Laurie Winn Carlson's Case

Laurie Winn Carlson's perspective on the Salem witchcraft hysteria arising from an unknown epidemic of encephalitis in the beginning of the 19th century is by far more reasonable than the fear of women reflecting evil through the views of Puritan culture. Rather than centering the witch trials as a sexist movement by Puritan men as Carol F. Karlsen describes, my following paper will be supporting Carlson's argument. There are three points to be addressed: describing the disease, the relationship of symptoms in Salem residents and the relationship of transmission of the disease to Salem villagers.

Encephalitis lethargic a it is inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, that is now known as the meninges. In this horrendous state there is an increased pressure in the brain that affects behavior and motor function. There is also a increased build up of protein material in the cerebral spinal fluid that can responsible for torticollis, convulsions, clonus, hallucinations and oculogyric crises. This disease can lead to death possibly by the hemorrhaging around blood vessels and lymphatic system. There is a correlation between this disease, a high fever and a coma known as sleeping sickness. This viral disease can be transmitted via mosquitoes, ticks and or a bacterial infection.

During the spring of 1692 the village of Salem Massachusetts was bombarded with an unknown epidemic of residents with symptoms such as, " torticollis (neck twisting and muscle spasm), convulsions (fits), clonus (pin prickling and bites on skin surface), hallucinations (spectral visions) and paralysis." (78,85) The lack of scientific knowledge forced these religious New Englanders to label it as a criminal act of

witchcraft. The unfortunate occurrences of all the affected residents and animals triggered the imprisonments, lynching and burning at stake. The unfortunate down side is that the primary targets of the disease were in fact women and children. According to Carlson , "Elizabeth Knapp was a perfect example of the misinterpretation of convulsions and altered behavior, as her condition worsens when a crowd surrounds her to observe her un controllable actions." Another point made by Carlson was the relationship to a the symptoms were obviously not just for , "possessed girls to a quest for attention...or an erotic attraction to church ministers." (82,83) In this case Carlson aims her perspective towards the fear of the unknown, were people will not consider an unbalance psychological state but something superstitious and irrelevant to facts. However, Carol Karlsen argument states the root causing the hysteria was that, "Eve was the main symbol of woman-as-evil in Puritan culture...New Englanders embraces a witchcraft belief system as integral to their social order.... Women posed ever-present dangers to human society." (75,69) Karlsen's fixed mentality on this situation being an excuse to achieve complete submission of women to maintain the sanctity of a purified environment seems absurd. When in fact Carlson's opposing argument that states, yes there was something really happening at a cellular level that was unknown at that time seems more fair in which there is written journals to support all of the signs and symptoms. Using logic why would anyone want the attention of the public to be perceived as possessed individuals that would lead to rejection. The next reasonable point would be the transmission of the disease and how it applies to the New Englanders of the Salem villages. According to Carlson's theory of mosquitoes as the primary source of transmission seem logical to accept since the seasons seemed to comply with the out breaks of symptoms., " as autumn 1692 ... there were no complains the following year."(86)