Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1888-08-01
WHO CAN EXPLAIN ITs
A Strange Disease ON the Little Island o
Sc. Kilda-Another Story.


Few portions of the habitable earth
have received more attention during the
past three centuries than the little island
of st. Kilda, which lies off 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
to move them all TO Australia or Canada,
and to 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
it Is scarcely endurable, the sea about 1t Is
40 tempestuous at most times that vessels
cannot approach 1t, while the soil Is so
sterile that 1t will produce little but
grass, potatoes and barley.
The people suffer from cold, hunger
and isolation. Il Is also affirmed that
thew suffer from tho visits of strangers,
even those who come on errands OF mercy.
Ali writer's on st. Kilda affirm that the
arrival Of vessel Is Immediately followed
by a peculiar sort of influenza which af-
fects all The people. Rev. Aulay Mac
aulay, great grandfather of the distin-
guished historian, wrote o work on st.
Kilda, in which he speaks at length Of
this strange disease. Martin, who wrote
an account of the island and it's inhabi-
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 tho
Strangers Cold" as among the principal
Affections of the people, and one for
which there was no relief.
DR.. Samuel johnson, who was much In
terested In the Highlands of Scotland and
the neighboring islands, endeavored to
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 causef 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
80 on In proportion" The logic was ex-
cellent, but 1t did 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 o
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 o mass OF
evidence to establish the occurrence OF
such disease after the arrival Of every
vessel that cannot be 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. It Is also stated, in regard to
small island on the west coast of Africa,
that eft is singular fact that any vessel
| 4 Il! TsSohI U
brings with it disease resembling tnt1u-
snza." The same story is told about an
island that lies east of New Zealand.
Here all the people begin to cough almost
as soon as 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 reeurs when an
other vessel lands.
The publication of these statements,
supported by many authorities, in lead
ing magazine has called out many express
sions of opinion. All admit that 1t 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. It
has lately been the fashion to deny any
phenomena that could not be explained
by natural causes. The old argument of
DR.. johnson has been employed by many
persons to disprove the existence of many
things Still thousands are ready to give
evidence of their constant occurrence.
People who believe in things that they
ca1@ot account for are classed as super
stitious, and few are willing to be thus
designated.-Chicago Times.