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.
1 Most barometers use mercury in a glass column, like a thermometer, to measure the change in air pressure. 2  When the weather is calm the mercury in the barometer seldom moves more than half-an-inch below the 30-inch mark. 3  If a high pressure system is on its way, often you can expect cooler temperatures and clear skies.