the Salem witch trials; however, convulsive ergotism only occurs in places lacking vitamin A, the symptoms of ergot were not present in the girls, and the girls were most likely faking all of the symptoms that they did have. Gangrenous ergotism is the type of ergot poisoning that is contracted when there is plenty of vitamin A in the environment. Salem was a farming town, meaning there was always a well balanced diet; thus making convulsive ergotism very hard to contract. The convulsions the “afflicted”
some of the greatest known events in history. Ergot poisoning, also known as ergotism, is caused by the fungus Claviceps Purpurea, which events rye, wheat and other cereal grasses (The Witches Curse 1). Ergot contains an alkaloid lysergic acid, from which the hallucinogenic drug LSD is obtained (Star-News 3). For years people have been trying to prove that ergotism has been the cause of the happenings. Around the world ergotism has been causing mass hysteria in small towns and making the fear of ergot
poisoned by the ignorance of superstitions, terrible things happen" (see Internet Source). Bibliography Bennett, J.W. 1999. Pride and Prejudice: The story of ergot. Perspective in Biology and Medicine 42 (3): 333-355. Spanos, Nicholas P. 1983. Ergotism and the Salem witch panic: a critical analysis and an alternative conceptualization. Journal of the History of Behavioral Sciences 19 (4): 358-369. Starkey, Marion L. 1949. The Devil in Massachusetts, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 39- 48, 138-158
made (Ergot of Rye). The people of ancient times used to call the disease “holy fire” or “St. Anthon... ... middle of paper ... ..., Arts, Science, People, Places | Smithsonian. Smithsonian, 24 Oct. 2007. Web. 03 Apr. 2014. Caporael, Linnda R. Ergotism: The Satan Loosed in Salem? Washington D.C.: American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1976. Print. "Ergot of Rye: History." Ergot of Rye: History. University of Hawaii at Manoa, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. Krystek, Lee. "Salem Witch Trials
will forever remain a mystery, but we will continue to try to come up with possibilities. Works Cited Carlson, Laurie M. A Fever in Salem: A New Interpretation of the New England Witch Trials. Chicago: I.R. Dec, 1999. Print. Linnda, Caporael R. Ergotism: The Satan Loosed in Salem? Science. New Series, Vol. 192, No. 4234 (Apr. 2, 1976), pp. 21-26 Ray, Benjamin C. "Salem Village." The Geography of Witchcraft Accusations in 1692. Salem Village. History Cooperative, 2008. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
What caused the Salem Witch Trials? This question has been asked for hundreds of years, yet the world still isn't sure of the answer. The only statement that can be proven is that there were multiple causes (salemwitchtrials.com). No one factor pushed the trials into existence. Even simple things, like fear, took a part in the overall cause. To this day, scientists and researchers alike still argue over the answer to this riddling question. In the early winter months of 1692, in colonial Massachusetts
In all of human history, people have written about inhuman beings, many of which include gods, demons, wizards, sorcerers, and witches. Nowadays, mystical beings are seen everywhere in media. Most of society stopped believing in these creatures years ago, but for 17th century Salem, witchcraft became a living nightmare (Fremon, 1999 The reason for the bizarre events that occurred during the Salem witch trials of 1692 and 1693 in Massachusetts has been the focus of speculation and curiosity for
The Effects of Ergot Poisoning and Mass Hysteria Many significant historical events in history provide many unanswered questions about what exactly occurred. Much of this is attributed to the lack of proper documentation or explanation about just what exactly was occurring at the time. The Salem Witch Trials offer an interesting middle-ground to this confusion, in that there was a well-documented history of what was occurring as well as a rather broad explanation of the situation. By the end of
Regardless witchcraft is not involved, but rather an economic crisis occurred. In 1976 Linnda R. Caporael writes Ergotism:The Satan Loosed in Salem? where she explains that ergotism is the cause of the people acting the certain way. The evidence of ergotism in the Salem Village was the growing conditions and localization. The growing conditions for rye were perfect and rye is known to be a host plant for ergot. The cycle at which rye is harvested and stored for
Error or Not to mention? The Crucible, written by Arthue Miller, is about the time during the Salem witch trials. Within the play, mental illness is implied. Ergot is a fungal parasite that has caused convulsive ergotism epidemics from 1085 - 1927. However it has also been used for medical assistance, ergot poisoning happens when a person ingests ergot or when a person takes an ergot based medicine for a long time or a high dose.This essay will explore the idea that the Salem witch trials were influenced
different than the general population. One example of this was during the Salem Witch Trials, which was a hysterical time. During the Salem witch trials some of the causes of the hysteria were fundamentalism, absence of a just and equal society, and Ergotism. One cause of the hysteria in the Salem witch trials was that the residents of Salem were fundamentalists. Fundamentalists follow the Bible’s word to the letter; if something is written in the Bible, it’s true and is is the law. In the book of Exodus
and it damages the immune system making the body more susceptible to get other diseases because it’s too weak to fight off infection. (“5.1 Poisons of the Past/Ergotism.” 1). Symptoms caused by ergot are feelings of numbness, hallucinations, and feelings of suffoca... ... middle of paper ... ...ty that the poisoning of ergot, or Ergotism, was the reason the hysteria began. When the girls began to exhibit strange behaviors, many people were wrongly accused of witchcraft and died for the wrong reasons
of the convulsive ergotism, additional symptoms can also include things such as muscle spasms but most significantly, hallucinations. Could this explain why these pre-teen girls believed they were being tormented by witches? In the play The Crucible, Abigail Williams and the other girls point up at the rafters and accuse Mary Warren of sending her spirit out to hurt them. Perhaps this is one of the many hallucinations the girls endured whilst being affected by the ergot. Ergotism is a sort of illness
Today’s society can be related to the days during the Salem witch trials. We are so quick to judge people without really knowing the truth. We believe what other people say, not knowing if they are lying or not, and we do not seem to care if they are lying. In our world today, we tend to believe most everything that is on the internet or what the media pushes on us to believe. Does witchcraft really exist? Yes, it is a type of pagan religion. Were those accused during the Salem witchcraft trials
From Mass Hysteria to Many Trials Terror raged through Salem Village in 1692, causing the citizens to accuse and execute each other because of suspected witchcraft. Twenty-five people died and many more were arrested as a result of the Salem witch trials, a series of court cases regarding the 131 people accused of witchcraft (Foulds 258). Trouble first started when two girls acted so strangely that people had no doubts that it was the result of witchcraft. Soon, they considered no one safe because
20 innocent people were killed. 19 by hanging and one was stoned to death. Despite many theories to explain the village frenzy the most probable explanation is that they were lying. The other possible answers are because of the Puritan beliefs and Ergotism. The first and most probable answer is that the people of Salem were lying. Charles W. Upham says in document C that the three girls who started the frenzy were swept along with what they occasioned and that they were intoxicated by the terrible
debate amongst historians. For nearly a century, it was widely accepted that social tensions and Puritan religious beliefs were the primary cause of the trials, but in the 1970’s, a college undergraduate suggested ergot poisoning might be to blame. Ergotism – ergot poisoning – is born from the fungus Claviceps purpurea, which is known to infect rye and other cereal grains, it produces a chemical known as ergotamine which is the base for toxic hallucinogenic chemicals such as LSD. [2] Studies have shown
Mass hysteria has caused many outbreaks and concerned many people with false threats. Mass hysteria is defined by dictionary.com as, “A condition affecting a group of persons, characterized by excitement or anxiety, irrational behavior or beliefs, or inexplicable symptoms of illness.” In order to understand why mass hysteria in the little girls have caused the effects of rampant false accusations that lead to their unrighteous deaths, we first need to look at why mass hysteria affected the little
Imagine a world where differences of opinions or beliefs were to be considered witchcraft. This was the world for many individuals living in Salem, Massachusetts during the 1600s. During the Salem Witch Trials, many women and men were accused of witchcraft by a handful of teenage girls. Many of the afflicted showed mysterious symptoms, such as outbreaking into fits and having hallucinations. Due to the mysterious symptoms, the girls and the Puritans began to point fingers at mainly the less fortunate
Witch trials have happened before in Europe. Later, they would soon come to the United States. Many innocent people ended up dying because of the witch trials. The Salem Witch Trials started in 1692 (SAK 8). It happened at the Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony (SAK 16). Many people believed that the devil could give witch’s power for harming others for loyalty (Blumberg). People in Salem lived a Puritan lifestyle (SAK 17). They were expected to live by the teachings of the church. Their lives revolved