Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-11-21
FARM AND GARDEN.
EPTZOOTIC MALADIEe.

1Do IcIa LslllOOAlc tpplles As well 10
diseases Of cattle, hogs, sheep and goats, az
10 those Of horses. Those now prevailing
In the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia
and South America, were predicted by as
tronomers with something like the certainty
with which they foretell eclipses. Astrono-
my is difficult subject TO deal with in a
newspaper; and the origin of many dis
eases in man, and in bis domesticated ami
mails, is quite as occult. We viii do our
best to make the matter plain, 80 far as we
60.
In the University Monthly for November
In "The Dominie's Talks, number eleven, I"
may be found the following remarks:
"But were such train left for the length
Of times supposed, you would not see pic
tured on the heavens one line of lisilt, mere
~ as il each planet followed the same path
in each revolution. The truth is, that no
planet pursues twice the same exact path.
That long axis Of the eclipse, whose ends
are known as the perihelion and &phelion,
Is slowly but continually swinging around
the sun; SO that in the course of time Tin
case OF the earth 25,S00 years. it makes
complete revolution"
This Swinging around Of earthn and its
atmosphere, in illimitsbIe space and ether,
within the orbits of celestial bodies, known
and unknown, for TWENTY-FIVE thousand
eight hundred years, before returning to
the starting point, is travelling far in an un-
known country and climate.
Fdr several thousand years OF this vast
orbit, all the conditions may be very favor
able to the vitality and growth ofmastodons,
horses, and Thousand other species, down
10 the mammoth oysters, whose shells may
be seen some thirty miles below Augusta,
Ga, 100 feet in thickness, on the banks of
the Savannah river. Some Of these shells
are foot in length, and proportionsbly
broad. Sir Charles Lyall called the species
oysted gigGnted. They are now extinct.
In his Antiquity Of Man" be refers TO
fourteen species Of the horse genus, whose
fossil bones are found on this continent /;
yet 400 years ago, when Columbus dis
covered America, not horse, ass, or zebra,
was found or known,
These briefly noticed astronomical and
geological facts, show concIusively that the
conditions Of our planet and continent are
very variable as they affect animal life. At
one time we find IN elephant In the north
OF Russia, brought to light from the melt
ing Of an immense block Of ice and Agas-
siz finds reason to believe that ice once COW
cred sll continents q mile In thickness,
making cold and sorry time for all land
plants and animals. Who dare say what
has been shall never happen again on our
little planet, in Swinging around" in the
little known universe Of God for twenty
five thousand years before 1t returns in its
''vEst orbit ?" E--
The little we know Of science and sound
philosophy should teach us humility, and
inspire an ardent desire to learn more. Al
though we are powerless to avert injurious
cosmical influences on our atmosphere, yet
We may do something to improve our
chances Of recovery If attacked by new
diseases, or old ones In a new type. We
wish to caution the owners Of stock against
the too free use Of aconite as 8 medicine
for horses. There Is often more presump-
tion than knowledge in prescriptions. Great
cures in the public estimation are some
times very fortunate escapes from the
double peril Of disease and misapplie pois-
ons in the character of medicines.
The disturbance OF our atmosphere is
probably caused by planetary influence, the
careful study and observation of which
have Just commenced. What our great in
dustriAl interests most need at this time is
. national university in the District of
Columbia TO cultivate al toe natural
sciences; and especially astronomy, geology,
meteorology and chemistry, in their rela-
lions to agriculture, aud all other useful
arts. 1t is silly to say shat knowledge is
power" and then send men to Congress to
vote millions Of our money to suhsidizs
steamship companies, to enrich railroad
monopolies, corrupt the morals Of the ma
ton, and do nothing for Industrial science,