| I have no conclusive evidence of course, just positing a hypothesis. re: amount you'd have to consume, "entire families would find themselves afflicted with either symptoms of burning and eventual gangrene in the hands and feet or with epileptic-like convulsions, headaches and hallucinations." [1] re: timing, ergot tends to thrive in summer after cold winters followed by damp springs. March is a bit early, but not out of the question. re: wide-spread, ergot outbreaks affected huge populations all at once. [2] For what it's worth there's a decent chance that ergot poisoning may be responsible for the Salem Witch Trials. [1] The best argument I could find against my case is that it was rare in the UK as the climate is less favorable to rye [2]. > ...let alone share such an experience with others in such vivid recalled detail. It's an acid trip. Ask someone whose done acid. They'll tell you exactly what they experienced. [1] https://asm.org/Articles/2018/November/From-Poisoning-to-Pha... [2] https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2017/has-ergot-altered-events-worl... |