The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-04-07
The Blue-Glass Epidemic.

The world is given to epidemics.
Sometimes it is disease that seizes upon
community, and smallpox, cholera, or
the yellow fever, according to latitude
and the amount of filth INDUCED in,
decimates the population. Again the
epidemic takes moral or religious form,
and we are devastated by revivals, tenn
perance reforms, or some other fever
that affects the moral nature. Another
time there will run through a country
some social or aesthetic malady-a rage
for old china, a passion for dancing the
German, or a determination to get cured
of real or imaginary ills by drinking
mineral water, taking a variety of baths,
or eating Graham bread. There seems
to be in human nature tendency to act
morally, and those people who have in
dependence or force enough to resist the
universal impulse are set down as origi-
nal or eccentric, according to the phase
and degree of their independent action.
just now there is a very peculiar craze
abroad known as the "blue-glass mania"
Gen. Pleasonton, an older brother of the
well-known cavalry officer by that name,
has a harmless hobby; at least it was
harmless so long as he kept it to himself.
He got the idea-when, how or why does
not appear-that sunlight transmitted
through blue glass has a peculiarly in
MIGRATING effect upon animal and vege
table life. He sustains it by something
that looks like scientific theory about
the actinic rays of the sun, the chemical
action of those of one part of the spec
trum, the development of electricity by
the sudden interruption of all the rays
except the blue one, etc. 1t is theory
that will not bear examination by real
scientific scholar, but scientific scholars
are not common, and it has plausible
look, which is sufficient to impress those
who not comprehend it. But apart from
his theory Gen. Pleasonton processes to
have tested the effects of light coming
through blue glass by variety of ex-
periments. BY covering grapery with
glass, every eighth pane of which was
blue, he got vigorous growth of vines
and abundance of excellent fruit. Posi-
bly, he might have secured the same re-
suit if none of the glass had been blue, but
he does not tell us anything about that
He tried similar experiment with pigs,
and those which were favored with blue
light tiourished apace and grew fat So
did the others, and there was precious
little difference, so far as we can make
out.
But the important feature of the
alleged discovery of Gen. Pleasonton,
and that which has given rise to the
mania, is the supposed effect of light
coming through blue glass upon the
human system He claims that it is
peculiarly invigorating, and counteracts
in this state of man the tendency to dis
ease and decay. He raises the hope
that by living in glass houses, with a
sufficient variegation with blue panes
and panels, and abstaining from the
practice of throwing stones at our neigh
bors, we might be free from the blues,
have no occasion for blue pills, and
reach Il ripe old age in the full vigor of
all our faculties. The notion of the
General is certainly pleasant one, but
we fear it is delusion. To be, sure he
gives numerous instances of the cure of
rheumatism and the Punishment of pains
of many sorts by basking in sunlight
that came through panes of cerulean
hue. But, then, basking in sunlight of
any kind is beneficial, and il would not
be difficult to get up instances of cures
by any process whatever. Who has not
heard of rheumatism being cured by
carrying horse-chestnuts in the pocket?
Let anybody start notion that a tarred |
string worn around the neck will be
sovereign remedy against catarrh and
all the ills that affect the throat, and in