I think the source for that comes from the book referenced in the article, which was written in the 1800s. That books has a reputation for exaggeration. For ex

I think the source for that comes from the book referenced in the article, which was written in the 1800s. That books has a reputation for exaggeration. For example, it is the book that popularize the idea of the “Dutch Tulip Mania” causing mayhem, when it was in fact much smaller scale / not a big deal (my understanding) based on recent research