A. Mark Briones wrote:
>
This may sound weird, but it is the only thing I could think of.
(Hopefully, someone in Histonetland will know a better answer.)

How about micro-incineration? Most hospitals do not do it,
but, believe it or not, sewage treatment plants do micro-incineration
tests for minerals and metals in the sludge. Maybe they know how
to test for mercury.

I would think brain would be the best choice . . . after all,
that's how the hatter went mad, cleaning hats with mercury
(pre-dry cleaning era).

> Hi all -
> I appreciate the information passed around on this list server.  As stated
> early, I also find myself laughing outloud at "life in the lab".
>
> On a serious note, we are doing a postmortem on a baby who died of mercury
> poisoning.  The mother died days earlier.  Can you believe this, she was
> boiling off mercury to concentrate gold from her prospecting?  I know
> there's gold to be had for a price in the mountains, here in California ...
> but at what price??!!
>
> Has anyone been able to demonstrate tissue deposition in acute, possibly
> chronic mercury poisoning cases? Does anyone have a good tissue stain for
> mercury deposits, our pathologist would like to demonstrate deposition if it
> can be stained? Kidney? Liver? Brain?  Are there any tissues in anyone's
> "banks" that has demonstrated positive mercury staining so I could validate
> any finding on this unfortunate case?  Thanks.
>
> Mark Briones
> Valley Children's Hospital
> Madera CA USA
> vchanatomicpath@hotmail.com

--
Peggy A. Wenk, HTL (ASCP)
Anatomic Pathology
Wm. Beaumont Hospital
3601 W. 13 Mile Rd.
Royal Oak, MI 48073-6769