Abstract
1. Factors which influence the toxicity of sympathomimetic amines to solitary mice have been described. These include hydration, sex, strain differences, body-weight, external temperature, degree of confinement and sound.
2. A detailed investigation of the factors influencing the toxicity of amphetamine sulphate has been made. The effect of some of the relevant factors influencing the toxicities of ephedrine hydrochloride and methedrine hydrochloride have also been studied.
3. It is suggested that the sensitivity to the various factors induced by these substances is a function of their capacity to stimulate the central nervous system, and that a variety of factors modify the toxicity by altering the degree of central nervous excitation or its opportunities of discharge.
4. When the disturbing factors are controlled, it has been found possible to determine the toxicity of these drugs with the degree of accuracy usually encountered in biological estimations.
Footnotes
- Received May 13, 1946.
- 1947 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics