Ergotism and the Salem Witch Trials Pt. ...

Modern day researchers are still trying to explain what happened in 17th century Salem. Many have blamed the event on mass hysteria, but one doctor points to an outbreak of a fungus called ergot — the same organism used to create LSD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

In 18th century England, Mary Toft defied all medical odds when she started giving birth to rabbits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

When the plague broke out again in the late 19th century, scientists dissected buboes, bodies, and fleas… and found the source of the Black Death. The disease had already killed millions throughout Europe and Asia. In 1900, it reached San Francisco. Learn more about your ad choic ... Show More

It was one of the most lethal pandemics in global history. The bubonic plague’s devastating spread in 6th and 14th century Europe paved the way for how we handle outbreaks today — though patients in medieval times saw no sign of a cure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod ... Show More

Some researchers allege that ergot poisoning may have been responsible for triggering the Salem witchcraft trials -- but is this fact, or fiction? Learn more about ergot and the Salem witch trials in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihea ... Show More

On this day in 1692, five residents of Salem, Massachusetts—including a clergyman—were hanged to death for the crime of witchcraft. They wouldn’t be the last. Guest hosted by Wenndy MacKenzie from the Parcast original podcast, Unsolved Murders. Learn more about your ad choices. V ... Show More

In order to understand why the Salem witch trials happened, we need to get to grips with how exactly things unfolded over the course of 1692. In this episode, we piece together a timeline of the events that reveals how the strange behaviour of a couple of young girls spread like ... Show More

When do conspiracy theories stop being theories? Today’s episode visits real accounts of deadly misconduct committed at scale by governments and businesses. Poisoned alcohol, contaminated medicine, mind control experiments — in every case, the truth came out… eventually. Learn mo ... Show More

He was a 16th century doctor, apothecary, and seer whose prophecies, published in 1555, still hold resonance today. Did Nostradamus foresee Hitler's rise in Germany, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the COVID-19 pandemic? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/ ... Show More

The 21st century has seen the evolution of haunted house fascination into pay-to-play scares, where bold visitors seek out rattling experiences to test their resolve in the face of terror. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

Before he was a fanatical Nazi doctor, Josef Mengele was a mediocre student studying medicine and anthropology. Dr. David Kipper offers insight into the changing face of genetics in pre-war Germany, and digs into what might have driven Mengele’s obsession with human experimentati ... Show More

In the early 1900s, Linda Hazzard marketed herself as a doctor, and claimed that she could cure any ailment with her special starvation regimens. Except, instead of curing her patients, she was killing them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

During World War II, two bizarre murders in the West Midlands region of England became linked by speculations of witchcraft and black magic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices