Did Ergot Cause Hysteria?

Toxicologists now know that eating ergot-contaminated food can lead to a convulsive disorder characterized by violent muscle spasms, vomiting, delusions, hallucinations, crawling sensations on the skin, and a host of other symptoms — all of which, Linnda Caporael noted, are present in the records of the Salem ...

What happens if you eat ergot?

There is a high risk of poisoning, and it can be fatal. Early symptoms of poisoning include nausea, vomiting, muscle pain and weakness, numbness, itching, and rapid or slow heartbeat. Ergot poisoning can progress to gangrene, vision problems, confusion, spasms, convulsions, unconsciousness, and death.

What disease does ergot cause?

15.9.

Poisoning produced by eating food affected by ergot is known ergotism. It causes headache, vomiting, diarrhea, and gangrene of the fingers and toes traditionally due to the ingestion of the alkaloids produced by the Claviceps purpurea fungus (Fig.