Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-20
sun.spos Cycles and Epidemics.

SuMoSRO6 OyCICo sssAS A<F
II may be safely asserted that, from inc
earliest ages, no subject has filled the minus
OF men with so much astonishment ana terIoI
as that OF the frequent and AWFUL epIuoMtCs
which have 50 often depopGaias.te 70 nat Ittie
curious that in the very dawn OF medicine IneJ
should have been attributed to the wrath OF
the sun.
1t is generally known that spots Of rapidly
varying shape and size occur on the suns
disk; that these increase and diminish per1oui-
cally; and that they are simultaneous WIN
changes in the solar activity as felt on the eartn
In a very valuable article in the "Nineteenth
Century" for November. 1877, Messrs- LocKyer
and Hunter show that these variations are
and a traction: that they diner as to amount in
different cycles; and that they are coincideN
with terrestrial cycles OF variations in
1. Terrestrial magnetism and electrical ac-
IVY 4 Temperature:
g. Wind disturbances, hurricanes, and cy-
clones;
4 Rainfall. with which the writers show
that all the famineS In India DUNG this CEN
fury have been connected,-the famines folloW-
ing after drought occurring at the minimum
OF n-spots.
The increased heat, rainfall. and electrical ac-
tiv1ty occur then, periodically with the maxi
means, in ten p rate zones, mild but stormy
winters. damp. stormy springs, ana unfrultIuI
summers. the rain falling seldom. but, II az
the thought that the irreguiarity OF the seasons
OF such year would coincide closely with that
described by Hippooates as the Second Ep'.
suppose that such weather would be very IA
vorable for the development of germs OF low
forms OF organic life, and very unhealthy for
man, and disastrous for crops
Here. then, are four series OF peStiienceS
showing marked pertod!city OF about eleven
years, and decided tendency to fall on years
near what We suppose with reason to have
been those OF sun spot maNima- The apparent
exception OF the epidem!cs OF the siXth-century
is easily applicable. II we take 500 for the first
maximum. although apparently three years too
which we know, and the other OF which we
suppose, to have been maximum year. This
year was followed by great floods, ETC., during
which 1t is fair to suppose that the pestilence
was generated which reached Constanttlople
In 5S1-542; Germany In $50 So; Gaul in Sos.
Looking at all the other great eptdemics Of the
the calculated data OF sun-spot maxima with
the historical accounts of the natural pheno-
mena, the weather, heat, storms, floods, ETC.,
recorded in connection with these epidemics,
the coincidence becomes very striking, and It
seems clear that the great epidpn,ics or the Or
tenlat plague hare appeared, Increased, and d.
ntniSIed coifcide,atty ,rith the tides or solar
e1te1gy corresponding ,cith the ndrin,unl years
or The SuIl-SpOt cycles.
Now what can these general influences be,
this general cause, this morbif1c influence of an
unknown nature? Does the earth itself change
periodically? No: Does the mass OF the air'or
water change? No. What can change Them
rived directly from the sun. Does this change
regularly, periodically, and at intervals cor
responding with those OF this pestilence? 1t
certainly does; and all these strange natural
phenomena which we have seen to have been
observed In all ages as the forerunners or ac-
compartments OF epidemics are now known to
changes of solar energy corresponding with
the sun-spot cycle. Here Is certainly the post
hoe; shall we not admit the propter hoc,-
Ernest ". Gushing In the International Rerte,p
for ApTii.