The Crucible Ergot Poisoning Research Paper

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 by ergot poisoning.

From as early as the Middle Ages, ergot has been around and still affects people to this day. Symptoms may begin within an hour of ergot poisoning. They can last about a week and get worse if you eat more of the grain that contains the fungus or take more medicine made

While some symptoms can be excused as others such as miscarriage, menopause, or a cold, it is the combination and severity of the symptoms that confirms it as ergot poisoning. There are two forms of ergotism: gangrene and convulsion. Gangrene is when hands, feet, and whole limbs can swell and fall off and convulsions are when a person is seeing things (hallucinations), muscle spasms, rigid flexed limbs,severe diarrhea, and more. The forms of ergotism explain most of the symptoms listed above, some of the symptoms that don't fit into the two categories can be explained via the other symptoms ex. Someone that has been experiencing a change in appetite may be experiencing stomach trouble, someone that has been thirsty may be salivating a lot, most of the symptoms go with each other. Ergot has been used in medicine since 1906 and has