A Fever in Salem: A New Interpretation of the New England Witch Trials, by Laurie Winn Carlson . Ivan R. Dee, Chicago. 1999. Margo Burns reviewed this book here a few weeks ago. I got a copy from my local public library Friday night and read it in one sitting. I will try to hit on some points that Margo didn't cover. Carlson's theory is that an outbreak of encephalitis lethargica was the main cause of the Salem witchcraft outbreak in 1692. I am very interested in the current outbreak in New York City and how it measures up against the outbreak in Salem where Carlson compared the symptoms and reaction in Salem to a similar outbreak in the U.S. that was also concurrent with the world-wide outbreak of Spanish influenza. Carlson's book is the first I've read that emphasizes disease(smallpox, influenza, and encephalities lethargica)and outbreaks of witchcraft prosecution. She gives one chapter just to all the testimony in the trials of human and cattle illness and death. You might have read it before, but Carlson's condensing it down into a single chapter or so gives the testimony a real emphasis of the illness and death stalking Salem and other towns that suffered witchcraft crisis. The climate conditions, especially in the western portion of Salem Village ,where most of the afflicted lived, were ideal for an outbreak of this form of encephalitis, carried mainly by mosquitos. Both humans and cattle appeared to suffer from a strange disease in Salem at this time and Carlson is the first author to really credit the cattle sickness and human witchcraft possession and explain that the cattle owners really knew their cattle, could recognize some disease after autopsy, but not what was ailing their cattle in 1691-2. Carlson also chronicled other outbreaks of encephalitis and depending on the background conditions, the afflicted could be literally miracles(some victims lived, but didn't eat or drink for weeks), see visions(apparitions)that led to events like the "Little Awakening," a religious revival in New England in the early-mid 18th century or witchcraft accusations. Carlson also pervasively explored other possible causes or contributors to the Salem outbreak, wood ticks and bird migratory patterns. It is a convincing theory, but although the symptoms of encephalitis lethergia, which can vary between victim to victim and even within the same victim over time, the death rate for the afflicted seems very low compared to the 1916-23 outbreak in the U.S. and the current outbreak in New York City. None of the afflicted in Salem(at least in surviving records)suffered long bouts of not eating or coma. It did cross my mind that since this form of encephalitis can come and go and reaccur years later to even kill, it might have been the cause of death of Ann Putnam Jr.'s parents within a short time of each other. Ann Jr also suffered life-long ill-health and died at a young age. We do know from John Hale that one of the afflicted girls that died by or before 1698 when he wrote his account, but he did not name her. It was possibly Abigail Williams. And could the afflicted girls history is silent on after 1692 have also died? If only all the records written on this event survived we might know. For pure historians on the Salem trials, Carlson gives Cotton Mather and Samuel Parris the most balanced treatment I've yet read, which strongly echoes my own thoughts on the two. Mather was both scientist-physician and a minister, but first and foremost a best-selling author, using outstanding examples of religious conversion/non-conversion(witchcraft)with catchy titles and (then)scientific observation to bring readers to the Puritain fold. Samuel Parris Carlson sees as both former farmer and businessman, not greedily demanding a huge salary and parsonage ownership, but wisely asking for same in a time when even the beloved Rev. Higginson of Salem Town had problems getting his salary paid and Puritain ministers all over New England were facing the same. Carlson also emphasized that Parris was too inexperienced a minister to handle the witchcraft outbreak, but also that he cribbed from other ministers sermons(not unusual in a time where imitation was the sincerest form of flattery and copyright law was not the force it is today. Carlson also explores the other theories of why Salem happened, including Linnada Caporael's ergot in the rye(LSD) theory, all the pros and cons of them all. Barring a time machine for any of us to go back and find out why, Carlson's encephalitis theory is just as if not more convincing than most.