Affair of the Poisons (1679)

In 1679, the Affair of the Poisons unfolded in seventeenth-century France, revealing widespread Satanist hysteria at the royal court and implicating over 300 alleged poisoners. Although initially scandalous, the investigation primarily targeted third-rate alchemists and quacks peddling ineffective poisons. Faced with torture, many falsely accused others, leading to a five-year purge with dozens executed, showcasing a period of blind panic.