azoth [az-oth] noun
1. Mercury, regarded by alchemists as the assumed first principle of all metals.
2. the universal remedy of Paracelsus.
Besides often learning a word, I sometimes learn about people, such as Paracelsus.
My dad used to bring me the Mercury when he'd change out a Mercury switch in one of his meter runs, such as is pictured on this page. (Mercury or "tilt" switches were also used in the lids of washing machines to stop the machine when the cover was lifted.) He showed me how it would polish up coins where they'd shine like they were new and it was fun to put it on a plate and watch it separate and then pool back together. Of course, we now know it's toxic and dangerous to handle and can cause all sorts of health problems. I seriously doubt my skin absorbed much of it, though.
I now wish I had saved it all in a bottle instead of playing with and then spilling it. The price is fairly low right now due to large stockpiles, but it used to fairly expensive, depending upon what type it was. (I'd give a price, but a quick search only turned up several year old prices and most metals trading websites require a subscription)
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