Mercury poisoning from the prolonged exposure to the vapors of mercury causes uncontrollable muscular tremors, distorted vision and confused speech, not to mention hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms. Dementia was a common ailment for Victorian-era hat makers. Hence the term “mad as a hatter”.
Why Hatters were considered mad?
The origin of the phrase, it’s believed, is that hatters really did go mad. The chemicals used in hat-making included mercurious nitrate, used in curing felt. Prolonged exposure to the mercury vapors caused mercury poisoning.
Why were hat makers called Mad Hatters?
The expression 'mad as a hatter' is based on the fact that hatters used to unknowingly poison themselves in the process of hat-making. The expression "mad as a hatter" is based on the real-life practices of hatters beginning in the 17th century. It turns out that the process they used to make their hats was poisoning them and driving them insane.
What does it mean to be "as mad as a hatter"?
" Mad as a hatter " is a colloquial English phrase used in conversation to suggest (lightheartedly) that a person is suffering from insanity . It is believed to emanate from Denton, Greater Manchester, where men in the area worked predominantly in the hattery business, which used mercury in the hat making process.
How much did the Mad Hatters hat cost?
Mad hatter hat , Mini top hat , Headband , Alice in Wonderland , Black White mini top hat , Fascinator , Tea party hat , Woman mini top hat. MKior. From shop MKior. 5 out of 5 stars. (142) 142 reviews. Sale Price $34.34. $34.34 $38.16. Original Price $38.16.
How did Mad hatter become mad?
The origin of the phrase, it's believed, is that hatters really did go mad. The chemicals used in hat-making included mercurous nitrate, used in curing felt. Prolonged exposure to the mercury vapors caused mercury poisoning.
What chemical made the Mad Hatter mad?
mercury nitrateInstead, the expression is linked to the hat-making industry and mercury poisoning. In the 18th and 19th centuries, industrial workers used a toxic substance, mercury nitrate, as part of the process of turning the fur of small animals, such as rabbits, into felt for hats.
Why does mercury make you go crazy?
Acute mercury exposure has given rise to psychotic reactions such as delirium, hallucinations, and suicidal tendency. Occupational exposure has resulted in erethism, with irritability, excitability, excessive shyness, and insomnia as the principal features of a broad-ranging functional disturbance.
Why is the Hatter crazy?
Etymology. Mercury was used in the manufacturing of felt hats during the 19th century, causing a high rate of mercury poisoning among those working in the hat industry. Mercury poisoning causes neurological damage, including slurred speech, memory loss, and tremors, which led to the phrase "mad as a hatter".
Why did hatters use mercury?
Erethism and “hatters” During the 18th to 20th centuries, hat makers used mercury to stiffen felt for hats. They used a type of mercury called mercuric nitrate and worked in poorly ventilated rooms. Over time, the hatters inhaled mercury vapors.
What mental disorder does the Mad Hatter have?
In addition, although Alice exhibits symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia, and the Mad Hatter those of both Bipolar disorder and PTSD, Alice in Wonderland is a story so infused with mental illness that both of these characters actually had syndromes named after them: Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (disorientating condition ...
What is Pink's disease?
Pinks disease is also known as acrodynia, it is mercury poisoning during childhood. Mercury was a known ingredient in a type of teething powder until the 1950s. Characteristics of Pinks disease include a pink discoloration of the hands and feet.
Why should you never touch HG?
Mercury is a very toxic or poisonous substance that people can be exposed to in several ways. If it is swallowed, like from a broken thermometer, it mostly passes through your body and very little is absorbed. If you touch it, a small amount may pass through your skin, but not usually enough to harm you.
What food contains mercury?
Foods With MercurySwordfish. A predatory fish that inhabits several ocean zones, swordfish is one of the highest sources of mercury. ... Shark. The shark has a similarly high mercury load to that of swordfish. ... Tilefish. ... King Mackerel. ... Bigeye Tuna. ... Marlin. ... Orange Roughy. ... Chilean Sea Bass.
Is Alice in Wonderland about drugs?
The book and various films have all been interpreted as making reference to drug abuse, with Alice drinking potions, eating mushrooms and hallucinating as if she were on LSD, all while the world around her changes frighteningly and her mood and perceptions are hugely altered.
Why does the Mad Hatter have 10 6?
Here are some interesting facts about the iconic comic character: English illustrator John enniel depicted Hatter wearing a hat with 10/6 written on it. The 10/6 refers to the cost of a hat — 10 shillings and 6 pence, and later became the date and month to celebrate Mad Hatter Day.
Does the Mad Hatter have powers?
While the Mad Hatter has no inherent superpowers, he is a brilliant 'neurotechnician' with considerable knowledge on how to dominate and control the human mind, either through hypnosis or direct technological means.
Who is the Mad Hatter?
The most famous Mad Hatter, of course, is the one from the Mad Tea Party in Alice in Wonderland, the partner of the March Hare. Both mad, of course. But Lewis Carroll did not invent the phrase, although he did create the character. The phrases "mad as a hatter" and "mad as a March hare" were common at the time Lewis Carroll wrote ...
Why is it called "mad as a hatter"?
"In fact," I said, "that's the origin of the phrase 'mad as a hatter,' since people who made hats were exposed to mercury in the course of their work, and it was thus common for aging hatters to go mad.".
What is the origin of the phrase "hatter shake"?
The origin of the phrase, it’s believed, is that hatters really did go mad. The chemicals used in hat-making included mercurious nitrate, used in curing felt. Prolonged exposure to the mercury vapors caused mercury poisoning. Victims developed severe and uncontrollable muscular tremors and twitching limbs, called "hatter’s shakes";
When did the phrase "mad as a hatter" come into use?
The phrase had been in common use in 1837, almost 30 years earlier.
What are the symptoms of hatter shakes?
Victims developed severe and uncontrollable muscular tremors and twitching limbs, called "hatter’s shakes"; other symptoms included distorted vision and confused speech. Advanced cases developed hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms. ‘Twas the hatters, not the wearers of hats.
When was the word "mad as a hatter" first used?
Carroll's book was published in 1865, but the Oxford English Dictionary puts the earliest known use of "mad as a hatter" in 1829. That's three and a half decades before any March hares or dormice sipped tea, or the Cheshire cat made his famous claim of general madness.
What does "mad as a hatter" mean?
But the idea of being "mad as a hatter" (in the British sense, "mad" meaning "crazy") didn't come from Carroll. And if you, like Alice, have a tendency to fall down rabbit holes, this phrase is a real treat. Advertisement.
Why does the Hatter say he has no hats of his own?
At his trial, the Hatter explains to the King that he has no hats of his own because he sells all the hats he has. Which brings us to the last stop in our rabbit hole: What does mercury have to do with hats?
What was the cause of Alice's shakes?
Several years after the Alice first appeared, in 1883, the phrase " hatter's shakes " was used to describe the condition caused by mercury poisoning. The symptoms included muscle tremors, plus mental and behavioral changes.
Did Lewis Carroll mean to slander hatters?
Apparently, Lewis Carroll didn't mean to slander hatters via his tea party host. First, the phrase "Mad Hatter" never appears in the book; he's merely called the Hatter. It's other characters, like Alice and the Cheshire cat, who consider him mad.
What does "mad as a hatter" mean?
For other uses, see Mad as a hatter (disambiguation). " Mad as a hatter " is a colloquial English phrase used in conversation to suggest (lightheartedly) that a person is suffering from insanity. It is believed to emanate from Denton and Stockport, Greater Manchester, where men in the area worked predominantly in ...
Why was Corbett considered mad as a hatter?
He was considered "mad as a hatter" for going against orders when he had Booth cornered in a barn in Virginia, and shooting Booth instead of taking him alive.
Who was Roger Crab?
Roger Crab, a 17th-century hermit who , after working for a short time as a hatter, gave all his goods to the poor and wore homemade sackcloth clothes. Although this was presaged by political and religious radicalism, and was followed by a long married life.
What was mercury used for in the 18th century?
In 18th and 19th century England, mercury was used in the production of felt, which was used in the manufacturing of hats common of the time. A late 19th-century example of the effect occurred with hatters in Danbury, Connecticut who developed a condition known locally as the Danbury Shakes. The condition was characterized by slurred speech, ...
