In 1692, a group of young girls in colonial Massachusetts began experiencing bizarre symptoms, including violent convulsions, uncontrollable screaming, strange movements, and claims that invisible forces were attacking them. With no clear medical explanation, their community concluded that witchcraft was responsible.

But more than 300 years later, researchers have proposed several alternative explanations, including mass psychogenic illness, ergot poisoning, neurological disorders, and psychological trauma. In honor of Halloween, let’s go back to Salem and meet the patients, examine the differential diagnosis, explore the historical evidence, and ultimately ask whether modern medicine could have prevented the tragedy.