The phrase “mad as a hatter” predates Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and was used to describe rage or madness. Hat makers used mercury to prepare animal skins for felt hats, leading to mercury poisoning and erratic behavior, known as “Mad Hatter Syndrome”. The origin of the Mad Hatter character is unclear, but it may have been inspired by a local eccentric named Theophilus Carter. The phrase could also be an extension of animal comparisons in English language.
The term “mad as a hatter” might conjure up images of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland tea party. Other recorded uses of the “mad as a hatter” idiom actually predate Carroll’s use by at least 30 years. In the first half of the 1800s, it was used by writers in England, Scotland and Canada to describe rage or madness. The other possible meaning of this term could be derived from accounts of the mad hatter syndrome.
At one time, men’s felt hat makers used camel hair or the skins of beavers and other animals to make the felt. Although beaver fur was easy to remove from hides, beaver pelts were in short supply and were expensive. The skins of other animals, and camel hair, were traditionally prepared with liquids before being scraped off.
In Egypt, hat makers used camel urine for this process, and in France, many workers used their own urine. Legend has it that one hat maker’s urine was superior to most. It was discovered that he was being treated with mercury for syphilis.
It doesn’t matter if the legend is true, the use of mercury for the preparation of skins became widespread. The fur was treated with mercury, scraped off the skins and boiled in large vats. Later, the felt was steamed and made into hats. These processes took place in poorly ventilated factory premises and the workers were continuously exposed to mercury fumes.
Mercury poisoning affects both the mind and the body. Victims have little control over their movements and may shake uncontrollably, drool and have difficulty speaking. They are prone to mood swings, irritability, and angry episodes. “Mad Hatter Syndrome” was a term used to define this condition; calling someone “mad as a hatter” would therefore imply erratic behavior.
While Carroll may have had Hatter Syndrome in mind while writing his book, there are many other possible reasons why he created his two mad characters, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. The character of the Hatter may have been inspired by a local eccentric named Theophilus Carter. Carter was a furniture maker known for his eccentric demeanor and top hat. He was also an amateur inventor who designed a bedside alarm clock. This bed would tip the occupant the moment the alarm was set.
The term “mad as a hatter” could also be an extension of one of the similes, or animal comparisons, which have long been a part of the English language, such as “mad as a wet hen”, “mad as a cut snake” or “mad as a rotten hare”. The use of the word “crazy” could mean to refer to being angry, as a wet hen would be, or to being mad, as the fawn rabbit is thought to be in spring. It has also been suggested that this idiom may refer to a viper, a type of venomous snake. The phrase “mad as a hatter” could therefore be considered as a “mad as a viper”.
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