Ergotism and the Salem Witch Trials Pt. 2

In 18th century England, Mary Toft defied all medical odds when she started giving birth to rabbits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

In 18th century England, Mary Toft defied all medical odds when she started giving birth to rabbits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

Some researchers allege that ergot poisoning may have been responsible for triggering the Salem witchcraft trials -- but is this fact, or fiction? Learn more about ergot and the Salem witch trials in this HowStuffWorks podcast.

In 1692, girls in Salem Village experienced fevers, pains and strange behavior. A doctor deemed the affliction supernatural, and the girls pinned the blame on several people. These accusations led to a witch hunt -- but what was really to blame?

In order to understand why the Salem witch trials happened, we need to get to grips with how exactly things unfolded over the course of 1692. In this episode, we piece together a timeline of the events that reveals how the strange behaviour of a couple of young girls spread like ...  Show more

Can a psychological illness become contagious? Many experts believe that in rare cases a phenomenon known as a "mass psychogenic illness" can break out in a population. Can this strange quirk of group psychology help us understand the Salem Witch Crisis of 1692? The community had ...  Show more