Equally interesting is the observation of the writer, that in the guinea pig the difference in the toxicity between the subcutaneous and intraperitoneal injections is very slight, while in the cat the toxicity of caffein is the same whether given by mouth or injected into the subcutaneous tissues, and is markedly less when injected into the peritoneal cavity. The experiments on dogs show considerable variation of effective dose when given by mouth, but the interesting observation was made that the toxic dose by mouth may be smaller in some cases than the average dose by subcutaneous injection. If the resistance to caffein by subcutaneous injection of the different species of animals experimented upon in the present research be compared, it will be noticed that the gray rabbit or Belgian hare, which is more resistant than the other varieties employed, stands more caffein in proportion to the weight of the body than the other animals.
Although the minimum fatal dose was found to be somewhat larger for the guinea pig than for the gray rabbit when caffein was injected intraperitoneally, it was on the contrary smaller by other paths of introduction, and approximated quite closely the minimum fatal dose for rabbits of the other varieties. Cats as well as dogs were found to be distinctly less resistant to caffein than the herbivora.
There are a number of factors far more important than zoological differences which influence the toxicity of caffein. Some of these are age, season, and pathologic conditions. As these factors have already been dwelt upon in their appropriate places, further discussion might seem unnecessary, but owing to their importance in determining the action of a drug, emphasis is desirable. Especially is this the case with pathological conditions in relation to toxicity. While no positive proof of diminished resistance to caffein in pathological conditions was obtained by subjecting the suggestion to experimental test, it was observed in these experiments on rabbits that death occurred in some individuals after small doses which are usually not even toxic. The findings at autopsy indicate the presence of pathological conditions. The same was observed in some experiments on cats and dogs. It is extremely probable, therefore, that disease modifies the reaction of the organism to caffein as well as to other drugs.[78]
That the resistance to drugs may vary according to the age of the subject has been maintained by a number of pharmacologists. According to Guinard,[30] young dogs, rabbits, and guinea pigs are very susceptible to morphin, resembling children in this regard.[E] The minimum fatal dose for these animals is about one-third less than for the adult. This is not true, however, for the young of other species. Cats under 15 days of age tolerate twice the toxic dose of morphin for the adult cat. Young beeves and goats are likewise more resistant to this alkaloid than adults. On the other hand, according to Livon,[54] young guinea pigs are more sensitive to alkaloids than adults. The toxicity of caffein, as shown in the present investigation, was found to be less in the young than in the adult. In dogs the young subjects are in some instances almost twice as resistant as adults. The difference was found to be less in cats and rabbits than in dogs, but it was quite marked.
The effect of season on the toxicity of drugs has been discussed in the section on the experiments on guinea pigs, which were more resistant to caffein in the fall than in February and March. The effect of season seems to vary with the animal, but it may also differ with the substance employed. In Noe's[65] studies on this subject cantharidin was found to be more toxic for the hedgehog in November than in July. The effect of season was different for morphin, as it was observed that the resistance of the hedgehog was greater at the end of the summer than earlier in the season.
The relation of diet to toxicity of drugs has been studied by Hunt.[39] His experiments indicate that this is an important factor in the resistance to acetonitril. The studies here reported on the effect of diet on toxicity of caffein in rabbits were confined to experiments with oats and carrots and do not show any modification of the resistance to caffein. The question of diet in chronic intoxication in dogs, however, suggests that in these animals diet may affect the toxicity of caffein, although the data on this subject are far from satisfactory. There is nevertheless sufficient evidence to suggest that a high protein diet for the adult dog tends to greater resistance of the animal to caffein and similarly the growing dog tolerates larger quantities of caffein on a milk diet than on a diet of meat.
This brings us to a consideration of the behavior of caffein in chronic intoxication. Although in both rabbits and dogs absence of cumulation was evident, in other respects decided differences in the resistance to caffein were observed. While the rabbit tolerates more than twice the single dose of caffein per kilo for the dog, the result is quite different in repeated dosage of the drug, the rabbit succumbing to continued administration of much smaller doses of the drug than the dog. This is probably due to lesions of the gastro-intestinal canal caused by caffein which occasions loss of appetite much more readily in the rabbit than in the dog. The abundant energy reserve in the dog makes it possible for this animal to stand inanition much longer than the rabbit and other herbivora. The difference in the behavior of the rabbit and dog toward caffein is interesting as showing complete reversal of resistance in acute and chronic intoxication. From the statement in the introduction it is evident that the size of the single toxic or lethal dose of a substance is in no wise an index of the active degree of its toxicity. The experiments with caffein here reported furnish additional evidence that this is true, at least for the rabbit.
[GENERAL SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.]
The toxicity of caffein in the rabbit varies with the mode of its administration, being least when given by mouth and greatest by intravenous administration. The toxicity is from 15 to 20 per cent greater by subcutaneous injections than by mouth, but is about half of that when injected into the peritoneal cavity. No difference was observed in the toxicity of caffein whether administered into gluteal or into the lumbar muscles. When introduced by this route the toxicity was found to be less by one-third than when it is injected into the peritoneal cavity, but is about 30 per cent more toxic than the subcutaneous injections. White or black rabbits were found to be less resistant to caffein than gray rabbits.