Much ink has been spilled over the possible motives of the girls. Linnda R. Caporael has argued that the consumption of rye bread might have caused an outbreak of convulsive ergotism which can have hallucinatory effects, but anyone who has worked with children understands that behavioural contagion requires no such catalyst. Is it really all that surprising to see young people exploiting the opportunity to break all of society’s rules, to not only evade punishment but be praised for their transgressions? See Linnda R. Caporael, ‘Ergotism: the Satan loosed in Salem?’, Science, vol. 192, issue
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