Toxicity of DDT to Laying Hens

THERE has been a great deal of emphasis on the beneficial effects of DDT in insect control. This has resulted in widespread use of the compound. With the dissemination of DDT dusts or sprays over large field crop areas and their use to control insects in stored feeds, it is important to know what effect the DDT residues will have on livestock. Telford and Guthrie (1945) reported that as a result of continued oral administration of DDT to goats and rats, there was eliminated in their milk a toxic substance which produced symptoms in rats indistinguishable from DDT intoxication. Ludewig and Chanutin (1946) quoted from two personal communications: “Laug determined the DDT concentration in tissues of rats fed on diets containing small amounts of DDT for periods varying from 6 months to 2 years. By far, the greatest amount of DDT was found in the peritoneal fat. In spleen, liver, . . .