Salem Trials
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In 1692, the fear of witchcraft was at an all-time high. In fact, 19 people were hanged following the Salem, Massachusetts Witch Trials that year. They were suspected of being possessed by the devil after having what seemed to be convulsive behavior.

Hi, I'm Bryan Yeaton and this is The Weather Notebook.

Perhaps you're be wondering, what weather has to do with The Salem Witch Trials. Maybe a lot, according to Alison D'amario, Director of Education at the Salem Witch Museum. She says, based on a theory from a behavioral psychologist, the accused may have eaten bread laced with a fungus that thrived due to prevailing weather conditions.

"The rye would have been contaminated by ergot which is a fungus that grows on wheat and if it's baked into a bread it could have the same effect as an LSD. We do know that the growing season and the harvesting season of1691 was very wet. So, it's very possible that ergot could have grown on the wheat".

Still, Damario doesn't completely buy the theory because there are two types of poisoning‹one that causes convulsions and the other, gangrene. Of the latter, she says, there's no evidence during 1692.

"There's no mention of gangrenous symptoms and that doesn't occur in populations that have plenty of vitamin A and that certainly would have been true in Salem Village. Vitamin A is found in dairy products and in fish and they had plenty of both".

That's Alison D'amario of the Salem Witch Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.

Special thanks today to assistant producer Doug Sanborn. The Weather Notebook is a supported generously by the National Science Foundation and Subaru of America.