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There are many different theories as to why the Salem Witch Trial’s took place. The most unconvincing reason tries to assure people that men and women who were accused or did the accusing had medical problems. In a website set up by the television station, PBS an article was written on this theory, “Secrets of the Dead” talks about a researcher that hypothesized the reason for the trials was caused by Ergot. Ergot is fungus in grain that was highly common. The article states “ Caporael, now a behavioral psychologist at New York’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, soon noticed a link between the strange symptoms reported by Salem’s accusers, chiefly eight young women, and the hallucinogenic effects of drugs like LSD. LSD is a derivative of ergot, a fungus that affects rye grain. Ergotism-- ergot poisoning—has indeed been implicated in other outbreaks of bizarre behavior” (1). Linda Caporael found this grain while researching and determined it to be the cause of the hysteria. On the contrary, if this grain was truly the cause, then how could it have infected such a select group? In an article by Brett Loiselle, the events and people of the Salem Witch trials were explained. He stated “most of the accused from Salem Village were members of the anti-Parris faction (Rebecca Nurse, John Proctor, Daniel Andrew), while most of the afflicted girls were related to the pro-Parris faction if not to the minister himself (Elizabeth Parris, Ann Putnam, Abigail Williams)” (3). These statistics can be used against the theory of medical problems, but it can also help the theory stated next. Some researchers place the blame on Reverend Samuel Parris for the Salem witch hysteria. As shown in the source above, most of the girls that had the symptoms of being under a spell had a direct relationship with him, whether it is his niece or his daughter. Other evidence found against Rev. Parris is that his own slave, Tituba, was first to be accused of witchcraft, and that the fortune telling and spell casting actually started right around Parris’ own home.
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