Mad Hatters Disease is caused by exposure to which metal?

Mad Hatters Disease is caused by exposure to which metal?

• A. Arsenic
• B. Lead
• C. Mercury
• D. Cyanide

Answer: (C)

Mercury toxicity from chronic occupational exposure is what this item is testing. Mad Hatter’s Disease comes from hat makers exposure to mercury during processing of felt, where mercury vapor accumulates in the body and damages the nervous system. The resulting clinical picture—tremors, irritability, mood changes, and other neuropsychiatric symptoms (often called erethism)—points to mercury as the culprit. Arsenic, lead, and cyanide each cause different toxic effects and don’t produce this characteristic neuropsychiatric syndrome in the context of hat making. So the metal responsible is mercury.

Mercury toxicity from chronic occupational exposure is what this item is testing. Mad Hatter’s Disease comes from hat makers exposure to mercury during processing of felt, where mercury vapor accumulates in the body and damages the nervous system. The resulting clinical picture—tremors, irritability, mood changes, and other neuropsychiatric symptoms (often called erethism)—points to mercury as the culprit. Arsenic, lead, and cyanide each cause different toxic effects and don’t produce this characteristic neuropsychiatric syndrome in the context of hat making. So the metal responsible is mercury.