There was more to the gold rush than just gold. While some prospectors were panning on riverbanks and blowing holes in the sides of hills, others were scouring for mercury. Mercury is glue for gold; the heavy quicksilver liquid clings to gold flakes, which made it invaluable during the height of the gold rush. Unfortunately, it’s also a neurotoxin in humans that stunts mental development.
Miners gathered gold in the Sierra Nevadas using mercury mined from the hills along California’s coast. Mercury mining was the economic backbone of Cambria during the gold rush. The market continued to thrive when the element was used in weapon trigger mechanisms during both world wars, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
http://www.newtimesslo.com/cover/2994/mercury-rising/
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