The Irish standard., 1892-01-02
Tt,E MOONS VI Ll,Ellc
low tlae Periodioity of that Orb 6ectS


About twelve years ago, says Lieut.
Totten, in Frank Leslie's Weekly, my
attention was attracted by a little vol
ume published in Chicago. It was from
the pen Of DR.: M. G. Knapp, NJ. D., and
dealt in the discussion of what may
now be termed scientific astrology."
AS physician he was familiar with
the periodicity of disease and mental
disorders, and, as a literally educated
man, knew Of the existence of similar
periods in the realms of other scienceR
It was not only a natural but a legitimate
exercise of inductive philosophy for
him to compare the waves of influence
that in turn buoy up and then depress
the patient on bed of sickness with
those that mark the periods of day, and
even with the changes of the sun and
moon and planets. This he did and
drew conclusions which have not been
gainsaid, but which rather have gained
constant evidence to prove that he was
wholly right.
But he went deeper into the matter.
The death hour of the human race has
long been known to oscillate around
the fatal hours Of two and three a. m-
Now these are the ones in which the
| magnetic vitality and warmth of earth
are at their daily minima- It is physi-
; cal astrononomy that tells us this, not
! mathematical, and yet there are naath-
ematical results from which the ''wise"
may draw corresponding deductions.
For instance, ten tons, evenly balanced
at noon, when the attractions of the
sun and earth are in opposite directions,
weigh twenty-four pounds one ounce
two drains less than at midnight, when
these attractions are exerted in
the same direction, and every ''body"
upon earth must experience it's pro-
portional variation in weight.
Again, the moon itself may enter into
this question Of weight by adding it's
gravimetric influence whenever it is Gin
conjunction and subtracting it at the
period of Opposition" the sum .sof all
which will be still further altered If the
moon be in perigee, or at the nearest
approach to the earth. Now, the mere
'phases'' of the moon-its new" it's
'squarters''' "halves" and "fulls''-cau
have little effect upon the delicately
poised balance of life, but the ever
varying position Of the orb itself-as an
agent of gravimetric, atmospheric,
tidal, aye and physical effect-this is
an element that brings periodicity into
everything, particularly into disease.
In fact, all the currents of nature,
whether they be within the human sys-
tenn itself or IN the earth upon which
we live, are subject to this varying
lunar sway. It passes through diurnal
as we'll as monthly cycles of maxima
and minina. and, as all astronomers
know, there are an indefinite number
of still higher lunar cycles exerting
their peculiar influence.
Hence, so long as the moon continues
to lunate in months, and at some times
to lend and at others to withdraw it's
potence from the solar waves, so long
will watchers at the he'd Of sickness
dread the changes of this orb which
! 'srules the night 1t is not the return
of the day on which a sickness began
that makes crisis-the mere name, be
it the day of Mercury or Saturn, has no
potency in medicine, although they
We're reputed gods thereof-it is the
fact that these days of similar name
come at the septinary periods. or quar-
tiers Of lunations, begin they where
they may, and thus mark the eighth or
beginning days of new periods in the
lives of all living beings, he they i'll Or
well. Our years and days are spanned
by the Sabbatic law and if we violate
it we shall no more escape the ultimate
consequences than the tide can bid de.
fance to the sun and moon.