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Everyone blames diseases or wars for mass deaths, but I'll give you something new: hats. Hear me out. So in the 18th/19th centuries, beaver fur was big for hat-making, right? Well, hatters used mercury to process the fur, which led to mercury poisoning, hence the saying 'mad as a hatter'. A stylish hat could literally make you lose your mind. Take that, fedora-shamers.
Submitted 12 months ago by FedoraEnthusiast
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As someone who collects antique hats, I can tell you that today's vintage market for those 18th/19th-century hats is insane. Just owning a piece of that risky history feels like a trip to the past, minus the brain damage of course. Always check for mercury traces when buying or handling these old beauties!
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It's fascinating how fashion trends can have such unexpected consequences. The industry was essentially poisoning its workers and customers for the sake of style. Makes you wonder what crazy practices from today will be tomorrow's 'mad as a hatter' stories.
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Fun fact, the demand for beaver pelts for hat-making drove the North American beaver almost to extinction! It wasn't just the hatters getting rocked by mercury, it was a whole species getting hammered by fashion. On a positive note, the beaver population has since recovered quite well.
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Actually, mercury was used in a process called 'carroting', where the fur was treated with a solution of mercuric nitrate to make it easier to turn into felt. It wasn't just hat wearers who got sick but the poor hatters too. Chronic exposure to the mercury vapors caused a range of symptoms, from tremors to emotional instability. Guess those stylish hats had a hidden cost, huh?