72 The Witch’s Wind

In California it’s called the “Santa Ana.” Argentineans call it the “zonda.” It has more than twenty other local names; one of the most fitting is the “witch’s wind.” The scientific name of this mysterious wind is foehn, pronounced fern.

A foehn is a moving mass of air that, after crossing mountains, becomes a dry, gusty wind that moves with great power. A witch’s wind in Texas once flattened 252 oil derricks. One in Austria derailed three streetcars, each weighing over three tons.

There is an unresolved mystery in the witch’s wind. The foehn can have a strange and hard-to-explain effect on people’s physical and mental states. When the wind is blowing, some people experience what in Europe is called “the foehn disease.” Those who suffer from it say they are depressed and can’t concentrate. In Germany, you can even buy anti-foehn pills.

In many places, there have been increases in the numbers of accidents, suicides, and calls for medical help during the wind. The foehn has been blamed for everything from drops in factory production to family quarrels. In California during the 1890s, people who committed crimes of passion during the witch’s wind could use the foehn as an excuse.

Some people feel symptoms even before the wind arrives. They may have headaches or breathing problems. Their skin becomes taut, and old scars ache. These signs have occurred in people as much as ten hours before scientific weather equipment detected the foehn’s approach.

72 女巫之风

在加利福尼亚，它被称为“圣安娜风”；阿根廷人称之为“宗达风”。它还有二十多个其他的当地名称，其中最贴切的一个是“女巫之风”。这种神秘风的学名是“焚风”，发音类似“fern”。

焚风是一团移动的空气，在翻越山脉后，会变成干燥、强劲的阵风。得克萨斯州的一次女巫之风曾吹倒了252座石油钻塔；奥地利的一次焚风曾让三辆有轨电车脱轨，每辆电车的重量都超过三吨。

女巫之风存在一个未解之谜：焚风会对人的身心状态产生奇怪且难以解释的影响。当焚风吹起时，一些人会出现欧洲人所说的“焚风病”症状，患者称自己会感到抑郁、无法集中注意力。在德国，你甚至可以买到抗焚风药片。

在许多地方，焚风期间的事故、自杀和医疗求助数量都会增加。从工厂产量下降到家庭争吵，所有这些问题都被归咎于焚风。在19世纪90年代的加利福尼亚，在女巫之风期间犯下激情犯罪的人可以用焚风作为借口。

有些人在焚风到来前就会出现症状：可能会头痛、呼吸不畅，皮肤变得紧绷，旧伤疤也会疼痛。这些症状甚至会在科学气象设备检测到焚风来临的十个小时前就出现在人身上。