Abstract

Animal charcoal contains about 10 per cent carbon. The remainder is a mixture of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate plus small amounts of nitrogen, iron, sulfur, magnesium and silicon. Animal charcoal contains about 16 per cent volatile materials and yields 80 per cent ash. Strong acids rapidly liberate hydrogen sulfide from animal charcoal.

Animal charcoal is not toxic when fed to dogs in single doses as large as 5 gm./kgm., or in daily doses of 2 gm./kgm. for as long as 154 days. It produced no symptoms when 9 gm. were taken daily by human subjects for 21 days.

The action of animal charcoal is identical with that of disulfiram with respect to the production of sensitivity to ethanol, as determined by onset, duration of action and changes in blood acetaldehyde. A disulfiram-like reaction can be evoked in dogs by ethanol administration as soon as one hour and as long as 24 hours after a single large dose of animal charcoal. Repeated daily doses of 0.5 to 2 gm./kgm. of animal charcoal resulted in a sensitivity to ethanol which persisted for as long as three weeks. Clinically the sensitization to ethanol resulting from animal charcoal is indistinguishable from that produced by disulfiram. Human subjects became sensitive to ethanol after 7 daily doses of 9 gm. of animal charcoal.

Animal charcoal does not influence the metabolism of alcohol as measured by its rate of disappearance from the body.

The ingredient in animal charcoal responsible for its disulfiram-like activity is extremely heat stable and is insoluble in water, ammonium hydroxide solutions and organic solvents. This disulfiram-like activity of animal charcoal is destroyed by treatment with strong acid. Evidence is presented which indicates that the disulfiram-like activity of animal charcoal is not due to cyanamide or to a labile sulfide compound.

Animal charcoal can be substituted for disulfiram in the treatment of alcoholics.