71. The Jumping Frenchmen in Maine

<p>Imagine you&#39;re deep in the woods of northern Maine. It&#39;s the 1870s. The air smells like pine and cold mud, and you&#39;re living in a bunkhouse with thirty other lumberjacks, miles from the nearest town. You&#39;ve been swinging an ax since before sunrise, and the only entertainment you&#39;ve got is each other.</p><p>Now imagine one of the men in your bunk, a quiet French-Canadian guy, a little jumpy, a little shy, suddenly gets a sharp shout in his ear. And he <em>loses it</em>. He leaps off the ground, screams, throws whatever&#39;s in his hands, and then here&#39;s the wild part if someone shouts a command at him mid-jump, he just... obeys it. Without thinking. Even if that command is to hit someone, punch himself, jump into a rozen lake, or spill his food. He does it. Then all of a sudden everyone in the camp seemed to get this ... affliction. </p><p>This wasn&#39;t a prank. This wasn&#39;t a bit. This was documented medicine. And it&#39;s one of the strangest medical mysteries in American history.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Like Candles? </strong><a href="Ghostpoppy.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Check out our collaboration with Ghost Poppy</a></p><p><strong>Contact us: </strong>Thegang@weirderafterdark.com</p>