However, the hospital offered no medical solution, as doctors feared that an operation would cause mercury to flow into the wounds and result in severe infections.

The family then went to a hospital in Guangzhou, which also offered no solution. Finally, the family went to the hospital in Beijing.

The boy's mother, Jiang Xiaoling, who kept the boy company in a hospital ward, told Beijing News on Monday that the he was in stable condition and the hospital planned to perform a surgical procedure on Tuesday.

Jiang declined an interview request by China Daily. But she later sent a text message to a reporter saying that the boy is "doing fine".

Mercury, a heavy, silvery-white toxic metal commonly used in thermometers and barometers, can cause severe harm to body organs, especially the kidneys and liver, according to experts.

About the broadcaster:

Anne Ruisi is an editor at China Daily online with more than 30 years of experience as a newspaper editor and reporter. She has worked at newspapers in the U.S., including The Birmingham News in Alabama and City Newspaper of Rochester, N.Y.

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