Gross & histopathological studies on the effect of certain mercury compounds on certain organs of chickens

The present work was performed in order to study the gross and histopathologic changes of particular organs of intoxicated chickens by the organic mercuric compounds, ethyl and phenyl mercu.as seed-dressing!ungicides. Also in order to elucidate the differences in toxicosis induced by these 2 mercuric comounds.Seventy-eight, 4 weeks old, Eskndrany chickens were used in this work. The birds were divided into5 groups, ( group 1 and 2 were given ethyl mercury 5 and 10 mg/kg. body weight respectively)~( group) and4 were given phenyl mercury 5 and 10 mg/kg. body weig.ht respectively ) and group 5 aB control for other treatments. Two birds, from each group, were sacrific-ed per week to study the development of lesions of tox- icosis. Specimenst from sacrificed or dead birds, weretaken from different organs for the gross and microsc- opic exnmination.The mortality rate was higher in case of ethyl merc- ury than in phenyl mercury toxicosis of same doses.The clinical signs of mercury toxicosis were evident in case of ethyl mercury toxicosis while phenyl mercurytoxicosis showed similar signs only in the died chickens but other birds showed poor gain in body weight.