1 3 6 



Scientific Proceedings (83). 



As the labyrinthine symptoms recur after complete decerebra- 

 tion, the nervous paths concerned in the process of compensation 

 may be roughly localized in the cerebrum above the level of the 

 corpora quadrigemina. 



81 (1259) 



Diuretic effects of the caffeine group. 



By George B. Wallace and E. J. Pellini. 



[From the Department of Pharmacology, University and Bellevue 

 Hospital Medical College, New York.] 



The knowledge concerning the diuretic action of caffeine and 

 theobromin has been obtained almost entirely through work on 

 rabbits. It is from this work that the many explanations of 

 how these drugs act in producing diuresis have arisen. The dog 

 was early recognized as being somewhat refractory or uncertain 

 in his response, and consequently but little work has been done 

 on this animal. It has seemed to us however that the dog's 

 urinary function is much more comparable to that of man than 

 is the rabbits, and we have accordingly carried out a series of 

 diuretic experiments using dogs as the experimental animals. 



The dogs used were placed on a fixed diet, with a fixed daily 

 intake of water. We have collected and analyzed the urine in 

 twenty-four periods in order to avoid the frequent and unexplained 

 variations which occur in shorter periods. Drugs were withheld 

 until a comparatively constant daily output of urine both in 

 quantity and composition was obtained. Caffeine, theobromin or 

 theobromin sodio-salicylate was then given in dosage varying 

 from 0.05 to 0.2 g. three times a day, for periods of from one to 

 five or more days. They were given with the food and in capsules. 



The results may be summarized as follows: With none of these 

 drugs, in the dosage employed have we seen any appreciable in- 

 crease in the urine output. On the contrary there has been 

 almost invariably a decrease. When the drug is given for one 

 day only, the decrease may occur on that day or the one following. 

 When given for several days the decrease usually continues during 

 the entire period, although in some instances the urine output 



