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.
Because of its toxicity, the clinical use of mercury and mercurials is diminishing. Mercury is an element with atomic symbol Hg, atomic number 80, and atomic weight 200.59; a heavy, silvery-white metal, liquid at room temperature, a rather poor conductor of heat and a fair conductor of electricity.