What is Meant by “Mad as a Hatter?
winter the heat from the washing and steaming of the fur was welcome. As a result, the highly toxic metal compounds accumulated in workers’ bodies. Workers who had received long term exposure to the mercury nitrate came down with an ailment known as “The Danbury Shakes”, which we now know was mercury poisoning. Those who suffered from the condition stumbled about with slurred speech and uncontrollable muscle twitches. Drooling, hair loss, loosened teeth, memory loss, and general confusion were other symptoms. Even in later years, when mercury was no longer used in hat making, mercury poisoning was called “mad hatter syndrome”. Although it is dismal, this is the reason behind the phrase, “Mad as a Hatter”. Sources: Textile history lectures http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-mad2.
