Laetrile toxicity studies in dogs
E. S. Schmidt, G. W. Newton, S. M. Sanders, J. P. Lewis and E. E. Conn
Dogs were fed laetrile and fresh, sweet almonds under various conditions.
The doses of laetrile were similar to those prescribed for patients with
cancer and ranged on a basis of gram to square meter from an equivalent of
the oral dose for man to five times this dose. Six of the ten dogs died of
cyanide poisoning. One dog recovered, and three dogs, at the time of
sacrifice, demonstrated various levels of neurologic impairment, ranging
from difficulty in walking to coma. These studies demonstrate that oral
laetrile is highly toxic when taken with some common table foods. We
predict that there will be an increased incidence of cyanide poisoning in
man as laetrile becomes more readily available.
