The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-11-06
PeYihelion and Pestilence.
WHAT MAY ESsUE DURING THE NEXT
SEVEN YEARs--A PERIOD OF SUFFER.
ING AND DEATH:


III there is anything in astrological
crlology, we are approaching one Of
the most pestilential periods Of the
earth's history. Since the commence
ment Of the Christian era. the perihelia
Of the four great planets of the solar
system--Jupiter. Uranus. Saturn and
Neptune been coincident. But
this is about TO occur. and, in the lam
guage of DR.. Knapp, who has traced
the history Of the greatest epidemics
that ever afflicted the human .ace to
the perihelis of these planets. there
will be soon lively times for the doc
tors The theory is that when one or
more of the large planets is nearest to
the sun, the temperature and condition
Of our atmosphere are SO disturbed as
to cause injurious vicissitudes, terrible
rains, prolonged drouths, ETC.. result
ing in the destruction Of crops, and
pestilence among human beings and
I domestic animals.
/ DR.. Knapp has collected mass Of
/ statistical data, all going to show that
perihe,ion data have always been mark
ed with UNUSUAL mortality. and that
sickness and death have invariably
/ corresponded with the planets in per-
/ ihelion at the same time. The revolu-
ton of Jupiter around the sun is ac-
complished in little less than twelve
wears; Of Saturn in a little less than
thirty years; of Uranus in about eigh-
ty-four years; and of Neptune in about
l64 years. If it be true therefore,
that the periheis Of these planets oc-
casion atmospheric conditions unfavor-
able to life. pesiilential periods should
occur once in dozen years. and ag-
gravated and still more widespread cpl
denies at longer intervals. In tracing
the epidemics for more than 1000
years. DIR. Knapp finds the facts in all
cases to validate tie theory. Thus in
the sixth. and again in the sixteenth
centuries, three of these planets were
coincident in perihelion, and these were
the most pestilential times Of the
Christian era.
Bat soon we are to have, for the first
time in two thousand years, all four Of
these planets against us. They will be
at their nearest approach to the sun in
or soon after 1850. so tba. for few
years, say from 1880 to 1885. the vital
ity of every living thing will be put to
severe and trying ordeal. Some per-
sons think they see, in the signs of the
time, evidence of the great disaster in
the immediate future. The excessive
heat the unexampled cold. the prev
alence of food and disasters at sea, the
general failure of the potato crop, the
widespread chill fever among human
beings. and the equal prevalence of the
cpidemies among animals,ar are mentioned
as among the premonitions of the rapid
ly approaching perihelion.
Well, to be forewarned 10 to be fore.
armed Accidents excepted, we know
very we'll that the persons of more
vigorous constitutions and more hygienic
habits will have the better chance to
survive, whatever adverse influences
the extraordinary perihelia will occss-
sion. 1t is we'll known to physicians
that, in all pestilence, plague. typhus,
the disipated, and those whose sanitary
conditions were bad. furnished the
victims.
We do not write to alarm any one,
nor to make sensation. We state the
facts which all history attests. Read.
ers can judge for themselves wha. inn
portance to attach to the subject. That
the conjoint perihelion Of all large
planets of the solar system. one of
which, Jupiter. is q thousand times as
large as the earth, must disturb our
atmosphere and temperature very con-
siderably. is probable; that this distur.
bancc must be injurious to health and
life. is certain; and that these periods
have heretofore oeen pestilential, is q
matter OF record. How much we shsll
suffer during the next dozen or fifteen
years. depends very much upon how
nearly we live life in accordance with
the laws of life Science Of Health.