|**Financial Instruments Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | Mar. 31, 2013                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Dec. 31, 2012                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|**Footnotes to selected financial assets and liabilities:**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|Long-term debt, carried at historical proceeds, as adjusted                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | $ 31,481,000,000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | [1],[2],[3]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
|Fair value of long-term debt                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | 37,800,000,000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|Asbestos Litigation [Member] | Quigley Co, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|**Footnotes to selected financial assets and liabilities:**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|Money market funds held in trust                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 422,000,000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|Foreign currency forward-exchange contracts [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|**Footnotes to selected financial assets and liabilities:**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|Instruments used as offsets (assets)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | 155,000,000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|Instruments used as offsets (liabilities)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 56,000,000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|Foreign Exchange Contract [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|**Footnotes to selected financial assets and liabilities:**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|Instruments used as offsets (liabilities)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 202,000,000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|Foreign Currency Debt Designated As Hedging Instruments Long Term Liability At Fair Value [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|**Footnotes to selected financial assets and liabilities:**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|Long-term debt, carried at historical proceeds, as adjusted                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | $ 735,000,000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|Maximum [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|**Footnotes to selected financial assets and liabilities:**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|Percentage of financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value inputs Level 1 and Level 3 inputs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 1.00%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
|[1]
              The fair value of our long-term debt (not including the current portion of long-term debt) is $37.8 billion as of March 31, 2013 and $37.5 billion as of December 31, 2012. The fair value measurements for our long-term debt are based on Level 2 inputs, using a market approach.[2]
              Includes foreign currency debt with fair values of $735 million as of March 31, 2013 and $809 million as of December 31, 2012, which are used as hedging instruments.[3]
              Some carrying amounts may include adjustments for discount or premium amortization or for the effect of interest rate swaps designated as hedges. | [1]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | The fair value of our long-term debt (not including the current portion of long-term debt) is $37.8 billion as of March 31, 2013 and $37.5 billion as of December 31, 2012. The fair value measurements for our long-term debt are based on Level 2 inputs, using a market approach.
|[1]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | The fair value of our long-term debt (not including the current portion of long-term debt) is $37.8 billion as of March 31, 2013 and $37.5 billion as of December 31, 2012. The fair value measurements for our long-term debt are based on Level 2 inputs, using a market approach.
|[2]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | Includes foreign currency debt with fair values of $735 million as of March 31, 2013 and $809 million as of December 31, 2012, which are used as hedging instruments.                                                                                                               
|[3]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | Some carrying amounts may include adjustments for discount or premium amortization or for the effect of interest rate swaps designated as hedges.                                                                                                                                   

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