Latin: hydrargyrum "liquid silver"
             Mercury is the only common metal that is a free-flowing liquid at room temperature. It is slightly volatile in room temperature and becomes solid when subjected to a pressure of 7640 atmospheres. The metal dissolves in nitric or concentrated sulfuric acid.
             The chief ore is cinnabar; Spain and Italy produce about 50% of the world's supply of the metal. The commercial unit for handling mercury is the "flask," which weighs about 76 pounds. The metal is obtained by heating cinnabar in a current of air and by condensing the vapor. The metal is widely used in laboratory work for making thermometers, barometers, diffusion pumps and many other instruments. It is used in making mercury vapor lamps, advertising signs, mercury switches and other electronic apparatus. Other uses are in making pesticides, dental preparations, antifouling paint, batteries and catalysts.
             The most important salts are mercury chloride (a violent poison), mercurous chloride (occasionally still used in medicine), mercury fulminate (detonator widely used in explosives) and mercuric sulfide (a high-grade paint pigment). Mercury is a virulent poison and is readily absorbed through the respiratory tract, the gastrointestinal tract, or through unbroken skin. Most human exposure is by inhalation. Air saturated with mercury at 20 degrees C contains a concentration that exceeds the toxic limit many times. Mercury vapor diffuses across the alveolar membrane without difficulty. It is lipid soluble therefore it can get into the blood stream and has a strong affinity for the central nervous system. The danger increases at higher temperatures thus it's important that mercury be handled with care.
             Chronic mercury poisoning causes irreversible brain, liver and kidney damage. For example, Minamata disease was discovered i
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