"poet and acholar as well as actor, and certainly a man of genius...." Death From 1727, Booth was afflicted by ill health and in 1733 eventually called for Thomas Dover, "Doctor Quicksilver", who prescribed him quicksilver. He ingested 2 pounds of mercury and died in a week. "I endeavour'd to divide the Rectum and tie it , but it was so rotten that it broke between my Fingers like Tinder , and sent forth a most offensive cadaverous Stench..." The whole intestinal track on the inside was covered with black balls of mercury the size of pinheads. This famous case greatly reduced the medicinal use of elemental mercury. Selected roles Artaban in The Ambitious Stepmother by Nicholas Rowe (1700) Zueski in The Czar of Muscovy by Mary Pix (1701) King of Bayonne in Love's Victim by Charles Gildon (1701) Axalla in Tamerlane by Nicholas Rowe (1701) Ormandes in Antiochus the Great by Jane Wiseman (1701) Cleomeden in The Double Distress by Mary Pix (1701) Bellmein in The Beau's Duel by Susanna Centlivre (1702) Eugenio in The Stolen Heiress by Susanna Centlivre (1702) Virotto in The Governour of Cyprus by The Governour of Cyprus (1703) Sebastian in Love Betrayed by William Burnaby (1703) Valentine in The Different Widows by Mary Pix (1703) Captain Basil in The Stage Coach by George Farquhar (1704) Friendly in The Biter by Nicholas Rowe (1704) Courtly in Love at First Sight by David Crauford (1704) Telemachus in Ulysses by Nicholas Rowe (1705) Dick in The Confederacy by John Vanbrugh (1705) Sir Charles Richley in The Platonick Lady by Susanna Centlivre (1706) Gustavus in The Revolution of Sweden by Catharine Cockburn (1706) Gaylord in Adventures in Madrid by Mary Pix (1706) Clerimont in The Double Gallant by Colley Cibber (1707) Hengist, King of Kent in The Royal Convert by Nicholas Rowe (1707) Mirvan in The Persian Princess by Lewis Theobald (1708) Appius in Appius and Virginia by John Dennis (1709) Cunningham in The Rival Fools by Colley Cibber (1709) Athelwold in Elfrid by Aaron Hill (1710) Worthy in The Fair Quaker of Deal by Charles Shadwell (1710) Horatio in The Wife's Relief by Charles Johnson (1711) Rinaldo in The City Ramble by Elkanah Settle (1711) Arviragus in The Successful Pyrate by Charles Johnson (1712) Cato in Cato by Joseph Addison (1713) Captain Stanworth in The Female Advocates by William Taverner (1713) Welford in The Apparition by Anonymous