Methylmercuric Chloride Poisoning in the Pigtailed Macaque Monkey (Macaca Nemestrina)

Abstract

Pigtailed macaque monkeys ( Macaca nemestrina) were injected with 6.4 or 4.8 mg methylmercuric chloride/kg body weight in acute or fractionated dose schedules. Aphagia and adipsia occurring for several days after injection were followed by a period of apparent normality. The high-acute dose led to grossly observable sensorimotor symptoms that appeared 26 days following treatment and that were followed by death a week later. A three-stage response to mercury poisoning was proposed.