The chief ore is cinnabar; Spain and Italy produce about 50% of the world's supply of the metal. The commercial unit for handling mercury is the "flask," which weighs about 76 pounds. The metal is obtained by heating cinnabar in a current of air and by condensing the vapor. The metal is widely used in laboratory work for making thermometers, barometers, diffusion pumps and many other instruments. It is used in making mercury

Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2000. "Mercury (element)"

Some common words found in the essay are:
Spain Italy, Bay Japan, Atomic Weight, Mercury Atomic, Online Encyclopedia, Science Poisons, methyl mercury, minamata disease, Chisso Company, disease discovered, central nervous, mercury vapor, central nervous system, minamata disease discovered, nervous system,
Approximate Word count = 539
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)