Mark,

is the suspect metal there in sufficient quantity (either extra or
intracellular (maybe splenic macrophages)) to show visable pigment? if so,
i would suggest Lugols Iodine to precipitate the mercury ---  although not
definintive because the iodine could precipitate other heavy metals, it
would be highly suggestive.  as a control i would simply post fix a tissue
from a non-related case in a mercuric fixative, introduce mercury pigments
and then  run the two slides through the Lugols to remove the pigment.

Rob
At 07:00 PM 10/8/98 -0700, you wrote:
>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
>