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Did Fungal Hallucinations Fuel Famous Witch Hunt?

The date is September 22nd. The year is 1692. On Gallows Hill in Salem, Massachusetts, a mob gathers.

What is the date? The date is September 22nd, 1692. Where does a mob gather? A mob gathers on Gallows Hill in Salem, Massachusetts.

They are there to witness eight of their friends and families sentenced to death.

The crime? Witchcraft!

What are they there to witness? They are there to witness eight of their friends and families sentenced to death. What is the crime? The crime is witchcraft.

The bloodthirsty crowd is immune to the tears of the condemned.

What is the bloodthirsty crowd immune to? The bloodthirsty crowd is immune to the tears of the condemned.

In their eyes, they have committed the most unforgivable of sins.

In their eyes, what have they committed? In their eyes, they have committed the most unforgivable of sins.

They have sold their souls to Satan and must pay the price.

Have they sold their cars? No, they haven’t sold their cars. They have sold their souls.

Between 1692 and 1693, a total of 200 Salem villagers faced charges of witchcraft.

How many Salem villagers faced charges of witchcraft between 1692 and 1693? 200 Salem villagers faced charges of witchcraft between 1692 and 1693.

Twenty ended up in the hangman’s noose.

Did thirty end up in the hangman’s noose? No, thirty didn’t end up in the hangman’s noose. Twenty ended up in the hangman’s noose.

From the 1300s to the 1600s, Europe was caught in the grip of a collective fever.

When was Europe caught in the grip of a collective fever? Europe was caught in the grip of a collective fever from the 1300s to the 1600s.

People, usually women, were accused of being witches and executed.

Were the people being accused of being witches usually men or women? The people being accused of being witches were usually women.

The witch-hunt frenzy was running out of steam when Samuel Parris became Salem’s minister in 1689.

When did Samuel Parris become Salem’s minister? Samuel Parris became Salem’s minister in 1689. Was the witch-hunt frenzy picking up steam or running out of steam? The witch-hunt frenzy was running out of steam.

Three years later, his young daughter and his niece would provide the spark, which ignited the Salem witch trials.

Who would provide the spark which ignited the Salem witch trials? His young daughter and niece would provide the spark which ignited the Salem witch trials.

For reasons unknown in January, 1692, the two girls began having terrible fits.

What did the two girls begin having in January 1692? The two girls began having terrible fits in January, 1692.Were the reasons known? No, the reasons were not known.

Their bodies would contort, they would scream and speak in tongues, and they would throw things.

What would their bodies do? Their bodies would contort. Would they scream and speak in tongues? Yes, they would scream and speak in tongues. What else would they do? They would also throw things.

Another 11-year-old girl, called Ann Putnam, suffered similar episodes Who suffered similar episodes? Another 11-year-old girl, called Ann Putnam, suffered similar episodes.

A local doctor blamed the supernatural. Under pressure from the authorities the girls blamed three local women for their fits.

What did a local doctor blame? A local doctor blamed the supernatural. Who did the girls blame for their fits? The girls blamed three local women for their fits. Who were they under pressure from? They were under pressure from the authorities.

One was a homeless beggar named Sarah Good. Another was a poor old woman called Sarah Osborne.

Was one a homeless beggar and another an old woman? Yes, one was a homeless beggar and another was a poor old woman.

And the last was the Parris’s family slave - a Caribbean lady called Tituba.

Was the last the Parris’s family slave? Yes, the last was the Parris’s family slave. Was she a Canadian or a Caribbean lady called Tituba? She was a Caribbean lady called Tituba.

Good and Osborne said they were innocent but Tituba said, “The Devil came to me and bid me serve him.”

What did Good and Osborne say? Good and Osborne said they were innocent. Did Tituba say “The Devil came to me and bid me serve him?” Yes, Tituba said, “The Devil came to me and bid me serve him.” She admitted there were three other witches in the village.

How many other witches did she admit there were in the village? She admitted there were three other witches in the village.

Paranoia swept through Salem like a perfect storm.

What swept through Salem like a perfect storm? Paranoia swept through Salem like a perfect storm.

No one was safe from the judgmental hand of the mob.

Was anyone safe from the judgmental hand of the mob? No, no one was safe from the judgmental hand of the mob.

They even accused Sarah Good’s four-year-old daughter of witchcraft.

Who did they accuse of witchcraft? They accused Sarah Good’s four-year-old daughter of witchcraft.

More were accused and killed for practicing “the Devil’s magic.” What were they accused of practicing? They were accused of practicing “the Devil’s magic.”

And then like a person awakening from a nightmare, the community came to its senses.

Was it like a person awakening from a dream or a nightmare? It was like a person awakening from a nightmare. Who came to its senses? The community came to its senses.

Governor Phipps forbid further arrests and pardoned all those who were in prison.

Who forbid further arrests? Governor Phipps forbid further arrests. What did he do for all those who were in prison? He pardoned all those who were in prison.

The courts called the Salem witch-trials a tragic mistake and declared them unlawful.

What did the courts call the Salem witch-trials? The courts called the Salem witch-trials a tragic mistake. Did they declare them unlawful? Yes, they declared them unlawful.

In 1976, psychologist Linda Caporael explained the fungus ergot was to blame.

What did psychologist Linda Caporael say was to blame? Psychologist Linda Caporael said the fungus ergot was to blame.

Found in rye, wheat and other cereal grasses, ergot-contaminated foods can cause muscle spasms, vomiting and hallucinations.

Where is ergot found? Ergot is found in rye, wheat and other cereal grasses.

What can ergot-contaminated foods cause? Ergot-contaminated foods can cause muscle spasms, vomiting and hallucinations.

Ergot was thought to have thrived in the swampy meadows of the area and in Salem, rye was the staple grain throughout Spring and Summer.

Where was ergot thought to have thrived? Ergot was thought to have thrived in the swampy meadows of the area. What was the staple grain throughout Spring and Summer in Salem? Rye was the staple grain throughout Spring and Summer in Salem.

Nearly 250 years later, Albert Hoffman would use ergot to synthesize LSD in a laboratory in Switzerland.

What would he use to synthesize LSD? He would use ergot to synthesize LSD.

They say you are what you eat.

Do they say you are what you eat? Yes, they say you are what you eat.

Was a simple fungus enough to convince the people of Salem that the devil walked amongst them?