wonderwench

In response to a question from cthulhu about the role of ergot poisoning in the French Revolution:

I read a very intersting book a few years ago called "Poisons of the Past". The author studied peasant diet and its impact upon violent outbreaks. The incidents studied included witch trials in England and America, the French Revolution and the Russian Revolution. The latter occurred at a time during which extensive medical records were maintained. The author noticed a high incidence of ergot poisoning among the "revolutionaries".

Ergot is found on diseased rye and affects the brain much like LSD. Rye was the staple diet for peasants in France and was a large component of the diet in England and early America.

As a comparison, the author also studied the diets of economically similar peasants, such as those in Ireland, who ate a non-rye based diet. In this case, the peasants' staple was oat.

The author's conclusion is that peasants were able to be rallied to commit mass acts of violents due to the mind-altering affects of ergot. It was not the cause of the violence and revolutions, but it contributed to the breakdown of civil behavior.