As victims of satanic influence, Spanos says they received sympathetic attention and it brought them up from a social position of little influence to one of power. They became the center of the community's attention. In conclusion, it is not proven that the Salem epidemic was caused by ergot poisoning, but there are plenty of stories and facts to support the idea. If Spanos wants to believe that the victims were not actually victims, despite the evidence, then that's fine, but I do not see why he would think this illness to be fun or even an interesting way of getting attention. Besides, where would they hear about the exact symptoms of the Middle Ages.
Scientists like to find empirical explanations to account for past superstitions and prejudices.
Scientific thinking has almost swept away the ignorance of superstitions that once kept people from learning about out world. Bibliography Bennett, J.W. 1999. The story of ergot. Spanos, Nicholas P. 1983. Starkey, Marion L. 1949.