Golden Eye ointment contained mercuric oxide , I had some in my youth as a
treatment for styes. It was withdrawn for reasons of safety.
Mercury amalgam is still used in dentistry in the uk.
Geoff.
----- 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 8:41 AM
Subject: Re: Completely and totally off-topic and without any
meritwhatsoever
> On Sep 7 2004, 21:28, William Donzelli wrote:
> > > I suspect the hazmat team over reacted just a little.
> >
> > This is often the case - the hazmat guys I have talked to have been
> pretty
> > reasonable, but due to public pressure, they often have to put on a
> show.
> >
> > > Mercury in elemental form is not all that dangerous ( or
> > > most of us old timers would be dead or vegetables by now ).
> > > It is most dangerous as salts or as long term exposure
> > > to vapor.
> >
> > Finally someone speaks the truth! Elemental mercury mostly passes
> thru the
> > body in one big blob, and very little is absorbed. I think it is
> rarely
> > used as an antibiotic, as well.
> >
> > The compounds are the nasty things, as they due damage pretty
> > quickly. Also, mercury vapor is also very dangerous *even in short
> > periods of exposure*! The poor guys in South America that purify gold
> thru
> > amalgamation (and the subsequent vaporizing to get the mercury back)
> tend
> > to have very short lives if they are not careful.
>
> That's because of *chronic* exposure. The risk from a single small
> dose is not very high (though obviously it depends on the dose); your
> body will excrete most of the mercury (but not very fast, and over the
> last couple of decades, what's regarded as a "safe" level has been
> reduced quite a lot). The problems come when repeated exposure causes
> ingestion or absorbtion faster than you can excrete it. That's why
> spilt mercury is dangerous. It gets into small spaces, and takes a
> very long time (years) to vapourise (the vapour pressure is very low
> but so is the toxic level).
>
> Various mercury compounds have been used medically (eg mercuric
> chloride and mercuric iodide were used as antiseptics and fungicides).
>
> --
> Pete Peter Turnbull
> Network Manager
> University of York
Received on Sat Sep 11 2004 - 05:41:36 BST