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eblc1388 said:Why is it necessary to use mercury in hat making? Does it do something to the leather?
The production process involved using a mercury compound, mercury nitrate, to remove fur from pelts and turn it into felt more easily. Abraham Lincoln's famous beaver stovepipe hats were made in this fashion.
Hat makers, exposed to large amounts of vaporized mercury, began to experience its effects on their nervous systems. Doctors even recorded seeing "holes the size of quarters" inside some hatters' brains.
eblc1388 said:The question came up in BBC "Test the Nation -English" as what make the hatter crazy?
Like you said mercury is the answer but I would like to know why.
eblc1388 said:Yeah. Many people like leather and fur products but few know about the process in the back to make them available.
Without that BBC question, I guess I would never Google such information.
zachtheterrible said:And I always thought "mad as a hatter" came from alice in wonderland :lol:
Incidently, human urine has many, many uses, including the manufacture of explosives as well!.
solidhelix said:Incidently, human urine has many, many uses, including the manufacture of explosives as well!.
What component in the human urine that is necessary in building an explosive???
I also thought that "mad hatter" came from alice in wonderland...