Transfer of mercury in hens to which phenylmercury acetate was administered subcutaneously, to eggs and toxicity of mercury on chick-embryo

Abstract

Phenylmercury acetate was administered subcutaneously to hens for several months consecutively, and these hens were respectively raised in a cage in pair with a rooster, and the rate of egg-laying, the transfer of mercury to eggs and the toxicity of the mercurial on chick-embryo were studied. Egglaying of hen administered with 600μg/day as Hg of phenylmercury acetate was gradually inhibited, and that of a hen administered with 300μg/day as Hg of the mercurial was not inhibited. Mercury concentration in eggs of these hens increased gradually during the period of administration, and after about twenty days of administration reached a stationary state. About thirty per cent of the daily dose of the mercurial administered to hens were transferred into the eggs, and almost all of the mercury in the eggs were found in the yolk. Distribution in organs of hens administered with phenylmercury acetate and in organs of chicken hatched from eggs of the above hens was similar to those of hens and their chicken administered with mercuric chloride.