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.
Few thermometers contain mercury; most use colored alcohol. Elemental mercury isn't very reactive. It doesn't react with gold or aluminum, it forms an amalgam. Holding metallic mercury in your hand is harmless if you do it for just a short time.