Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-06-20
WHOLE NO. 2l24.
BY THE LIGHT OF The MOON.
Does Fair Luna Exercise a Mystic Infiu-
ence on Man.

ence on Man.
The statement that the moon affects
the human body may at first sight
seem nonsense, but the fact is, when
we examine it a little, it does not ap-
pear 80 absurd after all. The moon
certainly exercises an influence over
fluids on the earth, and the human
body is about three-fourths water, 1t
is said that if we put human body
into an oven and make it perfectly dry
it will go down from $50 to about 40
pounds
People who are born when the moon
is rising are more subject to her inhu-
ence in after life than others. They
frequently have the habit of walking
in their sleep and about the time OF
her fulling they are greatly subject to
dreams. Another curious thing is that,
if near-sighted, their eyes grow more
dim at the opposition and the change.
1t is also well known that there are
animals horses, for inStance--whch
are moon-eyed; that is, their sight is
better or worse through the month, ac-
corning to the condition of the moon.
The same is said of some dogs.
A whole volume might be filed with
the literature of the moon not only
the astrological notions attached to
her, but the curious myths and legends,
Nothing is better known than that the
insane are affected by her beams at
certain seasons, and yet there are some
doctors who deny it. The famous
English physician, Forbes Winslow,
who made an exhaustive investigation
of the subject, in summing up the yarl-
Gus theories as to how the moon acts
upon the demented, says it is impossi-
ble to ignore the evidence of such men
as Pinel, Daquin, Guislan and others.
The astrological idea is that the planet
acts on the moist matter of the brain.
Some of the French psychologists
thought that the insane were observed
to be more troublesome when the
moon was full because the light would
naturally make them so, preventing
them from sleeping, But this is a
very poor explanation, for, although
the moon is at her full every month
the nights are not always bright
there may be a week or more Of cloudi-
ness but the restlessness and excite
ment among the lunatics is seen to be
Just the same, AMI to exist by day as
we'll as after dark. Mr. Win slows
suggestion was as follows: "May not
the alleged changes observed among
the insane at certain phases of the
moon arise not from the direct but the
indirect influence of the planet? 1t is
well known that the rarity of the air,
the electric conditions of the atmOs-
phere, the degree of heat, dryness,
moisture, and amount Of wind prevail.
ing, are all more or less modified by
the state of the moon. In the general.
itv of bodily diseases what ohlivOus
changes are observed to accompany
the meteorological condition referred
to? Surely those suffering from dis
eases of the brain and nervous system
affecting the mind, cannot with any
degree of reason he considered as eX'
empt from the operations of agencies
that are universally admitted to affect
patients afflicted with other diseases
He gives an instance further on of
lady of much intelligence employed a.
matron in his establishment for in
sane ladies during some five years, who
informed him that the period of thl
full moon invariably created great
agitation among the patients.-BaHt'
more NelrS.