They were liable to sudden faintings of an unnatural character, to spasmodic movements and jerkings of the head and limbs, to trances, to the seeing of witches and devils, to deafness, to dumbness, to alarming outcries, to impudent and lying speeches and statements, and to almost everything else that was false, irregular and unnatural.
Some of these things were doubtless involuntary but the voluntary and involuntary seemed to be so mingled in their behavior, that it was difficult sometimes to determine which was one and which the other.

The moral sense seemed to have become confused, if not utterly lost for the time.
They were full of tricks.

They stuck concealed pins into their bodies, and accused others of doing it--their contortions and trances were to a great extent mere shams--they lied without scruple--they bore false witness, and what in many, if not most, cases they knew was false witness, against not only those to whom they bore ill will but against the most virtuous and kindly women of the neighborhood; and if the religious delusion had taken another shape, and we see no reason why it should not have done so, and put the whole of them on trial as seekers after "familiar spirits" and condemned the older girls to death, there would at least have been some show of justice in the proceedings; while, as it is, there is not a single ray of light to illuminate the judicial gloom.
When at last Mr.Parris and Thomas Putnam became aware of the condition of their children, they called in the village physician, Dr.Griggs.

The latter, finding he could do nothing with his medicines, gave it as his opinion that they were "under an evil hand"-- the polite medical phrase of that day, for being bewitched.
That important point being settled, the next followed of course, "Who has bewitched them ?" The children being asked said, "Tituba.".