Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-11-05
INFLUENCE OF THE PLANETS ON
DISEASE.
(FrOm the New York TaIBUNE.)

onlcaI cause OF epldemlcs set forth
10 this number by DIR. NJ. A. Knapp,
physician residing in Mexico, may
be ranked among the curiosities of
medical speculation. The writer
starts with the principle universally
recognized in modern science. that
the sun is the original condition of
life and health TO all organized be,
ings on the face of the earth. The
light and heat of the sun are ac-
knowIedged TO exert powerful in
fuence on animal and vegetable life.
A similar c'ion is ascribed by the
writer to its attractive force, espe-
cially when acting in conjunction
with the larger planets. Gravita-
ton he maintains, is no less real
power than light or heat, elrcirici y
or magnetism, and its extreme inn
prersions on organized existences
are f,ial To If Were this force sud.
q My augmented IN the -urface of
ht earth To the drgree thai g"tme-
t'r> Calculate il fer the surface If hr
~nn, no human being Oh the fee If
ihe globe could survive the sh ok
Fhe channels at respiration " uIn
n-tau Is Collapse from * -rnai
r ~-ure on The thurax No ne
uli stand up or ~ur am h. w,igh,
tds own persnu. Amn If l6S
u"uhds wight " uld Weigh 6o7
- unds on the run, d load ~h.cn
", uld crush him ~ ATOMS in m
meut n one c,uld live il vac
uum. II would bleed s every pore.
The lunc I,n - re-pira ion w~uid To-
-uSpt nded NJ Que Indeed car
breathe freely AZ gerry hIgh al i,ude-
above the level nf the sea, iur lack +
-ntficient gravity in the atmosphere
From these ana similar cunsldera-
tlons, D.. Knapp ru-hes To- me con
riueIun tina, The recurrence ~ III.
-, mics i due To the periodical IN
crease OF planetary attraction during
the periheIion Of theisuperior planets
The periodical approach OF Jnpi er
aud Saturn ia their perihelion CIR
cults mus affrc the organized exls-
fences on the surface of the earth by
their increased attraction Of gravita-
ton, and the consequent disturbance
of the atmosphere, and Of the other
natural vital stimulants Of life. The
same facts hold good of the APP
proaches of the other planets in pro-
portion to their masses and prOximi>
ty. When all the planets coincide III
their approach, the combined effect
is disastrous to the well-being of a
man and animals, and Of the crops
and fruits of the earth. Blights in
vegetation ariably precede and
accompany epidemics. This has been
observed in every period of history,
but has never been accounted for.
The secret is now revealed, as the
writer supposes by the influence Of
planetary attraction. This cause ex-
plains the recurrence Of the subtle
malignant agency which eliminates
in excessive cold, excessive heat, ex-
cessive drouths, and brings TO pass
periodical blights, famines, and pesti-
lence. The periods of epidemics, he
undertakes to show, are always coin
cident with the periheia of the large
superior planets, especially of Jupiter
and Saturn. In proof of this, he
makes a curious use of certain chron-
illogical data. The revolutions of
Jupiter are the most disturbing ele-
ments in The system. The period of
his revolution is somewhat less than
twelve years. But this period COR
responds in q remarkable degree to
the interval of the pestilen,iAl peril
DDS. For instance, the choiera has
broken out in some parts 0t lndla
every twelfth year since 1888, espec-
tally in 1867 Now the perihelion
pochs o Jupiter taly with his ex-
actly. Calcula ting backward. JIpi-
ter m de his y rIhclion pa.spg" i Is
68 1856, 1645, 1888 1921 1909 1897.
IA 1885 Blu he.e we've pes II T.
a, p,iIods, 10 oilv in IndIr, hut ali
over the W. rli Not only cnulera,
nut many oih,r forms of cpd, mic
pestilcncr ged IN ihuse perin =.
Going i'll furtS r Ia k. at intrrs all
II wears. t. 1872. il will be I und
tina these peiiod~ wore also year ut
aggravated ps-iilenee all over IN,
aor d. the period Of SStnrn's rev.
lutl II around The sun j. nearly
enty-nlhe years and half Fl
made his priih.iion passage in 1856,
1926, 1897 1867 1893 l703 1879 10
80, and u 1920 Every fit per-
nenon epoch ~ Jupiter occurs in the
same year with every second perihe
non epoch Of Stature, or within III
space of twelve months if not in the
same year during the whole period
5 / the three hundred years above re
erred to But these commensurate,
neriods, the writer processes TO have
iou0d. have been aggravated pesti
lential periods Such period to
begin with, wa that OF the Irish fam
ne from 1912 to 1853. The two
planets made their commensurate
pe-ihelion in 1856, Saturn in March,
and Jupiter in December. The five
periods of Jupiter were 1926, 1845,
1888. 1921, and 1909. Now in 1853
there was epidemic yellow fever
in New Orleans, in 1856 in Norfolk
10 1856 in New Orleans again, with
greater severity. The ship fever ep-
idemic of the Irish famine prevailed
from 1915 to 1s49, when it was sue
ceeded by cholera, and the general
pestiIence Of this period, all over the
world, extended through to 1856.
Passing into the confines of the
eighteenth century, to 1897, the
next commensurate perihelion period
of Jupiter and Saturn, we find in the
Summer of 1898, the yellow fever
was far north as Portland in Maine
Not to delay with the variety oil
similar instances in different periods
of history which are cited by the
writer in support of this theory, we
come to his rather somber predict
ions for the proximate future. The
next perihelion passage of Jupiter