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.
The element mercury can combine with other elements to make various compounds. For instance, mercuric chloride is a poisonous salt that was once commonly used for disinfecting wounds. Mercurous chloride is a compound used as an antiseptic for killing bacteria. Lutetium. Lutetium (Lu) was discovered by Georges Urbain in 1907.