mercurial phosphorusn. [compare scientific Latin phosphorus mercurialis (1741)] liquid mercury in an evacuated glass tube, capable of emitting light (by electrostatic discharges) when shaken.
ΚΠ
1706 F. Hauksbee in Philos. Trans. 1704–05 (Royal Soc.) 24 2129 Several Experiments on the Mercurial Phosphorus, made before the Royal Society.
1929 Science 18 Jan. 75/2 Tubes of this kind have sometimes been designated as ‘mercurial phosphorus’ and ‘Geissler's shaking tubes’.