Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-10-17
BY The Light Of The Moon.

The statement that the moon affects
the human body may at first sight seem
nonsense, but the fact is, when we ex-
anime it little, it does not appear so
absurd after all. The moon certainly
exercises an influence over all fluids on
the earth, and the human body is about
three-fourths water. 1t is said that II
we put human body into an oven and
make il perfectly dry it will go down
from one-hundred and fifty TO about
forty pounds.
People who are born when the moon
is rising are more subject to her influ-
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-which
are moon-eyed; that is, their sight is
better or worse through the month, ac-
cordng to the condition of the moon.
The same is said of some dogs.
A whole volume might be filled 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 ut certain seasons,
and yet there are some doctors who
deny it. The famous English physi-
clan, Forbes Winslow, who made an
exhaustive investigation of the sub
ject, in summing up the various theories
as to how the moon acts upon the de-
mented, says it is impossible to ignore
the evidence of such men as Pinel,
Daquin, Guislain, and others. The as
trological 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 be-
cause the light would naturally make
them so, preventing them from sleeping.
But this is very poor explanation, for,
although the moon is at her full every
month, the nights are not always bright
there may be q week or month OF
cloudiness-but the restlessness and ex-
citement among the lunatics is seen to
be Just the same, and to exist by day as
well as after dark. DIR. Winslow's sug-
StStloH WIS uS lolloWS' Aho) NV 'ho
alleged changes observed among the in
sane at certain phases of the moon arise,
not from the direct but the indirect influ-
ence ofthe planetp 1t is well known that
the rarity of the air, the electric conditions
of the atmosphere, the degree Of heat,
dryness, moisture, and amount of wind
prevailing, are all more or less modified
by the state of the moon. In the gener-
ality of bodily diseases what obvious
changes are observed to accompany the
meteorological condition referred TOP
Surely those suffering from the diseases
of the brain and nervous system affect
ing the mind can not with any show of
reason be considered as exempt from
the operations of agencies that are uni
versally admitted to affect patients af-
flicted with other diseases" He gives
an instance further on of lady OF
much intelligence employed as matron in
his establishment for insane ladies dur
ingssome five years, who informed him
that the period of the full moon invaria-
bly, created great agitation among the
patients. baltimore Neoos.