Mercury poisoning caused by Chinese folk prescription (CFP): A case report and analysis of both CFP and quackery

BACKGROUND: Though as a heavy metal, mercury has a long history in the culture of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Also until now, we can still find evidence of mercury in some Chinese folk prescriptions (CFP)s in China. CASE: We report a case of a 35-year-old rural woman, who took almost 35 g of Hg(2)O orally to treat her itchy skin followed a folk prescription of an unlicensed practitioners engaging in quackery (UPEQ), which lead to dark red bloody stool and mucus, nausea, and numbness. She sought help from some general hospitals, which brought her only misdiagnosis. Only after a mercury level test conducted by Chongqing Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases (CPOD) confirmed her mercury intoxication, she was treated with chelation therapy with sodium dimercaptosulphonat and showed significant improvements. CONCLUSION: Confused by differences between TCM and CFP, people might take dangerous remedies without realizing the consequences; not only could it exacerbate their primary disease, but it could lead to unexpected and disastrous results.