Effect of Fluorine on Growth, Calcification and Parathyroids in the Chicken

IN THE rather extensive literature relating to the effects of fluorine on the animal body, there is no reference, so far as we know, to the effect of feeding fluorides to chickens. However, certain experiments with the use of rock phosphate containing fluorides as a mineral supplement for chickens have a bearing on this problem, and will be referred to in connection with our experiments. EXPERIMENTAL Three experiments were carried out with growing chicks and one with pullets. In the first, Barred Plymouth Rock baby chicks were kept on the Wisconsin ration plus 2 percent cod liver oil, for nine days, after which various amounts of sodium fluoride were incorporated in this ration, except in the case of those animals kept as controls. The Wisconsin ration was made up of 80 pounds ground yellow corn, 20 pounds wheat middlings, 3.8 pounds steamed bone meal, 5 pounds calcium carbonate and 1 . . .