RE: Mercury, shortly off topic

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Jim Mora" <jmora@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Mercury is largely associated with learning disabilities, tingling in the
extremities, though I read little about mental illness.

It recently occurred to me that Tesla may have Retained his sanity in
Central Park, feeding the pigeons, while envisioning what was to become.

Jim Mora

-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 6:08 PM
To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Mercury

Original poster: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Original poster: "Harold Weiss" <hweiss@xxxxxxxxxx>

Hi All,

I was over on the Mythbusters forums answering a question on Tesla's
death ray and this thought occurred.

What if Tesla's latter insanity was caused by mercury?

We know he handled it a lot during his experiments in lighting,
RF,  and for his death ray/particle beam.

Old time hat makers used to use mercury for tanning beaver pelts used
in top hats.  This gave us the term "Mad Hatter".  Mercury was found
to be the cause of their insanity.

This would explain many of his wilder "scientific" claims around and
after Wardencliffe.

David E Weiss"

    The statement "What if Tesla's latter insanity was caused by
mercury? "  implies he was insane.  I don't think "sane" person
really believes he was.  I've always thought he just enjoyed the
attention some of those "wild claims" produced and was given to
hyperbole.  He maybe have become bitter and disillusioned but I can't
see any evidence of mental instability in what he wrote even though I
take issue with a lot of it.

Ed