Mercury use (WAS RE: hospital surplus)

[Jules Richardson]

Tony Duell wrote:
>>  Not much use I can think of in computing, but in other things quite 
> 
> Am I the only person to be thinking of EDSAC and its delay lines here?

I've got a feeling that the owner of the BCL Susie that we've got to pick up 
some time said that there's a mercury delay line in that for some reason...

I don't believe that anyone's mentioned mercury arc rectifiers yet as one 
application of mercury (and of course fascinating to watch!). (Did any early 
computers ever use them for any reason? Presumably wound transformers were 
always the norm, although I'd love an excuse to have a running MAR on display :-)

cheers

Jules