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Mercury is a fascinating element in its own right. In the past, it was known as quicksilver for two reasons: its silver-like appearance and its liquid form at room temperature. The name 'Mercury' itself comes from the Roman god Mercury, renowned for his speed.
Though mercury has been recognized since ancient times, it has always captivated those eager to uncover its mysteries. Despite its alluring look, mercury hides a dangerous side. Below are 10 amazing, and sometimes deadly, facts about this mysterious metal.
10. Mercury-Infused Pills
In the past, mercury was widely used in medicines due to its powerful effects on the body. Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was a frequent prescriber of pills containing large amounts of mercury. Today, historians appreciate his choice for the insights it provided.
When Lewis and Clark embarked on their journey to explore the western regions of North America, Dr. Rush was one of their advisers. As they ventured through uncharted territory, they were advised to carry everything necessary for survival. Among the essential supplies were Dr. Rush’s Bilious Pills.
These pills were formulated to relieve constipation and combat fatigue, thanks to the high levels of mercurous chloride they contained. The pills were so potent that members of the expedition nicknamed them “thunderclappers” or “thunderbolts.”
While the mercury pills may or may not have benefited the members of the expedition, historians have certainly gained valuable knowledge from them. One method for tracking the Lewis and Clark route has involved identifying campsites with elevated mercury levels, a sign of where the thunderbolts had worked their magic.
9. The Chinese Emperor’s Tomb
The tomb of Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor, has already provided the world with one of its most remarkable ancient wonders. Thousands of terra-cotta warriors were placed beside him to protect him in the afterlife.
Yet there may be even greater marvels hidden within the tomb itself. Ironically, for an emperor who is believed to have died from consuming mercury in his quest for immortality, his burial site might be surrounded by a moat of the very metal he sought to master.
The emperor is entombed within an undisturbed hill, but there are clues as to what may be inside. It is believed that a replica of his empire was created for his tomb beneath a dome encrusted with pearls, meant to mimic the stars' positions. Rivers of mercury flowed throughout the land, and an ocean of mercury encircled it.
Researchers at the site have found that mercury levels in the soil are up to 50 times higher than expected. Perhaps there are indeed mercury lakes within the tomb, but it seems unlikely we will discover them anytime soon. The Chinese government has prohibited archaeologists from entering to prevent the accidental destruction of valuable information and artifacts during excavation.
8. Cinnabar
One of the main sources of mercury metal is the mineral cinnabar. When heated in air, cinnabar releases mercury vapor, which can be captured and condensed into liquid mercury. Unfortunately, the toxic nature of mercury vapor has led to countless health problems for workers involved in this process over the centuries.
Cinnabar is a striking red mineral commonly found near volcanic areas. Its vivid color has made it a prized material since at least the 10th millennium BC. Early humans used cinnabar in cave paintings, applying its powdered form, vermilion, and even coated skulls with it for reasons that remain symbolic and mysterious.
While many cultures utilized this red pigment, the Romans were particularly fond of it. Cinnabar was not only used in artwork and murals, but also held significant religious meaning in their society.
Pliny the Elder wrote about cinnabar’s use during “festivals to color the face of the statue of Jupiter . . as well as the bodies of triumphant generals.” Although the Romans adored cinnabar, they were well aware of its deadly nature. The only individuals working in their mercury mines were unfortunate slaves and condemned criminals.
7. Deadly Poison
Mercury is both captivating and toxic in its metallic form. While the metal itself is relatively harmless, the vapor it releases can lead to chronic poisoning. However, this is not the most frightening type of mercury poisoning. In one case, just two drops of a mercury compound caused the horrifying death of a scientist.
Professor Karen Wetterhahn was conducting an experiment with dimethylmercury when she accidentally spilled one or two drops of the chemical onto her gloved hand. Following all the recommended safety procedures, she was not initially concerned.
What wasn’t known at the time was that dimethylmercury could easily penetrate latex gloves and be absorbed through the skin. As a small molecule, it quickly enters the body where it causes severe damage to the nervous system, among other bodily functions.
Over the course of several months, Professor Wetterhahn’s health deteriorated. She began to experience persistent vomiting, slurred speech, and loss of coordination. Her hearing and vision also became increasingly impaired.
Once doctors identified the cause as mercury poisoning, they administered medications designed to bind with the mercury and flush it from her system. However, it was too late. She succumbed to the poisoning and fell into a coma before passing away.
6. Drinking Mercury
Dimethylmercury is arguably one of the most terrifying chemicals a scientist could handle. In contrast, metallic mercury appears almost harmless. There have been numerous reports of people swallowing liquid mercury with minimal consequences—but that does not mean you should try it yourself.
In ancient Asia, liquid mercury was used as a treatment for constipation. Due to its high density, metallic mercury acted as a powerful purgative, forcing everything out of the intestines due to its weight.
Almost none of the mercury remains in the body after ingestion, because the metal has what is called low bioavailability—meaning it cannot enter the metabolic system. The real danger, however, lies in inhaling mercury vapor while consuming the liquid, as the vapor can be absorbed by the body.
In one incident, a three-year-old child ingested 750 grams of mercury after discovering a bottle of it at home. Even after his stomach was pumped, some of the mercury had already made its way into his digestive system. X-rays revealed mercury clumps throughout his intestines, and mercury drops were even found in his diaper.
However, after a week, the child passed all the mercury from his system. Blood tests showed elevated mercury levels, but with medical intervention, they returned to normal, and no lasting harm was done. The child’s parents, however, might have been inclined to install a lock on their cupboard doors after the incident.
5. Injecting Mercury
If swallowing mercury is a dangerous choice, then injecting liquid mercury is even worse and absolutely not something to attempt at home. Most people who inject mercury do so with suicidal intent, but because mercury has low bioavailability, death is not guaranteed. Instead, the outcome often involves prolonged pain and suffering.
However, there are other reasons why someone might inject mercury. One such case involved a teenage girl who had no suicidal thoughts—she simply saw something similar in a movie.
While the report does not specify the film, the girl had witnessed a scene where a person injected metal that supposedly made bones as strong as metal. The girl developed a fever and rash, and her parents rushed her to the hospital, where doctors acted quickly to remove the mercury through medications and surgery.
There have been other recorded instances where people injected mercury believing it would serve as an aphrodisiac. If the mercury is not quickly extracted, it can cause life-threatening blockages in veins and arteries, leading to cell death or even death of the person themselves.
4. Alchemy
Mercury was a prized substance for alchemists. As they attempted to unravel the mysteries of the chemical world through metaphor and metaphysics, they stumbled upon many surprising reactions that they believed hinted at the very essence of reality.
Since mercury exists as both a metal and a liquid, alchemists believed it bridged the gap between different states of matter, potentially holding the key to transforming gold from basic materials. One of their famous experiments involved mixing mercury with nitric acid, which produced a striking red vapor and brilliant red crystals.
Isaac Newton, an enthusiastic alchemist, was convinced he was on the verge of discovering the secret to creating gold. He theorized that a “living” form of mercury could be made, one that would produce gold by expanding and generating more of itself.
In reality, there is only one way to turn mercury into gold, and it was discovered in the 1960s. A physicist achieved this by bombarding mercury atoms with neutrons, which caused a proton in the nucleus to capture an electron and transform into a neutron. This process resulted in the creation of gold!
Modern-day alchemists should take note that the process of turning mercury into gold is incredibly inefficient. One estimate suggests that it would take a staggering 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years to produce even a single penny’s worth of gold using this method.
3. Mad As A Hatter
Lewis Carroll's Mad Hatter might have been afflicted with a condition known as erethism. It was so common for workers in the hat industry to go mad that the neurological effects of mercury poisoning were referred to as “mad hatter syndrome.”
In order to soften animal furs for hat production, they were often soaked in a liquid called carroting—named after the orange color of the mercury-laced solution. Workers would inhale the toxic fumes day after day, causing mercury to build up in their nervous systems. In Danbury, Connecticut, where five million hats were made annually, the telltale symptoms of mercury poisoning were referred to as the “Danbury shakes.”
If you were unfortunate enough to work as a hatter, you could expect to experience drastic personality changes such as overwhelming shyness, excitability, and irritability. As mercury accumulated in the brain, hatters could suffer from delirium, tremors, suicidal tendencies, and even hallucinations.
So, the next time a delightfully quirky hatter invites you to a dinner party, it might be a good idea to bring your own meal—and your own headwear.
2. Dental Amalgam
One of modern dentistry’s true miracles is the ability to repair cavities before they lead to tooth loss. Today, it's possible for most people to keep most of their teeth throughout their lives. In earlier times, however, people either lost their teeth or succumbed to deadly infections. To fix decayed teeth, many dentists relied on the amazing properties of mercury alloys, known as amalgams.
To create an amalgam, a powder blend of several metals, typically silver and tin, is combined with liquid mercury. The mercury merges with the other metals, forming a thick paste. The dentist fills the cavity with this paste, shaping it to fit. Once in place, the paste hardens and expands slightly, ensuring it stays securely embedded.
However, there are clear drawbacks to this method. In the past, when dentists mixed amalgams by hand, both they and their patients were exposed to mercury vapors. Although dentists now use machines to mix amalgams, you might still wonder if mercury in your mouth is something to be concerned about.
Recent studies suggest no cause for concern. The mercury in your fillings doesn’t appear to increase the mercury levels in your body. The only real risk of mercury release from fillings occurs during cremation, but by that point, it’s unlikely to have any noticeable effects on your health.
1. Treating Syphilis
Today, if you contract syphilis, you’re lucky enough to receive a prescription for antibiotics from a doctor and likely be cured quickly. Unfortunately, this wasn’t always the case for people in the past.
Syphilis was a dreadful affliction, often lurking in the body for years before unleashing a wave of gruesome symptoms. Before eventually driving sufferers into madness, the disease might cause parts of their nose and face to disintegrate. No wonder so many sought any possible remedy, no matter how dubious.
A well-known saying went, “a night with Venus; a lifetime with Mercury.” After contracting syphilis through too much indulgence, the only cure was believed to come from the god—and metal—Mercury.
People would inhale mercury vapors, apply mercury-based creams, or swallow mercury-laced pills in hopes of healing. While mercury was indeed toxic to the syphilis-causing bacteria, it was also lethal to the people using it.
Since syphilis could be passed on to wives and children, a shady practice emerged: mercury-laced drinking chocolate. Infected husbands secretly gave this to their families, hoping to treat them without revealing their own illness.
