The Spark that Ignited the Salem Witchcraft Trials

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What really happened in Salem that ignited the spark of the Witchcraft Trials? Was it out of boredom? Did the girls come down with a case of Schizophrenia, encephalitis, or Huntington’s chorea? (Vogel 1). These are all possibilities, but there is still one theory that could reveal the truth behind the Salem Witch Trials. According to the research by psychologist Linda Caporael, of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of Troy, New York, the poisoning of ergot originally created the hysteria. (Vogel 1 and Clark 2). Ergot is a form of fungus that spreads best in cold, damp weather. (Vogel 1). This fungus mostly grows on different types of grain, wheat, and especially rye. (Vogel 1). In the year of 1692, Salem, Massachusetts suffered a cold, wet winter. (Vogel 1). The growth of rye was substantial, making rye the main grain for the citizens of Salem. (Vogel 1). Although farmers were aware of the fungus ergot, they did not know that ergot is the result of a mold that’s very toxic and fatal to humans. (Clark 2). They called it cockspurs, because the fact that ergot looks like black whole grains, they believed that it was just grains cooked by the sun and that they were completely harmless. (Clark 2). But they were wrong. Ergot contains alkaloids including lysergic acid isoergine (the main ingredient in LSD) so when ingested, the fungus begins to affect the central nervous system and can cause vasoconstriction. (Vogel 1 and Clark 3). It can lead to sudden death, limit fertility, 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. They died because the girls of Salem were wrongly proclaimed as being possessed and accused others of their own faults. All of this just because the girls may have ingested the fungus, ergot. Works Cited Vogel, Mark R. “Ergotism and Salem.” FoodReference.com. 1990-2013. Web. 12 November 2013. Linder, Douglas O. “An Account of Events in Salem.” University of Missouri – Kansas City. September 2009. Web. 6 November. 2013 Clark, Josh. “Were the American Colonists Drugged During the Salem Witchcraft Trials?” HowStuffWorks, Inc. 18 January 2008. Web. 6 November 2013. “5.1 Poisons of the Past/Ergotism.” University of Illinois at Chicago. N.D. Web. 6 November 2013.

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