>
>
>>
>>Dear List,
>>
>>I was wondering if any of you know of a source or two which would
>>address where the Scots got their mercury from during the eighteenth
>>century. Mercury was one of the main ingredients of many medicines at
>>the time and importing it would have been expensive. I have come across
>>
>>several references which state that the Scots had located either mercury
>>
>>or cinnabar (which can be turned into mercury) somewhere in Scotland.
>>However, the source of the mine is never stated. Additionally, I have
>>tried in vain to find information on this subject in the 1791-99
>>Statistical Accounts of Scotland and in the Philosophical Transactions
>>of the Royal Society. Any suggestions?
>>
>>Yours,
>>Matthew.
>>
I have been led to believe that the sources of mercury are few and far
between. Peter will remember that we were told in Mexico that one of the
enabling factors with regard to the Spanish Silver mining industry in
Latin America was that the Spanish more or less controlled the mercury
supply, thus enabling them to use the patio process to produce silver.
My Mineralogy book (by F.H. Hatch, 1924) states that the only important
source of mercury is the sulphide cinnabar, although native mercury
occurs rarely. The book states,
"The chief mines are in Southern Spain (Almaden), Austria (Idria in
Carniola), Italy, Russia, California (New Almaden, New Idria, Sulphur
Bank, Clear Lake), Mexico (Guadalcazar, Huitzuco), Peru (Huancavelica)
and China (Kweichou)."
Greg and Lettsom does not mention cinnabar from Scotland.
--
Dave Williams - [log in to unmask]
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