[Rare medicinal mercury poisoning]

After an accidental injury of the bowel during a hysterectomy, the patients peritoneal cavity was irrigated for disinfection with a solution containing a mercury-compound. The patient died 40 days after this "peritoneal lavage" with a 0.2% solution of mercury-II-oxycanide. The disinfection with the toxic compound during operation can be judged as a medical mistreatment leading to death of the patient. The mercury concentration in blood (0.1 mg Hg per 100 g blood), taken during autopsy, exceeded normal values severalfold. The cause of death was diagnosed as a "multiorgan-failure", caused by an "iatrogenic mercury poisoning". The results of toxicological analysis, histological examination and the findings of autopsy are presented.