"Pure
mercury sulphide used to be used as vermilion pigment (which may
explain something about some artists)".
Yes... other pigments got them too! but in the case of old 'one ear
Vincent you also can mix in syphilis and also drinking absinth ( had word
wood in it goggle this for more info).
the painters life was full of toxins and infection!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pete Turnbull" <pete_at_dunnington.u-net.com>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2004 12:41 AM
Subject: Re: Completely and totally off-topic and without any meritwhatso
> On Sep 7 2004, 23:08, William Donzelli wrote:
> > > Compounds in mercury? Such as?
> >
> > Mercury can combine with lots of things. Probably the most common is
> the
> > ore, cinnebar. I think it can even be part of some organic compounds.
>
> It readily reacts with even dilute nitric acid to form nitrates, or
> with aqua regia (a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids) to form
> mercuric chloride, also known as corrosive sublimate. It reacts slowly
> with sulphur, chlorine, or oxygen (cinnabar is mercury sulphide). Pure
> mercury sulphide used to be used as vermilion pigment (which may
> explain something about some artists). It reacts dangerously rapidly
> with bromine, and reacts with ammonia (don't try this at home!). The
> oxide reacts with quite a lot of things; it's used to make mercuric
> sulphate which is (was?) used as for some organic reactions. BTW, the
> reactions with oxygen and sulphur are very slow, which is why mercury
> vapour is, well, mercury vapour (rather than mercury oxide); and why
> the advice that used to be given to use flowers of sulphur (finely
> powdered sulphur) to mop up mercury spills is not very good (use zinc
> powder instead, to make a non-volatile amalgam).
>
> Some of the compounds are very toxic, and some can react with organic
> materials to produce organo-mercuric compounds (some list members are
> old enough to remember the Japanese fishermen who were poisoned by
> consuming them in fish over a long period). Lots of these are liquids
> with high toxic vapours.
>
> --
> Pete Peter Turnbull
> Network Manager
> University of York
>
Received on Wed Sep 08 2004 - 10:21:34 BST