Lead Acetate and Development of Chick Embryo

Abstract

THE experimental work of Ancel^1–3, Giraud^4–5 and Landauer^6–9 directed the attention of many workers to experimental teratology, and, in the past few years, many papers have been published dealing with the effects produced on the embryonic development of chicks, guinea pigs, mice and rabbits by nutritional deficit, antimetabolic drugs, sulphamides and some enzymatic systems. From all the data reported it transpires that: (1) There exists a close and direct relationship between dosage and the effects obtained, which only breaks down when marginal treatment is considered, namely, the use either of very low dosage which does not interfere with embryonic development, or of very high dosage which is always connected with the death of the embryos. (2) The alterations produced by each particular substance are different either qualitatively or quantitatively.