Mass Hysteria Outbreak In New York
January 19, 2012
The Beginning
Twelve teens from LeRoy Junior-Senior High School started having symptoms of Tourette's syndrome, which included shaking and jerking of the neck. One of the teens that was affected by the out break has yet to return to school. School and state officials had an investigation that showed no known environmental or infectious diseases that would cause the sickness in the teens. Dr. Gregory Young of the New York Department of Health ruled out infection or communicable diseases.
Parents Are Concerned
Parents are getting really concerned with what is happing with there kids. The parents are wanting prof to what has been happing to their children. The doctors were saying it was traumatic and could be caused by stress. None of the parents were convinced by what was being said. The parents are wanting an answer to what is happing and why and they want it now.
The Answer
Dr. Laszlo Mechtler, a neurologist at the DENT Neurologic Institute in Amherst, New York came and spoke to what she thinks was going on with the girls. The doctor thinks the girls have conversion disorder which is also known as mass hysteria. What a conversion disorder is, is a person that could have blindness, paralysis or other neurologic symptoms. A conversion disorder is often occurs with a psychological conflict. Why this happens is because the person is trying to resolve a conflict inside the person. Dr. David G. Lichter, a clinical professor of neurology at the University at Buffalo says that mass psychogenic illness is the result of the brain making the body sick.
The End
Most parents were not satisfied with what the doctors had to say about what the girls, but the doctors are not so sure either. This was an unusually case of what they called stress. The parents are saddened that the daughters might not live a normally life ever. The doctors say with treatment the teenager should get better in time.
The Salem Witch Trials
The Beginning
The Salem witch trials were trials based on witchcraft. People were saying that other people were coming and harming them with there sprits. This all started when Reverend Samuel Parris daughter and niece became ill. The doctor came in and said it was witchcraft. This put motion in to play with the Salem witch trials. The hole town was scared for what was going on. Things get more scary when people start excusing other of harming them, and sentencing them to die.
The Salem Witch Trials VS. New York
There are definitely similarities to the Salem witch trials and New York. Some are that the kids are coming down with all these symptoms that people could not explain. The differences between them is that in the Salem witch trails the girls were faking their symptoms and in girls in New York had real symptoms. A difference between them is that the Salem witch trails was about the devil and sprits, but the New york case was about stress and a neurological problems. Knowing both of the cases they are different but they are total similar in so many ways.