Nurse Little and her dissolving ring

Sometimes the day in the life of a nurse can be interesting.

     Order-in-Council 20^th of January 1955
On December 8^th, 1954, Mrs. L. Little, psychiatric nurse, at the Provincial Mental Hospital, Essondale, during the normal course of her duties was taking the blood pressure of a patient when the mercury escaped from the sphygmomanometer  into her left hand. Whilst endeavouring to confine the mercury to the table the mercury came into contact with the wedding ring being worn by Mrs. L. Little.
Approximately one hour later the ring fractured and was completely ruined.
Mrs. L. Little has submitted a claim in the sum of $21.00 being the value of the ring so destroyed.
We recommend that Mrs. L. Little be paid the sum of $21.00 in full settlement of the aforementioned claim.

    The council agreed and paid up.

Made me think that there must have been other mercury spills, from thermometers, medical equipment and industrial controls through the years, and I wondered if they were cleaned up properly?  It is amazing to watch mercury dissolve gold, and other metals