August 19, 1692: Five Executed in Salem Witch Trials



On this day in 1692, four women and one clergyman were hung as a result of the Salem Witch Trials. Toxicologists now know that eating ergot-contaminated food can lead to a convulsive disorder characterized by a host of symptoms which are now known to be present in the records of the Salem witchcraft trials.

Examine the role that ergot poisoning played in the trials with Secrets of the Dead.



Image: Witchcraft at Salem Village. Engraving. The central figure in this 1876 illustration of the courtroom is usually identified as Mary Walcott (Wikimedia Commons).