This dose caused scarcely appreciable intoxication, and was accordingly increased.[1] At about two grammes per kilogramme light intoxication with tendency to drowsiness became manifest. The dose was still further increased until May 7th to 9th, when it had reached 3·6 grammes per kilogramme. This produced characteristic symptoms of intoxication—restlessness, incoördination of muscles, which began with weakness and paralysis of the hind legs and worked forward. Sleep followed in from twenty to twenty-five minutes, and lasted from two to three hours. It was deep and quiet, but both kittens could be awakened without difficulty.
During this time both purring and playfulness had been rapidly disappearing from the lives of the alcoholic kittens, and by May 9th both had become obliterated, and both kittens were pictures of demure and forlorn sadness. May 10th the alcoholics had severe colds, with discharge of mucus from the eyes and nose. Alcohol was discontinued until recovery could be effected, but this proved impossible. Severe catarrh of the nasal passages with conjunctivitis set in, the catarrh proving incurable and becoming chronic.
The chief value of the experiment thus far is to be found in the possession of control normal animals. None of these had been
Fig. 4.—Kittens, November 27, 1895: 3, alcohol-diseased; 4, normal.
similarly affected. In fact, both 2 and 4 had improved greatly under good treatment and healthful conditions. It seems thus safe to conclude that alcohol, as administered, caused a sudden and general breakdown in the two kittens; but, while seen thus clearly
- ↑ It was first attempted to have the kittens take the alcohol mixed with warm milk. On their refusal to be thus imposed upon, it was given, diluted to twenty and thirty per cent, by stomach pump, always after meals, the normals being given an equal amount of water in the same manner.
