July 8th 2024.
In the 1960s, a group of school children caused quite a stir in Tanganyika (now known as Tanzania) when they sparked what can only be described as an "epidemic". We've all become familiar with the concept of "patient zero" in the wake of Covid, that unfortunate individual who is the first to be diagnosed with a new disease. But in this case, there were not one, but three "patient zeroes" at the start of this peculiar outbreak.
These three girls, all students at a boarding school in the village of Kashasha, were not spreading a disease, but something much more unexpected - laughter. Yes, you read that right. Laughter. At first, it may sound amusing, but as the giggles made their way through the school and beyond, it quickly became no laughing matter.
It all began on January 31, 1962, when a group of students erupted into a fit of giggles. Nothing out of the ordinary, right? We all love to see children laughing. But this wasn't just a brief moment of amusement. These students couldn't stop laughing. It was like a never-ending can of Pringles, overflowing with pure joy. And it didn't just last for a few minutes, like most of us have experienced. No, this was days, even weeks, of uncontrollable laughter.
Of course, it wasn't continuous. That would have been physically impossible. But it would come and go, with long bouts of debilitating laughter that left the students unable to focus or carry on with their daily activities. As the laughter spread to other students at the mission-run school, the situation became even more disruptive. Eventually, 95 out of 159 pupils, aged between 12 and 18, were "infected" with this uncontrollable laughter. It became too much for the staff to handle, and they were forced to close the school. Parents were called in to collect their "giggling girls", only to find themselves falling victim to the laughter as well.
As the students dispersed and went back to their homes across the region, so did the laughter. There are varying reports on how many people were affected, with some saying hundreds and others saying thousands. But one thing is certain - the contagious hilarity spread like wildfire. And how long did it last? Well, that's up for debate too. Some say six months, while others say 18 months. But one thing is certain - it eventually fizzled out. The laughter became less frequent and shorter in duration until it finally stopped altogether.
But what caused this bizarre epidemic? To this day, no one can say for sure. However, there is a leading theory. It's widely known that people laugh for many different reasons, all of which are studied by the field of gelotology - which just happens to have a wonderfully intriguing name. Often, we laugh because something is actually funny. It could be a joke, a funny video, or even someone taking a tumble and falling off a chair. And most of the time, laughing is good for us. It helps to release stress and boost our mood.
But it can also be used as a coping mechanism, a way to deal with nerves or fit in with a group. There are also certain neurological conditions that can cause uncontrollable laughter, such as pseudobulbar affect or gelastic seizures. However, in the case of the 1962 epidemic, it's believed that the cause was actually anxiety.
Just weeks before the laughter outbreak, Tanganyika had gained its independence from British rule. This led to a time of uncertainty and stress for both adults and children. On top of that, the country had recently introduced a new school system, which put a lot of pressure on students to perform well. While laughter can be a helpful way to relieve stress and anxiety, it can also be a symptom of these conditions.
Looking back on this case many decades later, Dr. Christian F Hempelmann reflected on the situation. He explained that the laughter was not a result of humor or merriment, but rather a manifestation of anxiety and stress. The students were displaying various symptoms, including pain, fainting, respiratory problems, and even rashes. They would also switch between episodes of crying and laughing.
According to Dr. Hempelmann, this was a case of mass hysteria, also known as mass psychogenic illness. This is when a group of people exhibit a certain behavior that is not caused by a specific environmental stimulus. It's all in their minds. And unfortunately, this type of outbreak can occur anywhere in the world when there is an underlying shared stress factor present.
In this case, it was a combination of the country's recent independence and the pressure put on students to perform well in the new school system. And while no further laughing epidemics have been reported in Tanzania, it's a reminder that laughter can have many different causes, and in some cases, you definitely don't want to catch it. So, let's all remember to laugh for the right reasons and keep our sense of humor intact.
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