The version I read was that standing with one side to the fire, and one towards the cold outdoors would have an effect - rheumatism, I suppose. Was mercury used in bronze? If it was, I would have thought it would be substituting for the tin, since the proportions are 9 parts copper, 1 part tin. Also, I would expect descriptions of madness in the smiths, as in hatters, because of the fumes, which would have ben much worse than for the milliners. Also, I think the source for mercury ore, cinnabar, is South Spain, where there was also cassiterite, for the tin. I'm going to look this one up...

Penny