The Toxicity of Skatol. 



251 



127 (1709) 

 The toxicity of skatol. 



By WILLIAM SALANT and NATHANIEL KLEITMAN. 



[From the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of 

 Georgia, Augusta, Georgia.] 



Experiments with skatol (Kahlbaum, highest purity) were 

 performed on frogs, cats and dogs. 30-40 mg. of skatol dissolved 

 in 0.3-0.4 c.c. of pure acetone and injected into the ventral lymph 

 sac of frogs weighing 40-45 grams produced symptoms of severe 

 intoxication within a few minutes. Respiratory movements 

 became slow, reflexes gradually disappeared, muscular weakness 

 was followed by complete paralysis. Death occurred in from 

 thirty minutes to three hours. In control experiments with the 

 same or larger amounts of acetone (0.5 c.c.) similar symptoms were 

 observed, but they were much less pronounced and were followed 

 by recovery. When the frogs were examined after 18-20 hours 

 they appeared perfectly normal. 



When injected intravenously into cats and dogs, skatol pro- 

 duced a marked and persistent fall in blood pressure, with slow 

 recovery. As in the case of the frogs, these experiments were con- 

 trolled by injecting equal or larger amounts of acetone, the speed 

 of injection being the same, but the fall in blood pressure produced 

 was not so pronounced and was followed by immediate recovery. 

 In one experiment on a dog (6 kilos) which received 50 mg. skatol 

 in one c.c. acetone intravenously blood pressure fell promptly 

 from 165 to 90 mm. Hg, the recovery occupying seven minutes. 

 One c.c. of acetone injected with the same speed caused a fall in 

 blood pressure from 160 to 120 mm. Kg, and was followed by 

 prompt recovery. In another experiment on a cat (2 .2 kilos) blood 

 pressure fell thirty-six per cent, after the injection of 30 mg. skatol 

 in one c.c. of fifty per cent, acetone. Four minutes after the in- 

 jection recovery was still incomplete. Two c.c. of fifty per cent, 

 acetone alone, when injected intravenously into the same cat, 

 produced a fall in blood pressure of only sixteen per cent., which 

 was followed by an immediate rise exceeding the original blood 

 pressure. 



