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.
The calibration of a mercury thermometer intended for work of precision is best effected after it has been sealed. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 1 Various The calibration of a slide-wire, however, is much less troublesome than that of a thermometer tube for several reasons.