Mystery AtlasDonald M. Johnson
American psychologist at the University of Illinois whose 1945 paper, 'The "Phantom Anesthetist" of Mattoon: A Field Study of Mass Hysteria', was the first scholarly analysis of the Mattoon panic and remains a canonical case study of mass psychogenic illness in psychology textbooks.
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Theories & Explanations
Donald M. Johnson discovered Mad Gasser Mass Psychogenic Illness Explanation — Johnson's 1945 field study first established the psychogenic explanation, tracing most residents' awareness of the 'gasser' to sensational local newspaper coverage rather than firsthand experience.
Events
- Mad Gasser of Mattoon1-13 September 1944, with isolated later reports
Donald M. Johnson investigated Mad Gasser of Mattoon — Johnson conducted the first scholarly field study of the panic, interviewing residents and tracing how reports spread, published in 1945.