The: Daniel ⚡️ on Nostr: That story is amazing. ”Fur was readied for use in hats by separating the skin and ...
That story is amazing.
”Fur was readied for use in hats by separating the skin and hair through a process known as felting or carroting. Prior to the 17th century, urine was used, but French hat makers discovered that mercury – first in the form of mercurial urine from hat workers who consumed mercury chloride to treat syphilis and later in the form of the mercuric salts such as mercuric nitrate – made the process easier. Hat makers exposed to prolonged inhalation of the mercury vapours that were released upon exposure to heat developed mad hatter disease – or mercury poisoning.“
”Fur was readied for use in hats by separating the skin and hair through a process known as felting or carroting. Prior to the 17th century, urine was used, but French hat makers discovered that mercury – first in the form of mercurial urine from hat workers who consumed mercury chloride to treat syphilis and later in the form of the mercuric salts such as mercuric nitrate – made the process easier. Hat makers exposed to prolonged inhalation of the mercury vapours that were released upon exposure to heat developed mad hatter disease – or mercury poisoning.“