptoms, such as increased irritability and salivation, which disap- 

 peared within a few hours. In no case were the effects noticeable on the following 

 day. The experiments on young kittens are especially interesting, as they proved, 

 contrary to expectation, to be distinctly more resistant than full grown individuals. 

 The death of Nos. 97 and 96 within five and six days, respectively, can not be ascribed 

 to caffein, since some of the controls also died. Moreover, it will be remarked in 

 this connection that no symptoms appeared in three of the four young kittens after 

 the administration of a dose which was rapidly fatal to adult cats. The rapid death 

 of No. 95 after the same dose forms an exception which can not be accounted for, as 

 macroscopical examination at autopsy proved negative. 



ADMINISTRATION BY MOUTH. 



Two decigrams per kilo were given at first, but it was found that this amount was 

 surely fatal. The dose was therefore reduced to 0.125 gram per kilo. In all of these 

 experiments caffein was given by means of a soft rubber catheter slipped over the 

 stem of a funnel which served as a stomach tube. A 2 per cent aqueous solution was 

 used throughout these tests except in one case in which caffein was given mixed 

 with the food. 



Cat 92. Black and white female. Weight, 1,750 grams. 



June 10: 12.05 p. m., 14 cc 2 per cent caffein (0.16 gram per kilo) given by mouth; 

 cat was quiet when tied on holder, struggled only a little when tube was put into 

 stomach; 12.30 p. m., cat vomited, no other symptoms. 



June 13: Condition good, appetite good. 

 Cat 87. White female. Weight, 2,620 grams. Diet, meat. 



June 5: 2.15 p. m., 20 cc 2 per cent caffein (0.15 gram per kilo) solution admin- 

 istered by mouth through stomach tube; 2.30 p. m., cat irritable, but no other symp- 

 toms; 5 p. m., condition about the same, except that it was more irritable and showed 

 some stiffness of the extremities. 



June 13: Alive and in good condition, appetite good, not irritable. 

 Cat 91. White female. Weight, 3,050 grams. 



June 10 : 12 noon, 23 cc (0.15 gram per kilo) of 2 per cent caffein administered by mouth, 

 cat struggled violently; 1.30, salivation; 1.40 p. m., convulsions; died at 2 p. m. 

 Autopsy: Congestion of lungs, liver, and spleen; heart vessels injected; other organs 

 normal. 

 Cat 88. Black and white female. Weight, 3,260 grams. Diet, meat. 



June 5: 2.20 p. m., 25 cc of 2 per cent caffein (0.15 gram per kilo) given by mouth; 

 2.45 p. m., cat irritable, no other symptoms (cat did not vomit after the administration 

 of caffein); 4 p. m., cat found dead. Autopsy: Liver very much congested; heart 

 contracted; body was still warm at the time of autopsy. 

 Cat 90. White and yellow female. Weight, 2,685 grams. Diet, meat. 



June 5: 3.15 p. m., 27 cc of 2 per cent caffein (0.2 gram per kilo) given by mouth 

 through stomach tube, about half an hour later cat became irritable and began to 

 salivate; at 4.30 p. m. salivation became more marked, dyspnoea was well developed, 

 and the cat was quite restless and had tremors; 5 p. m., short spasms of posterior 

 extremities, but lay quietly in the cage most of the time; 5.20 p. m., convulsions of 

 short duration and death, muscular relaxation followed immediately after convulsions, 

 no vomiting, diarrhea observed after administration of caffein, and cat passed about 

 10 cc of urine. 



June 6: 9 a. m., found dead. 

 Cat 89. White and black female. Weight, 2,860 grams. Diet, meat. 



June 5: 3.15 p. m., 28.6 cc (0.2 gram per kilo) of 2 per cent caffein given by mouth 

 through stomach tube, no vomiting observed, nor any other symptoms; 3.30, found 

 dead. Autopsy: Organs normal; liver congested. 



