Mad as a hatter,In 18th and 19th century England hatmakers commonly used the liquid metal mercury to
Mad as a hatter,In 18th and 19th century England hatmakers commonly used the liquid metal mercury to process felt. After many years of exposure to the toxic metal, it was not uncommon for hatmakers to literally go mad as the side effects of mercury poisoning include brain damage, hallucination, and dementia. This led to the origin of the phrase “mad as a hatter” and part inspiration for a character in Lewis Carroll’s novel Alice in Wonderland. -- source link
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