Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-07-14
WHO CAN EXPLAIN iTi
A Strange Disease on the Little Island of
~. KiIda--A mother SfarH.

81. Ki1da-An0ther story.
Few portions Of the habitable earth
hnve received more attention during tho
past three centuries than the little island
Of st. Kilda. which lies of the coast Of
Scotland No people are SO strongly at
tached to their home as the inhabitants
Of this lonely place. Benevolent persons
in Great Britain have repeatedly offered
10 move them all TO Australia or Canada,
and 10 provide for their wants till they
could get established. They have, how
ever, always declined these propositions.
The climate Of the island Is so severe that
IL Is scarcely cndurable, the sea about IL Is
NO compositions at most times that vessels
cannot approach IL, while the soil is so
sterile that IL will produce little but
grass, potatoes and barley.
The people suffer from cold, hunger
and isolation. IL is also affirmed that
they suffer from the visits of strangers,
even those who come on errands of mercy.
All writer's on St. kilda affirm that the
arrival of vessel is Immediately followed
by peculiar sort of influenza which Of
fects all the people. Rev. Aulay Mac
aulay. great grandfather Of the distin-
guished historian, wrote work on st.
Kilda, in which he speaks at length of
this strange disease. Martin, who wrote
an account Of the island and its inhnbi-
tants nearly two hundred years ago, also
refers to it. In giving evidence before
the crofter commission, the minister of
the island who is represented as gen.
tleman of great learning, enumerated the
Strangers Cold" as among the principal
Affections Of the people, and one for
which there was no relief.
DR.. Samuel Johnson, who wns much in
terested in tho Highlands of Scotland and
q ....l.l H.. al 20,
dispose of the Strangers Cold" by means
Of an argument In an essay he wrote:
How can there be physical effect with.
out a physical cause2 The arrival of
shipful of strangers would kill them, for
if one stranger gives them one cold, two
strangers must give them two colds, and
SO on in proportion" The logic was ex-
cellent, but 1t ibid not prevent the poor
people of st. Kilda from suffering from
severe cold for eight or ten days after the
arrival of every vessel. A writer in
recent number Of Chambers Journal de.
clared that the disease actually exists,
and that it is folly to attempt to deny the
fact, He states that there is mass of
evidence to establish the occurrence Of
such disease after the arrival of every
vessel that cannot bo disposed of, es-
pecially when there is no contradictory
| testimony.
The same paper states that parallel to
the St Kilda case is found in Tonga and
Samoa, Some affirm that influenza was
unknown throughout Polynesia till white
men came. 1t is also stated, in regard to
| small island on the west coast of Africa,
| that lit is singular fact that any vessel
touching there from St Helena invariably
brings with it a disease resembling infiu.
enza." The same story is told about an
| island that lies east of New Zealand.
| Here all the people begin to cough almost
rs soon as a vessel lands. The blind
| cough, and so do infants, though they
| have no knowledge of the arrival of
| strangers. This Influenza is not like
measles and smallpox, that one attack
| secures immunity, as it recurs when an
| other vessel lands.
| The publication of these statements,
| supported by many authorities, in a lead
| ing magazine has called out many expres-
| sions of opinion. All admit that it was
| impossible for the inhabitants of an island
near the South Pole to obtain information
from those living on St. Kilda. Some
believe that the natives of several islands
have killed the crews of vessels because
they contracted the influenza from stran
| gers who had previously landed. Few
have attempted to solve the mystery. II
has lately been the fashion to deny any
phenomena that could not be explained
by natural causes. The old argument OF
| nr. johnson has been employed by many
persons to dsprove the existence of man,
things. Still thousands are ready to Civ,
evidence of their constant occurrence
People who believe in things that they
cannot account for are classed as super
stitious, and few are willing to be thu!
designated. Chicago Times.