ALCOHOL FROM A SCIENTIFIC POINT OF VIEW 551 



mated that 6 grains of pure alcohol for each kilogram of body weight is 

 a lethal or killing amount when injected into the stomach of an animal. 



This was the beginning of quantitative work to which a few years 

 later Dujardin-Beaumetz and Audige added a brilliant series of experi- 

 ments. They studied not only the toxicity of ethyl alcohol, but also that 

 of other alcohols as well. Briefly stated, the question that they pro- 

 posed to themselves was : How much alcohol is necessary to kill a kilo- 

 gram of living matter in less than thirty-six hours? 



If, for example, in studying the toxicity of alcohol, we find that 

 77.5 grams of alcohol injected into the stomach of an animal of 10 kilo- 

 grams weight produces death in less than 36 hours, the question then as 

 to the amount necessary to kill per kilogram is easily determined, for 

 if 77.5 grams kill the entire 10 kilograms, 7.75 grams is the amount 

 necessary to kill per kilogram. This, in fact, was the amount of ethyl 

 alcohol found by them to be the lethal dose. This amount, however, is 

 considerably below the estimate of 6 grams by Lussana and Albertoni. 

 This difference in amount may be explained in part by the difference in 

 the time limit employed; for while 6 grams may eventually kill, 7.75 

 grams is necessary to kill within a limited period of thirty-six hours. 



For the coefficient of toxicity of the higher alcohols, Dujardin-Beau- 

 metz and Audige found the following values : For propyl, the member 

 of the series just above ethyl, 3.75 grams per kilogram; for butyl 1.85, 

 and for amyl 1.50 to 1.60 grams per kilogram body weight. 



The molecular weight, boiling point and relative toxicity of the 

 alcohols of fermentation are briefly summarized in the following table : 



Alcohol 



Molecular Weight 



Boiling Point 2 



Eelative Toxicity 



Ethyl 



46 

 60 

 74 

 88 



78.4° C. 



97.0° C. 

 117.0° C. 

 138.0° C. 



7.75 gr. per kg. 

 3. 75 gr. per kg. 

 1.85 gr. per kg. 

 1.50 to 1.60 gr. perkg. 





Butyl 







From this table it is to be seen that the higher the molecular weight 

 and boiling point, the smaller is the amount required to kill a kilogram 

 of living matter. In other words, the higher an alcohol is in molecular 

 weight and boiling point, the greater is its toxicity. This, as we have 

 seen, is the law of Babuteau with which the above facts of experiment 

 are in direct accord. 



In a study of methyl alcohol, on the other hand, Dujardin-Beau- 

 metz and Audige concluded that the toxicity is not in keeping with the 

 law of Babuteau. Though methyl alcohol has a molecular weight of 32 

 and a point of ebullition of about 66° C. — in both lower than 

 ethyl alcohol — yet its toxicity was found by them to be greater — 7 grams 



2 The boiling points are taken from Meyer and Jacobson 's ' ' Lehrbuch der or- 

 ganischen Chemie," Bd. I., 1906, p. 209. 



