URINARY AND FECAL EXCRETION OF MERCURY IN MAN FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATION OF MERCURIAL DIURETICS 1

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Abstract
About 60 to 90% of the injd. Hg is excreted in the urine within 24 hours after intraven. or subcut. injn. of 2 ml. of Thiomerin. Daily fecal excretion of Hg subsequently rarely exceeds 1-2 mg. and small quantities 0.3 mg. or more may be recovered for some time thereafter. Hg appears in the urine for the next day or so in variable amts. Within 2.5-3 hrs. after intravin injn. of a mercurial, approx. 50% of the Hg is excreted in the urine after subcut. injn.; the rate of Hg excretion is reduced in the first 30 to 60 min. Generally, recovery of administered Hg is incomplete even when analyses of excreta are continued for some time. Thiomerin and mercuhydrin do not differ significantly in this respect. Neither NH4Cl which enhances, nor desoxycorticosterone acetate which inhibits, the diuretic response to mercurial affects renal Hg excretion. In one patient aminophyllin administered into a separate vein simultaneously with Thiomerin produced and early marked increase in urinary Hg excretion. Significance of the findings is discussed with respect to mechanism of renal Hg excretion and Hg accumulation in the body after repeated injns.