Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-01-06
MOONsTRUCK.

1.-The sun shall not smite thee by
day nor thee moon by night"
This beautiful verse expresses the
belief, common in ancient days, that
the moon exercises baleful influence
upon those exposed to her direct
rays In modern times the pernicious
of the moon has been doubted and
even denied. But whatever the in
fuence of the moon in the temperate
zones, within the topics it is very in
furious to sleep exposed to its rays,
especially when at the full. On a
voyage to the antipodes, when near
the line, Maltese sailor, who was
most comical fellow, slept for some
hours on the boom with his face
toward the full moon. hOn waking
in the morning the muscles on the
right side of his face were contracted,
so that every attempt to speak was
attended with the most ludicrous
contortions. Feeling sure that some
thing was seriously wrong, he spoke
to another sailor, who supposed that
as usual he was at his old tricks,
burst out into laughter. Off he went
to another, with exqctly the same re-
suit. The poor fellow now got into q
rage, thereby adding not little to
the ludicrousness OF the scene. After
awhile 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 week our Maltese
friend was well again. Some five or
six years ago,when going from Tahiti
to Mangia,a a little boy of mine, in per-
feet health, was thoughtlessly placed
by his nurse in his berth, the slanting
beams of the moon falling on his face.
Next morning he was feverish and
ill, and it was two or three days be-
fore he was himself again. On the
island of Aitqtaki a native woman
was watching night after night for
the returnof her husband from the
island OF Atlu. While doing SO one
night she fell asleep, the moons rays
pouring upon her face. On awaken.
she felt i'll, and her eyes were drawn
on one. side. Considerable interest
was felt by the Islanders in her case
Eventually, however, her eyes were
restored. These facts illustrate the
injury done to human beings by the
moon in 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 and fish. A
number of bvnitas having been
caught one evening near the line by
friend of mine, the spoil was hung
up in the rigging of the ship, and
was thus exposed to the moon through
tho night. Next morning it was
cooked for bre akfast. Symptoms of
poisoning were soon exhibited by all
who partook Of it--their heads swell
to great size, etc. Emetics were
promptly administered, and happily
no one died. The natives OF the
South Pacific are careful never to
expose fish Ia 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 uncovered. Aborigin-
|sals Of Australia do the same as well
as they can with their fishing net,
etc. A fire answers the same pur-
pose May not the injurious influence
Of the moon lin addition to her
beauty and utility account for the
almost universal worship of that orb
throughout the heathen world?--
Sunday at Home.