Subchronic toxic effects of elemental yellow phosphorus were reported for rats (strain not reported). The test animals (number/sex/dose group not reported) were administered daily doses of 0 or 0.075 mg/kg, by gavage, from 100 days prior to mating through either day 15 of gestation or the end of gestation. Histopathological evaluation of selected tissues from male and female rats in Group I (corn oil control group) and Group II (elemental yellow phosphorus in corn oil) were performed. Livers from female rats in Group III (elemental yellow phosphorus through day 15 of gestation), Group IV (tricaprylin control group) and Group V(elemental yellow phosphorus in tricaprylin), were also examined histopathologically. Mortality rate was increased in females in all treatment groups, but not in males. There was an increased incidence of centrilobular liver necrosis in group II females. All 8 of the group II females with liver necrosis died late in gestation. In Group III, liver necrosis was observed in 4/9 females that died late in gestation and in Group V, 9/10 females that died late in gestation exhibited liver necrosis. None of the controls showed liver necrosis nor were there any treatment related pathological findings in males.