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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 9891
[Offbeat]
Date Posted:
5/13/2004
10:06:37 am EDT
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Views: 6,080
RSS: 0
Comments: 9
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Tanzanian Parents Angry At Mystery Fainting
Author: BBC News Source: BBC News Online
Title: PARENTS ANGRY AT MYSTERY FAINTING
There is disquiet in southern Tanzania over an illness causing young primary school girls to faint.
Last week the school was forced to close for three days after 18 students fainted in one day.
Angry parents have protested to the school, accusing teachers of bewitching their children, after doctors found nothing medically wrong with them.
But a medical officer says the phenomenon may be caused by a neurosis related to local links with witchcraft.
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Community Thoughts: There are 9 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Sigh | May 13th. at 9:13:19 pm EDT |
by KarEEna (Perth, Australia) - wc_xemail
How many times do I have to post this? The Ergotism theory of Salem has been SHOT DOWN!!! It was impossible for ergotism to be the cause. Convulsive (the kind proposed to have happened in Salem) ergotism is only possible with a diet low in Vitamin A (and D I think) which are found in abundance in dairy and fish. Salem had an abundance of DAIRY and FISH products in their diet. If they had ergotism, it would have been LEPEROUS ergotism. Besides that, the pattern of who was "afflicted" was SOOOOOOO NOT the product of a biological disease. If it was then more of the town would have been sick, not just certain girls from certain families. I can't believe they still try to sell that lame ergotism theory as valid.
In Salem, as in this case, I am more inclined to go with the psychological explanation. Salem: the girls were messing around with occultish practices with Tituba. Their Puritan guilt got to them, they started to react with psychologically induced "afflictions." Tanzania: The whole country is obsessed with witchcraft. Kids are impressionable and easily scared. One kid might have fainted because she was hungry or anemic and the witchcraft talk started. The other kids got so convinced witches were afoot that they start fainting too because they are suddenly CONVINCED that the witches are after them. These things happen.
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| Possible Cause | May 13th. at 8:34:36 pm EDT |
by Brandi (Texas) - wc_xemail
This could be explained by the theory presented in a previous post. One theory of the Salem Witch trials was a disorder called ergotism. The symptoms here a eerily similar. Ergotism occurs when the fungus known as ergot, attatches itself to rhye wheat heads. When harvested and processed for flour and breads, the fungus is passed into the food. When ingested ergot can induce psycotic episodes, seizures and fainting. Once again a fungus may be casting an ill glare on our ilk. I hate it when people can be so uneducated and intolerable. "Some one sneezed side ways! Oh no! A Witch got them!! AAAAAAH!" They would be surprised how easily these "bewitchments" could be explained by science or just plain common sense! Blessed be all!!!
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| Yep... | May 13th. at 8:07:46 pm EDT |
by Michael R. (AZ) - wc_xemail
sounds to me like this could be a toxic mix of poor diet, poor health care and a possibly lethal dose of missionary zeal.
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| Welcome To Salem...Again... | May 13th. at 4:01:49 pm EDT |
by Irenthel (New Jersey, USA) - wc_xemail
Salem came to mind for me as well. A while back the Discovery Channel had something on it to find out exactly what had happened. They found out it was something in the wheat that was making them faint and go into seizurelike fits that would make them see things. So maybe the bread sources and such should be checked. I know the doctors said nothing was medically wrong, but maybe this is something that flies under the radar.
In addition, a few months back somebody mentioned that they should start teaching about the Witch Trials in schools again. I completely agree. We see time and time again how scapegoats are created for society (from that time to the Columbine aftermath and beyond) , and I'm completely sick of it. I'll try talking to the student Congress at my school about it (or the Guidance Councilor) , but whoever it was that said that way back whenever, I completely agree.
Namárië and the Brightest of Blessings,
Irrie
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| Salem Revisited | May 13th. at 3:52:15 pm EDT |
by Falcon (Washington, D.C.) - wc_xemail
The Salem witchtrials accusations came immediately to mind... it started with a few girls complaining of unexplainable maladies, apparitions and seizures. Then the accusations started, then it started to spread with more and more girls 'experiencing' these apparitions and seizures. Whether they are phony or psychological of psychosomatic, I hope it goes no further.
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| Still Popular Fad | May 13th. at 3:28:22 pm EDT |
by Greybeard (USA) - wc_xemail
Fainting was a popular fad among girls of that age in the town where I grew up back about 1960. It worries adults but isn't fatal. They'll get tired of it soon enough.
Greybeard
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| 1994 | May 13th. at 2:24:49 pm EDT |
by Willem (France) - wc_xemail
Hi,
this may not be a lot of help, but as far as I can remember (and perhaps I remember badly) this happened in Egypt too, in 1994 I think it was. In a very short time period an wave of faintings, all female and young, crossed the country.
Perhaps someone knows anything more about this. Are these events related? Good for conspiracy specialists...
Willem
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| Ketone Bodies??? | May 13th. at 12:23:02 pm EDT |
by Robert Thralls (Memphis, TN) - wc_xemail
The children in the photo do not look mal nurished, but bear with me a moment. Adolescent fasting (or even mal nutrition) is associated with Ketone bodies that brought on by the use of protien instead of glucose (If I remember correctly) .... Ketone bodies are toxic and their build up is associated with diabetic coma. It is also interesting to note that Tanzania is perhaps the poorest country in the world, I would assume this to mean that food supply is often intermittent and may produce these effects in adolescent females (more susceptible than males) .
I won't bother to comment on the Witch part, I know that social pressure and urban myth in Tanzania has led to many an old woman hacked to death and sometimes just hacked up. It is ashamed that a medical opinion would contain this urban myth...
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| They Didnt Realy Give | May 13th. at 11:44:13 am EDT |
by Eli (wendell nc) - wc_xemail
They didnt say under the surcumstances under wich the girls passed out. Heat can have an effect and also blood pressure. I remember when I was 14 i had passed out several times from standing up to fast and having all the blood rushing from my head. From what these girls described the feelings which occur are primarily what it felt like for me. Also they might not have the best doctors in the world. It seems to me that people jump to conclusions a little to fast. These children might not be eating enough which causes them to have little or no energy.
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