The Crucible Research Paper

There are many different ideas of what may have caused the Salem Witch Trails. Some believe the girls were out for vengeance in The Crucible. Evidence found that a fungus could have been the culprit. The bread that the girls made during that time could have a fungus, ergot. Some signs off this was the weather, the present symptoms, and information about ergot. First, lets define what ergot is, a fungus that grows on rye and less common on other grasses such as wheat (webmd.com). Rye bread was one of the more common foods consumed during the time of the Salem Witch Trails. Ergot's scientific name is claviceps purpures. Ergot grows on different grains, but mainly rye. Ergot grows on the flower of the plant (bontany.hawaii.edu). Up until the 1850s it was such a common feature of rye it was not noticed. Ergot on rye looks like back is on the seed of the rye. This fungus was often found in rural areas, like Salem. It was weird how the poor would become ill because of it, instead of the rich. …show more content…
The can be nausea, vomiting, muscle pains, vision problems, confusion, spasms, convulsions, and unconsciousness (webmd.com). Some other symptoms found are hallucinations, twitches, heart trouble, and still born children (uh.edu). Of the accused many healers or nurses had been witches. Because they healed the sick (bontany.hawaii.edu). Like in The Crucible, Goody Nurse as acussed of being a witch because Mrs.Puttman’s children did not like. The cause of the children not living could have been the eurgot; the mother had consumed from the bread. Another example from the book is the grils reactions in the court house. Many had convusions or hullsinations causing them to acusse other