Mercury

“Mercurial necrosis is a field of pathology which has not received the investigation it deserves by the medical profession. While the poisonous effects of mercury have so long been recognized that I need take no time in rehearsing them, yet there are certain causes affecting the nerve centres which demand more thorough investigation than has yet been given.  In presenting this subject to the Society for consideration I want to show that by the use of amalgam in filling teeth there is a possibility of mercurial poisoning, which seriously affects the nerve-centres, impairs locomotion by heaviness of limb and stiffness of joint, gives rise to obstinate diseases of the skin, and makes a mental wreck of its victim, whose imaginations and hallucinations are more than my pen can describe.”

“The name Mercury was given by the ancients in honor of Mercurius, the messenger of the gods, whose volatile character mercury is supposed to typify. It is seldom found in the native state, but is usually combined. The most important as well as the most abundant combination is the sulphide of mercury, or cinnabar. It is found united with silver, forming an amalgam. The largest and richest mines are found in California. The process of obtaining pure mercury from the sulphide is very simple. The ore is mixed with one-half its weight of lime, and then distilled in iron retorts. The mercury is extracted and the lime remains in the retort. It is a heavy fluid metal, odorless, tasteless, of a whitish color, and when free from other metals it does not tarnish, and its globules roll freely over white paper without leaving a streak or losing their form. It is liquid at ordinary temperatures.”