Mad as a Hatter

I love words...it's a writer thing. I like discovering their roots, where they came from and so forth.  I also love colorful sayings such as "mad as a hatter." But have you ever wondered why hatters were mad?

Seems like at one time, mercury was used in the making of hats.  Naturally, hatters were in contact with the toxic metal a lot so were basically poisoned.  Apparently the effects of mercury poisoning is trembling, shakes, wild, aggressive mood swings and unsocial behavior which gave the appearance of madness. 

Of course, the most well-known mad hatter is from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.  I remember reading the book as a youth and watching several movie versions.  While I haven't seen the latest version, I love the Disney's animated version they released in 1951. Gee...now I really do feel old.  Sigh...

I think I need to read the book again. :-)

Don't forget to play my version of March Madness.  Details here!