Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1883-06-30
BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON.
Does Fair Luna Exercise a Mystic Influ-
ence on Man.

Does Fair Luna Exercise Mystic infiu-
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 little, it does not ap-
pear so 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 60 down from $50 to about 4O
pounds.
People who are born when the moon
is rising are more subject to her infiu-
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 for instance-which
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 vari-
| Gus theories as to how the moon acts
upon the demented, says it is impossi-
g BILE to ignore the evidence of such men
t as Pinel, Daquin, Guislain and others.
/ The astrological idea is that the planet
i acts on the moist matter of the brain.
# Some of the French psychologists
n thought that the insane were observed
5 to be more troublesome when the
a moon was full because the light would
d naturally make them so, preventing
It them from sleeping. But this is
e very poor explanation, for, although
Is the moon is at her full every month
10 the nights are not always bright
If, there may be q week or more OF cloudi
a ness but the restlessness and excite
IS ment among the lunatics is seen to b
I'd Just the same, and to exist by day a
te well as after dark. Mr.. Winslow'
re suggestion was as follows: "May no
rs the alleged changes observed amonI
re the insane at certain phases OF tn
" moon arise not from the direct but tn
e. indirect influence of the planet? 1t
as well known that the rarity of the all
a the electric conditions of the atmos
at phere, the degree of heat, drynesS
he moisture, and amount of wind prevail
Id ing, are all more or less modified b
u the state of the moon. In the genera
on ity of bodily diseases what Oblivion
d" changes are observed to accompan
ys the meteorological condition referre
ire to-? Surely those suffering from di
ar eases of the brain and nervous syste
,m affecting the mind, cannot with ar
of degree of reason be considered as e
lor empt from the operations of agenci'
ms that are universally admitted to affe
on patients afflicted with other diseases
of He gives an instance further on of
by lady of much intelligence employed
nd matron in his establishment for i
a sane ladies during some five years, WI
sts informed him that the period of tt
- full moon invariably created grei
agitation among the patients.-Bat
more Ne,OS.