Difficult choices as death nears. As the changes described in this article develop in the final days or hours of a progressive terminal illness, difficult choices may arise. There may be questions about whether to provide food and fluids, receive blood transfusions, or treat infections.
The use of mercury in thermometers dates back hundreds of years. It was widely used because it reliably expands and contracts with changes in temperatures. It is highly poisonous, however, and can enter the body through the respiratory or digestive tracts, or directly through the skin.
Making the world better, one answer at a time. Mercury is an element, meaning that it isn't made out of anything but mercury. For more information, check out a periodic table of the elements, Mercury is number 80 (its symbol is Hg).