Dr. Burnett's account of the effect of mercurial vapours. 403 
of Cadiz in the month of February, 1810, and in the following 
March a Spanish vessel, laden with quicksilver for the mines 
in South America, having been driven on shore in a gale of 
wind and wrecked under the batteries, then in possession of 
the French, the boats of this ship were sent to her assistance, 
by which means, during many successive nights, about one 
hundred and thirty tons of the quicksilver were saved and 
carried on board the Triumph, where the boxes containing 
it were principally stowed in the bread-room. 
The mercury, it appears, was first confined in bladders, 
the bladders in small barrels, and the barrels in boxes. The 
heat of the weather was at this time considerable, and the 
bladders, having been wetted in the removal from the wreck, 
soon rotted, and the mercury, to the amount of several tons, 
was speedily diffused through the ship, mixing with the 
bread, and more or less with the other provisions. The 
effect of this accident was soon seen, by a great number of the 
ship's crew, as well as several of the officers, being severely 
affected with ptyalism, the Surgeon and Purser being amongst 
the first and most severely affected, by the mercury’s flowing 
constantly into their cabins from the bread-room ; their 
cabins being, as is usual, on the orlop deck, separated from 
this store by partitions of wood. In the space of three weeks 
from the mercury’s being received on board, two hundred 
men were afflicted with ptyalism, ulcerations of the mouth, 
partial paralysis in many instances, and bowel complaints. 
These men were removed into transports, where those more 
slightly affected soon got well ; but fresh cases occurring 
daily, Rear Admiral Pickmore, then in command of the 
squadron, ordered an inspection to be made by the Surgeons 
