The Ability of the Gat to Withstand Repeated Electrically Induced Convulsions

Abstract

Summary

Adult cats submitted to repeated stimulations with, whenever possible, minimal convulsive doses of electricity showed an ability to withstand 30 to 87 major convulsions before expiring. Of those cats surviving the experiment one experienced 95 such convulsions. Initial voltage was observed to rise in one instance to approximately 4 times, and initial amperage was observed in one instance to rise to approximately 7 times the original minimal convulsive levels as the experiment progressed. The oldest appearing cat in the group was first to succumb. The brain of this cat, like the brains of all others, showed no gross pathological changes. Electroencephalographic changes in the form of gradual slowing and decreasing voltage were observed as the experiment progressed. The surviving cats showed no gross defects in behavior 21 days after the last convulsion.

It is assumed that death when it occurred was the result of exhaustion. No correlation between total applied current and tolerance could be ascertained. The striking observation is the unexpectedly high tolerance of the adult cat for repeated minimal convulsive-inducing doses of electricity. This is quantitatively best shown in comparisons between original minimal convulsing coulomb values and total coulombs used. In those cats which expired this total varied from 57 to 403 times the original minimal convulsive quantity. Of the surviving cats one received as much as 428 times the original minimal convulsive coulomb value. These experiments, therefore, point to the relative safety of the minimal convulsive dose of electricity in the cat and suggest a probable greater tolerance in the human than has heretofore been recognized.