The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1874-01-29
From the Science Of Health.]
PERIHELION AND PESTILENCE.

gy," we are approaching one of the most pes
tiential periods in the earth's history. Since
the commencement of the Christian era, the
perhella of the four great planets of the solar
system-Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune
have not been cOincident. But this is about
to occur; and in the language Of DR.. Knapp,
who has traced the history of the greatest cpl
denies that ever afflicted the human race to
the perihelia of these planets, there will soon
be ''lively times for doctors. The theory isl
that, when one or more of the large planets is
nearest to the sun, the temperature and condi-
ton Of our atmosphere are so disturbed as to
cause injurious vicissitudes of weather, ex.
treme heat, excessive cold, terrible rains. pro-
longed drOughts etc, resulting in the destruction
of crops aud fruits, famine in many places and
pestilences among human beings and domestic
animals.
Dr. Knapp has collected mass of statistical
data, all going to show that perihelion periods
have always been marked by unusual mortality.
and that sickness and death have invariably
corresponded with the number of planets in
periheion at the same time. The revolution
of Jupiter around the sun is accomplished in
little less than twelve years; OF saturn, in a
little less than thirty years; of Uranus, in
about eighty -four years. and Of Neptune, in
about one hundred and sixty-four years. If it
be true, therefore. that the perihelia of these
occasion atmospheric conditions uniavorable to
life. pestential periods should occur once in
dozen years. and aggravated and still more
wide spread epdemics at long intervals. In
tracing the history Of epidemics for more than
two thousand years, DR. Knapp finds the facts
in all cases to validate the theory. Thus. in
the sixth, and again in the sixteenth century,
three of these planets were coincidentlv in
periheliou, and these were the most pestilen-
tial times Of the Christian era.
But soon we are to have. for the first time
in two thousand years. all four of these plan
cts against u.s. They will be at their nearest
approach To the sun in or soon after 1880. SO
that. tor few years. say from loS0 to 1885.
the vitality Of every living thing on earth will
be put to severe and trying ordeal
Some persons think they see, in the signs OF the
times. evidences Of the greater disasters in the
| Immediate future The excessive heat of last
summer: the uncxamped cold of last winter;
the prevalence of floods and disasters at sea-
the general failure Of the potato CROP the
widespread chillfevcr among human beings,
and the equal prevalence Of epizooty among
animals, are mentioned as among the premo-
nitions of the rapidly approaching periheion.
Well. "to be forewarned is to be forearmed I"
Accidents excepted, we know very well that
the persons of more vigorous constitutions and
more hycienic habits will have the better
chance to survive whatever adverse influences
the extraordinary perihelia will occasion. tits
well known to ply sicans that, in all pestilen-
ces. plague, typhus, smallpox. cholera. inauen-
"a. pleuro.pneumonia. murrain, ETC.. the intem-
perate, the dissipated, and those whose SANTA
rv conditions were bad, furnished the great ma
jority Of victims.
We do not write to alarm any one. nor to
make n sensation. We state the facts which
all history attests The readers Of the Science
Of Health can Judge for Themselves what i'm
portancc to attach to the subject. That the con-
Joint perihelion of all the large planets OF the
solar system, one of which, Jupiter, is a thou
sand times as large as the earth, must disturb
our atmosphere and temperature very consld'
erably, is probable; that this disturbance must
be injurious to health and life is certain; and
that these periods have heretofore been pestl'
Ilential, is matter Of record. How much we
shall suffer during the next dozen or fifteen
Years, depends very much on how nearly we
i've life in accordance with the laws OF life.
/ GENERAL SHERMAN AND A. II. STEPHENS.
! Among the guests at Fernando Woods re.
ception, in Washington, were Hon. Alexander
r. stephens and Gen. Sherman, Mr.. Wood
anoroached the General and said May l
nresent you to Mr.. Stephens9" "Oh, yes
said the General; II am not afraid to meet mr.
!. Stephens" After the introduction, Gen. Sher.
man said: "Mr. Stephens, I am happy to see
you in Washington again occupying your olo
nosition of honor" Said Hr. Stephens in re-
Div: "And am happy to return. am graft;