Salem Witch Trials

In today's society, based on existing laws, it is possible for something like the Witch Trials to happen again -- but not exactly as they occurred.

Certain modern cases come to mind that share similarities with the witch trials, although there are those who would argue that there was a legitimacy to these trials. Three examples that come to mind are the case against the West Memphis Three, The McMartin Preschool trials, and McCarthyism.

The Salem Witch Trials happened prior to the Wars of Independence, and before the United States became a sovereign nation. When the United States Constitution was adopted in 1787, it became unconstitutional for any jurisdiction to establish a law prohibiting the free exercise of any religion. According to the first amendment of the United States Constitution, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

Since witchcraft is a religion, a person can no longer be tried as a witch.

However, in the practice of witchcraft, as alleged in Salem, there were children who claimed to have been cursed by witches, and the children acted out by exhibiting epileptic fits, screaming fits, pain, etc. If a person were to inflict these ailments on another person, doing so would violate the laws of that state pertaining to assault and battery.

Generally, however, the kind of evidence used against the alleged witches in the Salem Witch Trials would not be admissible in any modern court as evidence of assault or battery in the United States, due to the fact that there is no scientific basis for any claim of injury by supernatural means.

In the late 1600s, the Puritan settlement of Salem in Massachusetts toppled into chaos when accusations of witchcraft began to appear. Two young girls, aged nine and eleven, were said to have fallen victim to fits "beyond the power of Epileptic Fits or natural disease," including screams, strange contortions, and throwing objects. The village doctor, unable to explain the symptoms, suggested that witchcraft may be afoot in Salem. Others in the settlement began to exhibit similar inexplicable behavior, and shortly the accusations began to fly.

The infamous trials that followed left nineteen people hanged to death, and scores of others imprisoned under suspicion of supernatural wrongdoing. Today, few would suggest that those punished were actually guilty of witchcraft, but the true cause of the errant behavior in Salem's citizens is still a mystery. One theory-- perhaps the most intriguing yet offered-- suggests that the community's rye crop may have been partially to blame. Moreover, such maladjusted rye may have played a role in many of history's mysterious events.

Salem, like many other communities in the past and present, harvested rye as part of their grain crops, and it was a staple in their diet. But it turns out that rye grass is susceptible to a particular fungus called Claviceps purpurea which infects the edible portions of the plant. During the ergot stage of this fungus' development, a cocktail of interesting alkaloids are present which will cause problems with circulation and neurotransmission when ingested by humans. A woman named Linnda Caporael was the first to suggest that Ergot of Rye may have contributed to the madness in the Salem trials.

Ergot poisoning, or ergotism, can cause a distressing array of side effects. The initial symptoms are usually gastrointestinal in nature, including nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Shortly thereafter the sufferer may experience a gamut of symptoms caused by ergot's influence on the central nervous system. These usually start with relatively benign sensations such as headaches, "pins and needles," and burning/itching sensations on the skin; but the the experience can escalate into spasms, convulsions, unconsciousness, hallucinations, and psychosis. In severe cases, the body tissues experience physical side effects such as loss of peripheral sensation, swelling, blisters, dry gangrene, and sometimes death.

This menagerie of nastiness is caused by two characteristics in the Ergot of Rye: Clavine alkaloids, which cause convulsive symptoms; and ergotamine-ergocristine alkaloids which restrict blood vessels and starve the limbs and brain of oxygen.

Ergot poisoning has been problematic throughout history. In the Middle Ages the disease was known as "St. Anthony's fire," and it was responsible for countless limbs lost to gangrene and many deaths. Entire villages were sometimes known the suffer such symptoms, and it is now believed that these outbreaks were caused when a village bakery used ergot-contaminated grain. Monks of the order of St. Anthony the Great became skilled at treating the condition with balms that stimulated circulation, and they became skilled amputators. The cause of the disease was not isolated until the late seventeenth century, and it did not become widely known until the 1800s. Before that time, epidemics of ergotism were often seen as a punishment from God.

Today historians are speculating that some other bizarre events of the past may be due to ergot poisoning. For instance, an affliction known as "dancing mania" which struck Europe from the 14th to the 17th century may have been caused by the troublesome fungus. This phenomenon caused groups of people to dance through the streets of cities-- often speaking nonsense and/or foaming at the mouth-- until they finally collapsed from exhaustion. Sufferers often described wild visions, and continued to writhe after falling to the ground. Some also suggest that Kykeon, a popular hallucinogenic drink from ancient Greece, may have been made from ergot-infected barley.

Given the conditions, the idea that the Salem witch trials may have been fuelled by ergot poisoning is quite plausible. The season had been warm and the growing area was swampy, a combination which creates an ideal environment for Ergot of Rye to develop. Also supporting this hypothesis is the fact that symptoms characteristic of ergot poisoning occurred in Connecticut in the same year. The ergot poisoning in Salem could not have been severe, however, otherwise more dramatic side effects would have occurred. Salem was a community stricken with inequality, fear of the native Indians, bitter disputes over land, and sexual repression; It is likely that Ergot of Rye was merely a catalyst in an already volatile situation, and mass hysteria took care of the rest.

Of course there are alternate theories regarding the cause of the Salem Witch Trials. Some have suggested that Salem residents may have suffered from a form of encephalitis spread by birds, or possibly Huntington's disease. Both are possible, though there is insufficient evidence to make any confident conclusions.

In addition to its colorful, trouble-making past, Ergot of Rye has had some influence in medicine in modern times. Because it causes strong uterine contractions in women, it has been used historically to induce abortions. Also, Dr. Albert Hofmann-- the "father" of LSD-- discovered the infamous mind-altering drug while experimenting with ergot. Although ergot itself contains no LSD, the two substances have much in common.

The Daily Pilgrim

Poisoned or Bewitched

Written by Madeline G.

Some people think that the Salem Witch Trials was just a bunch of girls that were fooling around, really bewitched, or even that the girls had eaten a poisonous fungus. If they were poisoned they might have eaten corn fungus, which can cause erogotism, and that, could be the start of it all.

Corn fungus starts off when the flowering head of a grain emits yellow colored mucus called honeydew. The honeydew contains fungi spores that can cause and spread disease if consumed. Eventually, when the fungus invades the kernels of grain it creates a potentially dangerous chemical reaction. The chemical reaction darkens the grain to a purplish black condition called "sclerotia." The sclerotia are the dark resting body of certain fungi, which can be mistaken for large discolored grains. Ingesting these grains can be poisonous.

There is now a much discussed story of nine girls who might have eaten these poisonous grains and exhibited symptoms that made some think they were under a spell or bewitched. The nine girls where Elizabeth Booth, Sarah Churchill, Elizabeth Hubbard, Mercy Lewis, Elizabeth Parris, Abigail Williams, Mary Warren, Ann Putnam Jr., and Mary Walcott. For them all to be poisoned they would have had to eaten the same bread or cereal that had this fungus in it or on it. This was possible because they all lived in one community where they might have eaten the same food.

The reported poisoning of these girls took place at the time of the Salem Witch Trials. Ergot poisoning could be related to the trials because when persons consume the poisoned food you will have violent muscle spasms, vomiting, delusions, hallucinations, and crawling sensations on the skin. Delusions are when you think that things are happing but they really are not. Hallucinations are you see things are not real. You might also experience mental disturbances such as melancholia, psychosis, and delirium. Melancholia is when you feel depressed and sad. Psychosis is when thoughts and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with the outside world. Delirium is when you go wild and crazy and when you do not think before you do something. This is all tied to the Salem Witch Trials because this is how the girls reacted to the ergot poising and people assumed that they were under the spell of a witch. Community members then looked for witches who might have cast the spell. Linnda Caporael who is a Behavioral Psychologist did some research and found that people who eat this fungus act the same way that the nine girls did during the Salem Witch Trials. This could mean that ergotism is one reason for the Salem Witch Trials.

There is some research that suggests that ergot poisoning originated in ancient Mesopotamia in 9000 B.C., and some scientists believe that there are traces of ergot in during the Assyrians in 600 B.C. Linnda Caporael connected ergot poisoning to the Salem Witch Trials. Caporael did not believe that the Salem Witch Trials were based on actual witchcraft, and she was trying to defend her case when she discovered ergot poisoning. Linnda Caporael first announced this theory of ergot poisoning in 1976 by writing a article called " Ergotism: the Satan Loosed in Salem?" After she published this article many people agreed with her research but there are still many unanswered questions.

One question is why ergot poisoning is not a problem today. Modern seeds hve been developed to be ergot free. Also, there are planting techniques to prevent the development of poisonous grains, including planting the seeds at least 5cm (2in) deep into the ground to prevent the stomata from emerging. Also, wild grasses should mowed or grazed frequently to prevent flowering, which is the first step to the ergot fungus.

Some people believe that ergot fungus is the start of the Salem Witch Trials. However some believe that the start was with magic. There are still a many questions to be asked and to be answered. People now are starting to believe that ergot fungus started the Salem Witch Trials were as others believe that the start of the Trials was just pure magic.

Pudding corn (aka Puddin' Corn, Corn Pudding, Hoppy Glop, Corn Mash, Country Pudding) is a gelatinous food product prepared from stewed corn, water, any of various thickening agents, and optional additional flavoring or texturing ingredients, typically used as a food staple in rural communities in the southeastern parts of the United States, especially in Appalachia.

Recipes abound for this dish, which is usually served hot in the manner of a soup. Examples include these Recipes at cooks.com.

Pudding corn is not to be confused with hasty pudding, which is made from ground corn, rather than whole kernel.

Im pretty sure that this is a question related to the Salem Witch Trials. This is a good question. I was jut getting ready to ask this question myself.

--Actually, its because, that if you confessed, you would live to the next day. The jury would have to come to a verdict, just like now. If you did not confess you would be off the gallows immediately!