To be sure, there is nothing new about eccentric Englishmen — many of whom in a similar vein sailed the seven seas of discovery, ran in the midday tropical sun, and set up the rule of law, education, bureaucracy and industry and left as quickly. These are the positive remnants of a colonial empire where the legacy survives in various forms from Africa and South Asia to Hong Kong and Singapore in the Far East. However, inevitably during the process, some of the cast of characters and practices of colonial masters’ past continue to horrify when viewed in the light of the present day.
The English phrase “as mad as a hatter” refers to the use of mercury in the 19th century in the manufacture of fine hats. With prolonged use and exposure, hatters would develop symptoms of mercury poisoning, including mood swings and tremors — making them look mad to others.
Those of us who remember Alice in Wonderland may recall that along with the March Hare, these three characters are the only individuals to appear in both Lewis Caroll’s books, including Through the Looking Glass. In the 2010 Tim Burton movie, Johnny Depp made the character come alive: An eccentric man who was always asking unanswerable riddles, reciting nonsensical poetry trapped in a never-ending tea party, sentenced for attempting to murder time, and rushing from pillar to post.
