Isn't feedback wonderful? I love it. I sometimes check the 'stats' for my blog and discover with amazement that someone out there in Russia or the Arab Emirates, Latvia or Finland is reading my blog! Occasionally someone replies or posts a comment... I wonder what they made of my last blog post about mad hatters and mad March hares. Do they read Lewis Carroll? Have they ever heard of Alice? Or am I under surveillance right now, suspected of using 'nonsense' as a code for some kind of illicit political activity? Probably not!!
However, I received some welcome response from my sister and brother-in-law on the subject of mad hatters: "We still read the blogs with interest." (always good to know!) "The latest one amused us and we think we can help you out about the hatter. We looked it up in Brewer (Dictionary of Phrase and Fable), which suggested the answer. Mercurous nitrate was used in the making of felt hats and it was just about impossible for the people making them to avoid ingesting mercury. Mercury is a cumulative poison (like lead) and gathers in the brain doing neurological damage. Sufferers exhibit symptoms similar to those of madness – tremors, ‘St Vitus’s Dance’, confusion etc."
How about that?! Isn't it amazing how much we all know! When you put it together our collective wisdom is awesome - look at Wikipedia. Even if only half of its 'information' is accurate we're a clever lot! So, how about 'daft as a brush'. Where did that come from (see last blog on Wandering in Wonderland) - any answers?
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