The origin of the phrase, it’s believed, is that hatters really did go mad. The chemicals used in hat-making included mercurous nitrate, used in curing felt. Prolonged exposure to the mercury vapors caused mercury poisoning.Click to see full answer. In this regard, why does Mercury make you go crazy?Signs and symptoms. Acute mercury exposure has given rise to psychotic reactions such as delirium, hallucinations, and suicidal tendency. Occupational exposure has resulted in erethism, with irritability, excitability, excessive shyness, and insomnia as the principal features of a broad-ranging functional disturbance.Furthermore, was the Mad Hatter real? Who was the real mad hatter that inspired “Alice in Wonderland”? It’s curiouser and curiouser. Carroll may have taken his inspiration for the Mad Hatter from a man named Theophilus Carter. An Oxford cabinet maker and furniture dealer, he was known for standing outside his shop in full top hat. Similarly, you may ask, what is mad hatter syndrome? Mad Hatter’s disease. a condition caused by chronic mercury poisoning and characterized by changes in mental status, emotional disturbance, gastrointestinal disturbances, and weakness or partial paralysis of the legs. The condition may also cause psychosis, behavioral changes, erethism, and several other symptoms.Why does the Mad Hatter have 10 6?Lewis Carroll has explained the meaning of the tag in his ‘Nursery Alice’: The Hatter used to carry about hats to sell: and even the one that he’s got on his head is meant to be sold. You see it’s got its price marked on it – a “10” and a “6” – that means “ten shillings and sixpence.”