The Moldy Bread That Drove The Middle Ages Mad

This video traces the dark history of ergot, the fungus that turned ordinary rye bread into a source of poisoning, hallucinations, and terrifying disease. From medieval outbreaks of St. Anthony’s Fire and theories surrounding the Salem Witch Trials to Albert Hofmann’s discovery of LSD and the CIA’s MKUltra experiments, the story of “Devil’s Bread” connects food, medicine, fear, and altered states across centuries. Inside: • how ergot fungus contaminated rye and entered bread • why medieval victims suffered burning pain and gangrene • how ergot poisoning could cause convulsions and hallucinations • why the disease became known as St. Anthony’s Fire • the debated theory connecting ergot to the Salem Witch Trials • how scientists turned ergot compounds into medicine • how Albert Hofmann discovered LSD • what ergot chemistry has to do with LSD-25 • why the CIA became interested in LSD during the Cold War • how MKUltra turned a powerful drug into a secret human-experimentation program • how one fungus moved from feared poison to a source of important medicines If you enjoy deep-history stories hidden inside everyday foods, subscribe to Fork Lore, like the video, and tell us what ordinary food has a history darker than most people realize. #ergot #foodhistory #history #medievalhistory #salemwitchtrials #LSD #MKUltra #stAnthonysfire #rye #fungus #medicalhistory #worldhistory ergot history, ergot poisoning, Devil's Bread, poisoned rye bread, St Anthony's Fire, medieval ergotism, ergot fungus history, rye ergot, Salem Witch Trials ergot theory, Salem witch trials food poisoning, Albert Hofmann LSD, history of LSD, LSD 25, ergot and LSD, CIA MKUltra, MKUltra history, medieval food history, history of bread, food poisoning history, medical history documentary, food history documentary, history of everyday foods, Fork Lore Song: This Too Shall Pass Composer: Scott Buckley Website: No URL available License: Free To Use YouTube license youtube-free Music powered by BreakingCopyright: https://breakingcopyright.com