| Age. | Metallic Mercury. | Mercuric Oxide. | Mercurous Oxide. | Ash. | Organic Matter. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | hours, | 32 | ·49 | none. | a trace. | 1 | ·20 | 66 | ·31 | ||
| 2 | 3 | weeks, | 32 | ·26 | ·09 | ·25 | 1 | ·20 | 66 | ·20 | ||
| 3 | 3 | months, | 32 | ·60 | ·24 | ·62 | 1 | ·18 | 66 | ·36 | ||
| 4 | 3 | „ | 31 | ·15 | ·44 | 1 | ·60 | 1 | ·12 | 65 | ·69 | |
| 5 | 6 | „ | 32 | ·44 | ·50 | ·80 | 1 | ·70 | 64 | ·56 | ||
| 6 | 14 | „ | 29 | ·86 | ·98 | 2 | ·60 | 1 | ·20 | 65 | ·36 | |
| 7 | 19 | „ | 31 | ·59 | ·50 | 2 | ·50 | 1 | ·00 | 64 | ·41 | |
| 8 | 2 | years, | 28 | ·40 | 1 | ·80 | 4 | ·22 | 2 | ·10 | 63 | ·48 |
| 9 | (?) | 30 | ·23 | 1 | ·06 | 3 | ·24 | 1 | ·05 | 64 | ·44 | |
Mercury Plaster (Emplastrum hydrargyri).—Made with mercury, olive oil, sulphur, and lead plaster; it should contain Hg, 33 per cent.; sulphur, 18 per cent.
Ammoniac and Mercury Plaster (Emplastrum ammoniaci cum hydrargyro).—Gum, ammonia, mercury, olive oil, and sulphur; it should contain 20 per cent. of Hg, and ·1 per cent. of sulphur.
Mercurial Ointment (Unguentum hydrargyri).—Mercury mixed with lard and suet, the strength should be nearly 50 per cent. mercury; commercial samples often contain as little as 38 per cent.
Compound Mercury Ointment (Unguentum hydrargyri compositum).—Made with ointment of mercury, yellow wax, olive oil, and camphor; it should contain 22·2 per cent. Hg.
Liniment of Mercury (Linimentum hydrargyri) is made of mercurial ointment, solution of ammonia, and liniment of camphor; it contains about 161⁄2 per cent. of mercury.
Mercurial Suppositories (Suppositoria hydrargyri).—Composed of ointment of mercury and oil of theobroma. Each suppository should weigh 15 grains and contain 1⁄3 of its weight of mercurial ointment.
Acetate of Mercury (Mercurous acetate) is not contained in the B.P., but is officinal on the Continent. It is a salt occurring in white micaceous scales, soluble in 133 parts of cold water, giving the reactions of acetic acid and mercury, and very readily decomposed.