Mercury has a long history, fascinating in its many aspects. Through the centuries--from ancient times to the present day--the
metal in its various forms, also known under the name "quicksilver", accompanied the man and was used for diversified purposes. Today,
mercury is employed in manufacturing
thermometers, barometers, vacuum pumps and
explosives. It is also used in
silver and
gold mining processes.
Mercury compounds play a significant role in dentistry, pharmaceutical industry and crop protection. The contemporary use of
mercury markedly decreases, but historically speaking, the archives abound in materials that document facts and events occurring over generations and the immense intellectual effort aiming at discovering the true properties and mechanisms of
mercury activity.
Mercury toxicity, manifested in destruction of
biological membranes and binding of the
element with
proteins, what disturbs biochemical processes occurring in the body, was discovered only after many centuries of the
metal exerting its effect on the lives of individuals and communities. For centuries,
mercury was present in the work of alchemists, who searched for the universal essence or quintessence and the so-called philosopher's stone. In the early modern era, between the 16th and 19th centuries,
mercury was used to manufacture mirrors.
Mercury compounds were employed as a medication against
syphilis, which plagued mankind for more than four hundred years--from the Middle Ages till mid 20th century, when the discovery of
penicillin became the turning point. This extremely toxic
therapy resulted in much suffering, individual tragedies, chronic
poisonings leading to fatalities and dramatic sudden deaths. In the last fifty years, there even occurred attempts of mentally imbalanced individuals at injecting themselves with metallic
mercury, also as a
performance-enhancing drug. Instances of mass
mercury poisoning occurred many times in the past in consequence of eating food products poisoned with organic
mercury compounds originating from the natural environment.