Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-06
MOOnstruCx,

1.-The sun shall not smite thee by day nor the
moon by night" This beautiful verse expresses
the belief, common in ancient days. that the
moon exercises a baleful influence upon those
exposed to her direct rays. In modern times
the perniclous influence of the moon has been
doubted and even denied. But whatever the
influence of the moon in the temperate zones,
within the tropics it is very injurious to sleep
exposed to its rays, especially when at the full
On voyage to the antipOdes, when near the
line, Maltese sailor. who was a most comical
fellow. slept for some hours on the boom with
his face toward the full moon. On waking in
the morning the muscles on the right side of his
race were contracted, so that every ATTEMPT to
speak was attended with the mOstludicrous con-
tOrtlOns. Feeling sure that something was Sc
riously wrong. he spoke to another sailor. who,
supposing that as usual he was atehis odd tricks.
burst out into laughter. Off he went to an
other, with exactly the same result The Door
fellow now got into a rage thereby adding not
little to the righteousness of the scene After
while the truth dawned upon the captain and
officers of the vessel. The doctor gave him
some medicine, the muscles gradually relaxed
and IN the course OF q week our Maltese friend
was wen again: Some five or six years ago,
when sailing from Tahiti to Mangaia, q little
boy OF mine, in perfect health, was Thought
lessly placed by his nurse in his BERTH the slant
Ing beams of the moon falling on his face
Next morning ne was feveriSh and ill, and it
was two or three days before he was himself
| again. On the island of Aitutaki native wo-
man was watching night after night for the re-
turn OF her husband from the island of Attn
While doing SO one night she fell asleep. the
moons rays pouring upon her face. On awak-
ing she felt ILL and her eyes were drawn on one
side. Considerable interest was felt by the is
landers in her case. Eventually, however. her
eyes were restored. These facts illustrate the
injury done to human beings by the moon i'm the
tropics. Yet never heard of insanity or death
resulting from this cause. 1t is well known
however, In tropical countries that the moons
rays occasion the rapid decomposition of flesh
ana fish, A number of bonitas having been
caught one evening near the line by a friend of
mine. the spoil was hung up in the rigging of
the ship. and was thus exposed to the moon
through the night. Next morning it was cooked
for breakfast. Symptoms of poisoning were
soon exhibited by all who partOOk OF it-their
heads swelling to great size, &c. Emetics
were promptly administered, and happily no
one died. The natives of the South Pacific are
careful never to expose fish "a constant article
OF diet in many islands) to the moons rays by
any chance They often sleep by the sea-shore
after fishing. but never with the face uncov-
cred. The aborginas of Australia do the same
as well as they can with their fishng-nOts. &C
A fire answers the same purpose. May not the
injurious influence OF the moon Gin addition to
her beauty and utility account for the almost
universal worship of that orb throughout the
heather wOrld!-Sunday at Home.