, 1870-04-24
MODERN SUPERSTITIONS.


MODERN SUPERsTITIONS.
Li:srs Lir;n3 Aer translates fEor. Ger
nan journal an interesting paper on this
ub,ect, from which We take few pat.-
1sphs: .... ..
\ few examples will illustrate with what
.ase and friSolity thinEs arc believed which
In SIMPLEST investigation resolves into air.
0ue Of them Is reated by Bessel. In st. Ms
10, III France, where the tide I'scs to an nm
common height, it was regarded A. settled
that deaths took place 1T the time Of the va
tcre falling. Opportunities continually oferrd
ia nut tbs remarkable phenomenon 10 the
proof. but il uas never doubted At length
The French Academy gent commission tocon-
vince themselves, then and there. OF the truth
IT thie singular fact-uhen il was found that
peop]e died during tho waters rise Al we'll -
during itH fall, and that for : hundred yrars.
ACCORDING to tho parish registers. neither abb
nor flow had .nywi.e Affected thc mo1tAIs.
1tis well-knowr assertion that vessel
filed with water doee not increase in weight
\ live fish IL rnt into it. HIM; George OF Ens-
land, being tlcsiro,i- to learn the cause OF 10
extraordinary phenomenon, requested sn e3-
n,auation from the learned men OF the cot1n-
tn. This oeca4soned several very profound
.1;srcr1atiu,1s in Which all sorts Of strange hg-
rptAcseA were advanced Only one OF the get'-
tlcmen hit upon the queer idea cf try,nT me
10 he discovered the vessels we.sttt to tr III
creased s,v exactly the weight of the ish
But what Of that mysterious d!sease, ren-
nambulsm: Can it be tislute'l tAat tne
mouu car~e. seunuarnbuliste to walk i'll thc1f
| sleep: l answer, no. but let US Zee no" the
moon acts, in or,ier to convince otttseiEc. that
| il has no wish IN fsatcrt.lxe with nFstlc!aIn-
II may lie assumed that sleel-walklns Is ~
ahpofma!1v vivid state OF dreaming. NOT only
Of the reproductive. hut a1sn Of I'll: v"''tiss
faculty. Now, it il established that such
vivid dreams are promoted hy everything
causing nnanies slceI'., r. g. heavy supper,
fact which has been frt4iucutly oase!sed fliat.
owing TO the4c influences, +oulnambulst-, or
.1cep.walkers, often make their nerambnla,
tons at times when moonlight in nut marked
in The almanac, and We al know that there
| are tua,ly pe1eqns. ttuitu healthy tuo. who eau
,, NOT tIeer At ALL or only badly. when l'sht !.
turning in their bedrooms. ny reaso:l ~
being unused 10 il. Precisely the tscs. y
tluence i- exercised by the moons lsl.sttn
! rersnnt inclined to 40nna1nlullsu.. Henea
; somr have lit upon the excellent idea 10 pre-
l vent the moonlight from entering the no1n-
uamb1list's sleeriug-Fooul by means ef shut
{ | tcrs or thick curtains, and behold. the sou1-
nambulitt remained luictly in his bed, not
:; troubling himself about the full moon that
Il shone brightly outside. The experiment was
: then reversed, ant, At time when there ~ Wa
= ing been brought into the somaanbalsst =
x chamber. hc Was secn to walk i'll hls sleep ~
c though the dnest full moon were ruling the
!, sky- a.,
IT more readily bctieee the they tickle the
n fancy and hence it ia sufficient reaso.i ~
y regard ! thing AZ true becanse it has been ac'
- cepted for years or even foE centuries. IN.
| rreiudicel observation must dectie. ami !,
Oh uroves by thousands OF caacs that the condl
se ZION Of the intestinal tube and the cffe.'t o
IN .e1mifuges, il precisely the sane At The IN
OF creasinG ~ ut the vanl1tg moon; II, there
u.s. minister yermifngc during the roons wa1e
re- the copsol.ng assurance ii tleirs that its at
III tion will be the same al il admin1tercd dunn
g. s.. | the moons increase ..-. -
car The belief in spcciaI lunar influence hph
Eai; the growth Of plants results from very deiet
Ny tive observation and IL altogether uniounues
Tie /, in said, for instance. that wood. cut duE,n
M the moons increase. rots faster than th'
mt fellel during the moons wane; hut 1t no nm
:o9@ and no where has this assertion ever bee
3ul: tes,ed liz single and seirih!E made e3pc1
psc- mept. One peteon echoe. this absurdity AT
epe7 the other, yet i, has never entered anybody
au0 head to fell two trees. equally sounst anu
IA the came kind. to keep them under the !iSe
lt1s- cnmstances, aud then to watch tire chang,
Tie rame remarks are applicable tp the ass'
e OF ton that ecrtain plants thrive only VII
ts planted during tie waning moon, wl,lle I the &c
1ens frasr is the Gaze with others. We al ~
u oe that net every thing which is Tfsntei,
ence | 80, tl-;ra. nnyertheteea these people
~ | veFy careful il noting every Instance "Aett
-, anu pIant, PUT into the ground At the wrong til
LIVE oes- Of the moon, did not thrive. Al ne~ con
VIM mI.eHn. r,...t ,1,nted ~ the rirht time.
Is or not thrive, are attributed to the weather.
tue And the weather. Does rot exp.tle
-,. ,aael, us that the moon surely has Al inn
God % a1,,, -. ~ on,r m ;,nroYr ant milne
.SeS 1 on the weather, but not even AnF which l.
the .1ad VIC ~ -.n,r ia, +, - Thar yrry Z,
"nole 1ience which contz7dicta the oplMon u
ought n,e.n me.n hat e4per;ence which i. :aiuei
"aus | the ipHisilual aiNf Inexperienced obees
great ~, o.c,sior.l1x meter When raiuy west
icular h.nrsns ~ sef in about the time OF
;o1 ~ ! new moon, or fair weather. At the mo-
ios AZ fuil; but that experience which IL acquire
uSues oIeeryatories aud At meteorological statls
anu uhere the general natuEr Of tne "ea' I-.;
souf rrate Of the barometer. the direction o.
:eye1- End md he degree Of the moisture in
riding .a..,lI,sre ara recorded twice or three ii
Eouf eyerv dav. Now the tables ut tue MUNICH
~ you eetvatorr. kep, fer more than forty Eeafs.
nea@ with tie greatest care. INFORM Us VA. -
davs OF the full moon, OF the new moon,
beholu ! of the TWO quarters. respectively the ~ea
been does not change more often, or more =
Heads thsn On any other day. Only such e1pera
'ty ana il entitled to consideration
uo"u The moons physical influence upon
VIA esr,h il iu common Life vary greatly
eI, g. r.ted. This Influence. according TO the II
firacle, LAWS " ass, -. .ttr,c.;nt, H., the re-
I've lis tHa IN wh;eb + sents to the
Eueni- anu s. tho emission Of hest. The moon
tracti1c power. in se aix hmes less thai
earth.. awiudles into mere nothing 10
iecta On the ea1ths surface. As. owing t.
ia rnc distance Of $1,000 milea It ls greatly pr
Herea- deIaisa y the dn5 eans ~ c.int1,1ad o.
Axs and | Scton AAs uoeeo W ea1uA".s..
ich NJ cannot be an object Of perception
s~anfn | when the moon IL overhead, We senI !
~ amt bubble OF feather into the air, We ehail
have 4 | able to perceive the moon e1ertlng the
3tV th,n attraction. But how Is it with the phen'
nj .ur,- 1 Of the tidess They depend as IL kno;
Ne this. the suns aud moons Attraction, th..
ton 6t1s much smaller, bur much nearer, attract
"a e,wa third more strongly thsn the sun. il
H. .ub- | yatiou caused by this combined .ttrac::o
FRAT III tains about one hundred cubic mi1es Of
ia hnr mas which in round numbers. weis
tritle Of one thousand billion III
,ich one | weights. But it would o Efaesou:
hich Ia. to suppose that this ENORMOUS "c'
~ a. ono raised by the moon in the sane mann
- former mau Gfts hundred weight or mag
h,nce of tracts n.ii. Looking At the CLASSY
tee than Of an inland Like. Apd though i ~
r.re can larce. when the moon it In the zerith'
II c,r ha slightest use OF the tide Will be married.
r1 tha+ Il copditipns upon which high water |. GET
=: in nrs are furnished bv the e1traordinar: fa:l
tha Io,k | which Email PARTICLES Of water are CTS
,en 11;rht and by that Tast body Of water. called
iitions'" citc Ocean, extending oSez more tn.
i derived quarter q the glooe. oshe5 1 eaasss -
laye had ate. WHICH, 10 e3plAn, "oa!o te1 - ~,
or grsnd- ny ces1Sn- An e1planSaun ~ sae ~
words Of be found IN any gooa thsata4 geoE.sgM. T.
ity." He To confirm the oenef N luaI -
this Kind, mon the weather, 1t has oeen asse'. t
erta;ning. the moon must aet on me osssa ~ ~,
interest, atnosphefe--tn the cams nAnae. -
] s:est on the ocean Of wster, .Pfndnc!ths i.
q. tits . ehb and flow. Iheoseucaus. ants y, Z,
Us cucer- been assumed: tut It feFluI1ea ~ a. a,
,reesed By EerEahons Of years upon sne nlo nh;,nt
.hid that constructed barometers, oe'ots r1;. r.;r1
pie, IN his succeeded N proylng ee,n ~ tt, r.oo
Ton stops tuahuns due 10 tue scuon " .1.;,sf ~. !
.cond son what are these nnet14.a55 I.:1,5 often i
er md the the barometer N oui Hrne md whos
>, But it ing to eevers! 1nes e.a y IN heat Il
Seconds ate c1ose Is the as;a osS -, tbe sun3 HI
ho passed fezEec- eonse1oen1 1,h.- IN ..c1ibc
.tv, either find no reason neas ,s.,, ,h, weather,
'dney. so moon AnJ n'i'i ie1'N' NfN