ALCOHOL FROM A SCIENTIFIC POINT OF VIEW 555 



c.c. (9.36 gr.) is the amount sufficient to produce death during the 

 operation, that is, it is the experimental toxic equivalent. 



For methyl alcohol, which Dujardin-Beaumetz and Audige had 

 found more toxic than ethyl, the results of Joffroy and Serveaux are most 

 interesting. Although the method of purification had been greatly im- 

 proved since the time of Dujardin-Beaumetz and Audige, yet methyl 

 alcohols coming from different sources were still shown to vary in their 

 poisonous effects. Thus three alcohols from different sources gave the 

 coefficient of toxicity for the rabbit as follows: 



23.75 c.c. per kg. 

 26.75 c.c. per kg. 

 25.55 c.c. per kg. 



As an average of these three series we have an experimental toxic 

 equivalent of 25.35 c.c. for methyl alcohol. The point of interest is 

 not the degree of variation present, but the relatively slight toxicity of 

 methyl alcohol when compared with ethyl alcohol. We shall see that 

 the same is true when we study this as measured by another toxic limit. 

 For the entire series of primary alcohols which we have considered — 

 methyl, ethyl and the higher alcohols — the following table summarizes 

 the experimental toxic equivalent and its relation to molecular weight 

 and boiling point. 



Methyl 



Ethyl , 



Propyl , 



(Isof-Butyl 

 Amyl 



Chemical Formula 



(CH3OH) 

 (C 2 H 5 OH) 

 (C3H7OH) 

 (C 4 H 9 OH) 

 (CsHuOH) 



Molecular Weight 



32 

 46 

 60 

 74 



88 



Boiling Point 



66.0° C. 



78.4° C. 



97.0° C. 

 117.0° C. 

 138.0° C. 



Expt. Toxic 

 Equivalent 



25.35 c.c. 

 11.70 c.c. 



3.40 c.c. 



1.45 c.c. 



0.36 c.c. 



Such are the results when death is produced while the experiment is in 

 progress. While this method has the advantage of rapidity it has also 

 disadvantages. 



It is clear that by adding alcohol up until the last inspiration more 

 alcohol is given than is necessary to produce death. For this reason 

 Joffroy and Serveaux realized that the experimental toxic equivalent has 

 only a comparative value. For the exact measurement of toxicity the 

 question is not how much alcohol will kill while the experiment is in 

 progress, nor yet within a limit of 36 hours. The one question is, What 

 is the amount necessary to kill ? 



(b) The True Toxic Equivalent 

 The amount necessary to kill may be determined in one of two ways : 

 (1) By giving for a long period of time small amounts which will finally 

 produce death, or (2) by giving at one time an amount sufficient to pro- 



