Hysterical about hysteria

In Hysterical about hysteria, the author comments on the somewhat suspicious insistence of scientists and authorities that the noxious fumes experienced by witnesses to Peru’s recent “thing that crashed from the sky” was “mass hysteria.”
Instead of actually treating the witnesses with respect and interest, they’re dismissed. As he writes:

Whoa, time out. Geologists say that meteorites can't cause people to become sick, therefore the people must be delusional. Isn't that putting the theory before the observation? It's also a little weird that the "large number" of reports is used to cast doubt on them. In most areas of science, a large number increases our confidence. Why can't we just say, There were reports of people reporting a flash in the sky and a big hole in the ground and getting sick, that's weird, so let's investigate.

Good point.