Ergot is a fungus that grows on rye and other cereal crops when conditions are unusually damp. Before the discovery of the fungus, ergot poisoning caused several outbreaks of illness that at the time were either unexplained or attributed to supernatural phenomena. Ergot poisoning has two distinct types of symptoms; convulsive ergotism presents with tingling sensations, spasms and insomnia. In gangrenous ergotism, parts of the body become swollen and inflamed, with painful skin eruptions which led to the condition becoming known as Holy Fire or St Anthony’s Fire. Eventually, loss of blood circulation can lead to entire limbs dropping off.
Faith Healing
During the 10th century, the Rhine Valley saw a particularly devastating outbreak of ergotism (though at the time it was unknown that it was the fungus that had caused the affliction). As thousands of people suffered from severe burning sensations, the affliction was likened to the sensation of hellfire, and it was assumed that the plague had been sent as divine punishment. Linking the symptoms to the suffering of St Anthony, relics and icons of the saint were used in hospitals run by Monks across Europe to heal sufferers. The fact that many did indeed recover was probably due to the better quality bread they would have received at the hospitals, removing the source of the poisoning and thus allowing the body to recover naturally.
Mysterious Illnesses
Despite the connection often being made in 1676 between ergot tainted bread and outbreaks of St Anthony’s Fire, later physicians were often still nonplussed when cases presented themselves. In 1762, an entire family in a small village in England presented with severe leg pain; within a few days, all seven people had suffered some loss of limb. The mother lost her right foot and all the flesh on her left leg, the eldest daughter lost one leg below the knee, the middle daughter lost both legs below the knee, and the youngest daughter lost a foot. The sons, aged eight and four, lost both legs and both feet respectively. The youngest child, a four month old infant, died. At the time both the family, their physician and the local priest were unable to say what had caused their mysterious and unpleasant affliction. Given their symptoms, it is almost certain that they were suffering from ergotism.
The Salem Witch Trials
Several historians have suggested that ergotism may have been the cause of the symptoms exhibited by those who were targeted by the Salem Witch Trials between 1692 and 1693. Convulsive symptoms of ergotism, including crawling sensations on the skin, headaches, hallucinations, muscle contractions, vomiting, and psychosis all match symptoms that were reported in the original Salam records. Historians such as Linnda Caporael and Mary Matossian have also pointed out that the abundance of rye in the region coupled with an unusually wet winter could easily have caused an outbreak of the ergot fungus. However, most historians agree that social factors and mass hysteria are more important than biological causes for the events in Salem.
Modern Cases
Ergostim was very common throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, but in Britain it was relatively rare. Given its cool and damp climate, wheat was generally favoured over rye, and potatoes were a widespread supplement to the average diet after their introduction in the 1590s.
Though now incredibly rare, outbreaks of ergotism do sometimes occur. In 1951, the French town of Pont-Saint-Esprit suffered an outbreak that resulted in five deaths, and an outbreak also occurred in Ethiopia as recently as 2001.
Sources and Further Reading
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2069953/?page=2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergotism
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/ergotism
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/magazine/2018/11-12/ergotism-infections-medieval-europe/
Stewart, A., Wicked Plants; The A-Z of Plants that Kill, Maim, Intoxicate and otherwise Offend, (2016)
Morris, T., The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth and other Curiosities from the History of Medicine, (2018)