Ebook Disguised as the Devil: How Lyme Disease Created Witches and Changed History, by M. M. Drymon
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Disguised as the Devil: How Lyme Disease Created Witches and Changed History, by M. M. Drymon
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This major new work began as a history of Lyme disease. Looking in the archival records of places where this disease might have occurred in the past, the author noted that afflictions associated with witchcraft kept appearing in those same places. Was there a connection between Lyme disease and the European concept of the witch? Was the Devil's mark of a witch really the 'Bull's Eye' rash of Lyme disease? Looking back, into the forested landscapes of a past that is abound with oak trees, acorns, deer, pigs, and other animals, human societies can be found among them, creating and participating in cultural practices that have environmental ramifications. Drawing upon the latest in scientific and historical research, this work will become essential reading for those interested in Lyme disease.It also explores the etiology of the witch and tells a compelling tale about the timeless importance of the interaction between humanity and the "invisible world" of bacteria.
- Sales Rank: #2195563 in Books
- Brand: Brand: Wythe Avenue Press
- Published on: 2008-03-27
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.00" h x .75" w x 6.00" l, .97 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 296 pages
Features
- Used Book in Good Condition
Review
"every now and then a literary work comes along that really grabs my attention and gets me fired up enough to write about it. "Disguised As The Devil: How Lyme Disease Created Witches And Changed History" by M.M. Drymon is one of those books.
When I first heard about this paperback, which was released in early 2008, I admit to being skeptical. Oh brother, I thought, not another crazy thing that Lyme is going to blamed for! Being a voracious reader of anything concerning tick-borne illnesses, however, I picked up a copy and plunged in.
I was not far into the introduction before the intrigue set in. Hmmm, maybe the author has something here after all, I had to admit begrudgingly. And before I reached the end of the book, I found myself nodding in agreement with many of the passages, caught up in the author's hypothesis and meticulous research.
Most modern academics believe that there was no biological factor behind the "witches" of the colonial time period. They ascribe to the notion that these people were motivated to such behavior by social factors such as spite, a need for attention, hysteria, or a psychosomatic disorder. In other words, even to this very day, people are still accusing these "witches" of "faking it." That is an accusation that almost every Lyme sufferer has heard at least once! Indeed, many have made the comparison that the persecution against present-day Lyme patients and their doctors is akin to a modern-day "witch hunt"....
Drymon found that "most of these afflicted people [in Salem] also developed neurological symptoms, like seizures, hallucinations, brain fog, and lethargy, as well as joint swellings." As Drymon states on page 10, "Using the tools available to them within their own particular culture or social paradigm, they labeled and understood the disease as a variety of named afflictions."
Ms. Drymon spent over five years researching and writing this controversial book, a fascinating "medical mystery" of sorts that is certain to provoke debates and heated arguments. Aware of the controversy, she hopes that readers will be open-minded enough to think outside the current medical box that so many are trapped in.
"I do think it's a disease with a history. We're in lockstep with a lot of people who have really suffered in the past, and we need to remember that," Drymon explained, "I wrote this book to provoke discussion .."
Drymon does not jump to conclusions but uses every possible historical record available, including some rather unconventional ones, to ferret out the facts. "Disguised As The Devil" is not a conspiracy-theory laden book, nor filled with the histrionics of the angry and desperately ill. Quite the opposite, in fact, the author lays out the hypothesis and evidence in a very rational and analytical manner. I was extremely impressed by the exhaustive research and copious citations and references from a huge variety of sources, some of which were first-hand witness accounts. Yet even with this vast amount of information, in no way does any of it seem excessive or unnecessary.
When presented with the daunting task of relating so much information, many authors tend to throw it at their readers all at once, leaving the reader gasping for breath and feeling as if they have just been plunged into a deep pool of icy water without a lifejacket. Fortunately, Drymon does not resort to this tactic. Rather, she takes the reader by the hand and gently leads along, step by step, while being careful to keep the history concise enough for even the most historically-challenged individual (such as myself) to understand.
Drymon discusses the cultural habits and beliefs of the time, the geography, climate, politics, and other influential factors in their social context. She seems to anticipate every question that readers might come up with (Why were so many more women affected than men? Why were they often depicted as old hags?) and uses the same calm logic to answer those questions.
More than once during my course of reading, I experienced an "A-ha!" moment in which the information made so much sense and seemed so obvious that I could not believe it had never occurred to me before. For example, witches have historically been associated with "familiars", that is, supposed demons in the form of various animals (usually dogs, cats, birds and the like). When one realizes that family pets such as dogs and cats can bring ticks into our homes and thus into closer proximity to us, this "superstitious" association suddenly takes on new meaning. There are many other fascinating comparisons to be found in this book, but I will allow the reader to discover them on his or her own.
Additionally, all Lyme disease aspects aside, I learned more about the witch trials from this single book than I ever did in all my school classes. While we may never know for certain what afflictions or behaviors led to the witch trials, it certainly seems that Ms. Drymon has uncovered a very striking possibility.
As Drymon concludes with a discussion of present-day Lyme politics and the battle that many Lyme sufferers undergo in order to obtain proper diagnosis and treatment, it occurred to me that not much has really changed in the last 350 years or so. Sure, we no longer burn so-called "witches" at the stake... instead, we throw them to the wolves known as IDSA and Big Pharma or tell them that "it's all in their heads".
Perhaps the colonists were not so primitive in their beliefs as we would like to think. Perhaps they were really not all that different from us. And perhaps the old adage that "Those who do not learn from history will be doomed to repeat it" has never been truer. --Susan T. Williams, Public Health Alert, December 2008
The definitive prequel to "Cure Unknown" meticulous research showing that Lyme disease has been around for a long time and its victims have been badly treated over the centuries! --The Sentry, December 2008
About the Author
A historian living in Maine.
Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
These arguments make a lot of sense. I don't ...
By Becky
These arguments make a lot of sense. I don't know why more witchcraft historians don't at least address or acknowledge the ideas in this book, just because they were not written by a formal, academic researcher.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful.
Salem witches and Lyme's disease...Who would have thought??
By Ivanhoe
Salem witches and Lyme's disease...Who would have made this connection???This book is a paradigm shifting work. I can see why it has been controversial. It contains innovative, outside the box thinking. Lyme disease carried back to Europe from North America after 1492 is as good an explanation for the appearance of the Devil's Mark there during the 1500's as any I have read. Meticulously researched, this book adds to the environmental explanations for the persecution of witches, helping to make some of the saddest times in human history more understandable. It shows the events in Salem in 1692 in a new way that compliments pre-existing social theories. It also shows that witch-hunts are not historic relicts pushed into some dusty forgotten corner but still exist as part of the mentality and actions of some members of modern day American society. All in all a scholarly work as well as a good and entertaining read.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful.
A Work of Scholarship!
By Daniel J. McCaskey
Three members of my family in Northern Virginia have been afflicted by Lyme disease. Like so many other sufferers, we have had to educate ourselves to make up for the general lack of knowledge and understanding about Lyme on the part of the medical community. This search for knowledge led me to "Disguised As The Devil: How Lyme Disease Created Witches And Changed History".
Although initially skeptical about Mary Drymon's hypothesis, I finished the book absolutely convinced that she has unearthed a previously unknown connection between Lyme disease and the social and religious phenomena that culminated in the witch trials of the 1600s. In fact, she makes her case so convincingly that it leaves you wondering how this evidence could have been overlooked for nearly 400 years.
If you search online you will find some people who have attacked Ms. Drymon and her book in the general context of "here come the Lyme crazies again". You should ignore these rantings and ravings. This is not how one refutes a work of scholarship. Accepted means of rebuttal include questioning the researcher's methodology and thoroughness, citing contradictory information which may have been overlooked or omitted, even accepting the same sources but interpreting them differently. Resorting to ridicule and name-calling reveals a serious disrespect for the way in which new ideas are proposed, discussed and debated in the world of scholars.
This book is not an easy read. There are entire chapters devoted to the colonists' diet, acorns, pigs, land-use patterns, etc. And you may wonder where all this is leading. Be patient. Ms. Drymon is methodically and systematically creating a preponderance of evidence that make her conclusions all but self-evident.
Whether you ultimately agree or disagree with Ms. Drymon's hypothesis about Lyme disease and witches, you will be astonished at the breadth and depth of her research. Truly a tour-de-force of research and scholarship.
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