The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1896-11-25
BRECKENRIDGE NEWS.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER %, 1896.
MOONSTROKE.
By NO MEANS A MYTH.
The Misfortune Common Among
SailOrs-Effscts of II Describ-
cd by a Victim.
BY NO MEANS A MYTH.

Many people seem to regard sailors
stories Of being moonstruck with the
same amount OF credulity as they do
yarns about the sea-serpent. As mat
ter OF fact, "moonstroke" is as well
known TO the medical faculty as the
more prosaic sunstroke. A correspon.
dent writing to an English periodical rela-
tive to this comparatively unknown af-
Fiction, says:
at was July, 1890, on my first voyage
as an apprentice, bound from a Northern
port, with large cargo Of steel rails for
Bombay, that l experienced the sensa-
ton Of being moonstroke. We had got
the Northeast trade winds, and were bow
ling along, with the wind blowing fresh
on the starboard quarter at about eight
knots an hour.
Eight bells had struck. My chum
took the first two hours on the poop to
keep the time, when after a final look at
the beautiful new moon, l lay down on
the afterhatch, and in very short space
OF time was fast asleep. At four bells my
chum called me to go on the poop for my
two hours. On rising from my primitive
couch was considerably startled to find
that l could not turn my head, and the
next sensation l experienced was feel
ing of utter helplessness was like a
man walking in his sleep. seemed to
be totally unable to grasp anything of my
shipmates conversation.
81 looked vacantly around, and with n
sigh lay down again and slept. was, of
course, very quickly reused up again,
and the officer angrily ordered me up on
thepoop. l tried to obey him, and CROPPED
my way up the companion ladder. My
mouth was twisted nearly to my ear on
one side, and | had a very bad sti # neck
on the other. l could not speak, nor
could l think. All my faculties were
numbed. The sailors dashed buckets of
water over me and rubbed me fiercely
Then strong dose of castor oil was CIV
en- me, and my services were dispensed
with for the remainder of the watch.
81 ever afterwards took precious good
care when sleeping on deck to always
stow myself away out OF reach of the
moon; and although the stiff neck and
twisted mouth soon righted themselves,
1t was years before / was really well
again. Every new or full moon affected
me. | was fearfully sleepy, and suffered
much from mental depression.
Great sensation was created amongst
mate by the appearance of one of the
men walking about for a couple of days
with one arm bent over his head he had
slept in that position one night directly
IN the moons rays, and on awakening
found 1t impossible to move his arm from
MS head. AS he was on my watch ap-
pied the remedy used on myself as bow.
cold water and caster oil lido not know
II the credit Of curing the man was due
to either OF the above mentioned medi.
cines, but he was all right in couple of
days time.
las rule, the effect of being moon
struck soon wears of, but in few cases
the cure is not 80 rapid, and I've met sew
eral men who have suffered for years
from their carelessness in picking out
sleeping place.
"A iull-rigged ship, on which once
served, was swinging along on the home
trail, thirty-two souls and 5000 tons of
cargo aboard. The wind dropped, and
calm that took the spirit out of every
man on the vessel settled toward evening
on the eighteenth day of the passage.
The moon rose at six bells, and the
silence was awesome and oppressive.
My duty was to walk the lee side of the
poop, striking the time every half hour.
All the watch were asleep on deck even
the mate sank down and snored-tbe
silence and the moonlight were too much
for him. AT last leaned on the tafIrail
and slumbered. awoke with a start
some time later and was aghast to find
that had been asleep three hours. The |
man at the wheel, who had been awake |
when succumbed, was snoring peace.
fully, the lookout for'ard was in the same
condition. AT quarter to four struck
one bell, and the men awoke.
Much more could be said in support
oil the fact that moonstroke is possible,
and that is an uncomfortable and some
times we're dangerous malady."