[18]Epist. ad Thessalum Filium.[19]Ὀυκ ἐλαχίστον μέρος συμβάλλεται Ἀστρονομίη εἰς Ἰητρικήν. De Aere Aquis & Locis.[20]Newton,Princip.p. 402.[21]Princip. Lib.3.Prop.36.[22]Ibid. Lib.3.Prop.37.[23]Philos. Trans.No181.[24]Esperienze dell' Academia del Cimento, p.m. 113.
[18]Epist. ad Thessalum Filium.
[19]Ὀυκ ἐλαχίστον μέρος συμβάλλεται Ἀστρονομίη εἰς Ἰητρικήν. De Aere Aquis & Locis.
[20]Newton,Princip.p. 402.
[21]Princip. Lib.3.Prop.36.
[22]Ibid. Lib.3.Prop.37.
[23]Philos. Trans.No181.
[24]Esperienze dell' Academia del Cimento, p.m. 113.
There are no Historys in Physick which we may more safely take upon the Credit of the Authors who relate 'em, than such as we are now going to mention. In some Cases a Point may perhaps be strained to serve a darling Hypothesis which the Writer has taken up, but here we are much more likely to have pure Matter of Fact, because hitherto no one has pretended the Appearances of this kind to be within the Reach of any Scheme of Philosophy.
Epileptical Diseases besides the other Difficultys with which they are attended, have this also surprizing, that in some the Fits do constantly return every New and Full Moon;the Moon(says Galen[25])governs the Periods of Epileptic Cases. Upon this score, They who were thus affected were calledΣεληνιακοὶ[26]and in the Historys of the GospelΣεληνιαζόμενοι[27]by some of the Latins afterwards,Lunatici[28].Bartholin[29]tells a Story of one Epileptic who had apparent Spots in her Face, which according to the Time of the Moon, varyed both their Colour and Magnitude.
But no greater Consent in such Cases was perhaps ever Observed than what I saw some time since in a Child about 5 years old, in which the Convulsions were so strong and frequent, that life was almost despair'd of, and by Evacuations and other Medicines very difficultly saved. The Girl, who was of a lusty full habit of Body, continued well for a few days, but was at Full Moon again seized with a most violent Fit, after which, the Disease kept its Periods constant and regular with the Tides; She lay always Speechless during the whole time of Flood, and Recovered upon the Ebb. The Father who lives by theThamesside, and does business upon the River, observed these Returns to be so punctual, that not only coming home He knew how the Child was before he saw it, but in the night has risen to his Employ, being warned by Cries when coming out of her Fit, of the turning of the Water. This continued 14 days, that is, to the next great Change of the Moon, and then a dry Scab on the Crown of the Head, (the effect of an Epispastic Plaister, with which I had covered the wholeOcciputin the beginning of the Illness) broke, and from the Sore, tho' there had been no sensible Discharge this way for above a Fortnight, ran a considerable quantity of limpid Serum; upon which, the Fits returning no more, I took great care to promote this new Evacuation by proper Applications, with desired Success, for some time; and when it ceased, besides two or three Purges withMercurius Dulcis, &c. ordered an Issue in the Neck, which being thought troublesome, was made in the Arm; the Patient however has never since felt any Attacks of those frightful Symptoms.
Whether or no it be thro' want of due Heed and Enquiry that we have not in all the Collections of Histories and Cases, any Instance of the like Nature so particular as this is, I know not; this is certain, that as theVertigois a Disease nearly related to theEpilepsy, and theHysterical Symptomsdo partake of the same Nature; so both one and the other are frequently observed to obey the Lunar Influence. In like manner, the raving Fits of Mad People, which keep Lunar Periods, are generally in some degree Epileptic too.
Tulpius[30]andPiso[31]afford us remarkable Instances of PeriodicalPalseys.
Every one knows how great a share the Moon has in forwarding those Evacuations of the weaker Sex, which have their Name from the constant Regularity they keep in their Returns; and there is no question to be made, but the Correspondency we here observe, would be greater still, and even Universal, did not many Accidents, and the infinite Varieties in particular Constitutions one way or other concur to make a difference. It is very observable that in Countries nearest to the Æquator, where we have proved the Lunar Action to be strongest; these Monthly Secretions are in much greater quantity than in those near the Poles, where this force is weakest. ThisHippocrates[32]takes notice of, and gives it as one Reason why the Women inScythiaare not very fruitful.
The Case being thus with Females, it is no wonder if we sometimes meet with Periodical Hæmorrhagesanswering to the times of the Moon in Males also. For as a greater quantity of Blood in proportion to the bulk inoneSex, is the reason of its discharging it self thro' proper Ducts, at certain Intervals, when the pressure of the external Air being diminish'd, the internalAuracan exert its Elasticity; so in theother, if at any time there happens to be a Superabundancy of the same Fluid, together with a weak Tone of the Fibres; it is plain that the Vessels will be most easily burst, when the Resistance of the Atmosphere is least. And this more especially, if any accidental hurt, or rarefying Force has first given occasion to the other Causes to take effect.
I know a Gentleman of a tender frame of Body, who having once, by over reaching, strained the parts about the Breast; fell thereupon into a spitting of Blood, which for a Year and half constantly return'd every New Moon, and decreasing gradually, continued always 4 or 5 days. The Fits being more or less considerable, according as his management about that time, contributed to a greater or lesser fullness of the Vessels.
We have two notable Instances of the like nature in our Philosophical Transactions; the one[33]of a Person, who from his Infancy to the 24th Year of his Age, had every full Moon an Eruption of Blood on the right side of the Nail of his left Thumb, at first to 3 or 4 Ounces, and after his sixteenth Year, to half a Pound each time; which when by searing the part with a hot Iron, he stopp'd, he fell into aSputum Sanguinis, and by frequent Bleeding,&c.was verydifficultly saved from a Consumption. The other[34]is a Story of anInn-KeeperinIreland, who from the 43rd Year of his Life, to the 55th (in which it killed him) suffered a Periodical Evacuation at the point of the Fore-Finger of his Right-hand; and altho the Fits here kept not their returns so certain as in the forementioned Case, (it may be either from the irregular way of living of the Patient, or the mighty change every Effusion made in his habit of Body, the quantity seldom amounting to less than four Pounds at a time) yet there is this remarkable Circumstance in the Relation, that the first beginning of thisHæmorrhagewas atEaster, that is, the next Full Moon after the Vernal Equinox, which is one of the two Seasons of the Year, at which we have proved the attraction of the Air, or lessening of its Pressure, to be greater than at any other time whatsoever.
But we are besides this to consider, That the Static Chair, and nice Observation taughtSanctorius,[35]ThatMen do increase a Pound or two in their weight every Month, which overplus is discharged at the Months end, by a Crisis of copious, or thick turbid Urine.
It is not therefore at all strange that we should once a Month be liable to the returns of such Distempers as depend upon a Fullness of the Vessels, that these should take place at those times especially, when the ambient Air is least able to repress the Turgency; and that tho' New and Full Moon are both of equal Force, yet that sometimes one, and sometimes the other only should Influence the Periods, accordingas this or that happens to fall in with the inward Repletion.
The Afflux of Humours to Ulcers is sometimes manifestly altered by this Power;[36]Bagliviwas acquainted with a Learned Young Man atRome, who labour'd under aFistulain theAbdomen, penetrating to theColon, which discharged so plentifully in the Increase, and so sparingly in the Decrease of the Moon, that he could make a very true judgment of the Periods and Quadratures of the Planet, from the different quantity of theMatterthat came from Him.
NephriticParoxysms have frequently been observed to obey the Lunar Attraction:Tulpius[37]relates the Case of Mr.Ainsworth, anEnglishMinister atAmsterdam, who had a Fit of the Gravel and suppression of Urine every Full Moon, of which he found no relief till the Moon decreased, unless by Bleeding at the Arm. After his death two large Stones were taken out of his Bladder, and thePelvisof the left Kidney was enlarged to that degree by the quantity of Urine so often stopt there, as to contain almost as much as the Bladder it self.
I was present, not long since, at the Dissection of a Child about 5 or 6 Year old, who dyed of the frequent returns ofNephriticFits, attended with Vomitings and aDiarrhæa. The Kidneys and Ureters were quite stuffed with a slimy calculous Matter, and it was very instructive to see the different degrees of Concretion in the several parts of it, from a clear limpid Water, to a hard friable Substance. Dr.Groenvelt, who had tendedthe Boy in his Illness, observed him to be seized with his Pains at every Full Moon for several Months together, which generally ended with the voiding of a Stone.
What Influence the Moon has inAsthma's,[38]van Helmonttakes Notice,Exacerbatur Paroxysmus(says he)Lunæ Stationibus, & ævi tempestatibus quas ideo præsentit & præsagit.[39]And SirJohn Floyer, who has given us a more particular History of this Disease than any Author, observes, thatThe Fits usually return once in a Fortnight, and frequently happen near the Change of the Moon.
'Tis a more uncommon Effect of this Attractive Power that is related by the LearnedKerckringius.[40]He knew a Young Gentlewoman, whose Beauty depended upon the Lunar Force, insomuch that at Full Moon she was Plump and very Handsome, but in the decrease of the Planet so Wan and ill Favoured, that she was asham'd to go abroad till the return of the New Moon gaveFullnessto her Face, andAttractionto her Charms.
Tho' this is indeed no more than an Influence of the same kind, with that the Moon has always been observed to have upon Shell-Fish, and some other living Creatures. For as the oldLatinPoetLuciliussays,[41]
Luna alit Ostrea & implet Echinos, Muribu' fibrasEt Pecui addit — — —
Luna alit Ostrea & implet Echinos, Muribu' fibrasEt Pecui addit — — —
Luna alit Ostrea & implet Echinos, Muribu' fibras
Et Pecui addit — — —
And after himManilius[42]
Sic submersa fretris concharum & Carcere clausa,Ad Lunæ motum variant animalia corpus.
Sic submersa fretris concharum & Carcere clausa,Ad Lunæ motum variant animalia corpus.
Sic submersa fretris concharum & Carcere clausa,
Ad Lunæ motum variant animalia corpus.
It is very well worth the pains to enquire what share such an Alteration in the Weight and Pressure of the Atmosphere may have in theCrisesor Changes of Acute Diseases. The Ancients made great Account ofCriticalDays, and regulated their Practice according to the Expectation they had from them; This Part of Physick is grown now into disuse, quite slighted, and even ridiculed; and that I suppose chiefly for these two reasons. In the first place, because the earliest Observations of this kind, which were drawn into Rules being made inEasternCountries, when these came to be applied to the Distempers ofNorthernRegions, without allowance given for the difference of the Climate, they were oftentimes found not to answer. And secondly, Fevers of old were treated with few or no Medicines, the Motions of Nature were carefully watched, and no Violence offer'd to interrupt her Work. The Histories therefore ofCrises, tho' of great Use, and certainty under such Management as this, were at length unavoidably set aside and lost; when Acute Cases came to be Cured, according to this or that Hypothesis, not only by Evacuations, but hot or cold Alteratives too; there being no longer any room for those Laws of Practice which supposed a regular and uniform Progress of the Distemper.
Wherefore, in order to understand a little both what might Induce the first Masters of our Profession to so nice and strict an Observance in this point; and what grounds there may be now, for a more due regard to their Precepts, even upon the score of the Lunar Attraction only, I propose the following Remarks.
1. All Epidemic Diseases do in their regular course require a stated time, in which they come to their height, decline, and leave the Body free.
This is so constant and certain, that when a Fever of anyConstitutionwhich iscontinualin one Subject, happens from some other cause, in another to beintermitting, the Paroxysms do always return so often as all together to make up just as many days of Illness as he suffers, whose Distemper goes on from beginning to end, without any abatement.
Dr.Sydenham, a sworn Enemy to all Theories, learn'd thus much from downright Observation; and gives this reason why Autumnal Quartans hold six Months, because by computation the Fits of so long a time amount to 336 hours, or 14 days, the period of a continual Fever of the same Season.[43]
SoGalentakes notice that when an Exquisite Tertian is terminated in seven Paroxysms, a true Continual at the same time has its Crisis in seven days; that is, the Fever lasts as long in one as in the other, in as much (says he) asa Fit in an Intermitting Feaver answers to a day in a Continual[44]. Now this so comes to pass, because
2. In these Cases there is always a Fermentation in the Blood, which goes not off till the active Particles are thrown out by those Organs of Secretion, which, according to the Laws of Motion, are most fitted to separate 'em. And
3. As different Liquors put upon a Ferment, are depurated in different times, so the Arterial Fluid takes up a determined Period, of which it is discharged of an induced Effervescence.
4. The Symptoms, during this Ebullition, do not proceed all along in the same Tenour; but on some days particularly, they give such evident Marks of their good or bad Quality, that the nature of the ensuingSolutionmay very well be guess'd at, and foretold by 'em.
Things being thus, Those days on which the Disease was so evidently terminated one way or other, might very justly be call'd the days ofCrisis; and those upon which the tendency of Illness was discovered by most visible Tokens, theIndicesof theCritical Days.
And thus far the Foundation was good, but when a false Theory happen'd unluckily to be joined to true Observations, this did a little puzzle the Cause.Hippocrates, it is plain, knew not to what to ascribe that remarkable regularity with which he saw the Periods of Feavers were ended on theSeventh,Fourteenth,One and Twentiethday,&c.Pythagorashis Philosophy was in those Ages very Famous, of whichHarmonyand theMysteries of Numbersmade a considerable part,Oddwere more Powerful thanEven, andSevenwas the most perfect of all. Our great Physician espoused these Notions,[45]and confined theStages of acute Distempers to aSeptenaryProgression[46], upon which this Inconvenience follow'd, that when a Crisis fell out a day sooner or later than this Computation required, his Measures were quite broken; and that this must necessarily oftentimes happen, will appear by and by.
Upon this scoreAsclepiadesrejected this whole Doctrine as vain,[47]andCelsusfinding it to be too nice and scrupulous, observes that thePythagorean Numbers led the Ancients into the Error.[48]
Galenbeing aware of this, succeeded much better in his reasoning upon the Matter, and very happily imputed the Critical Changes not to the Power of Numbers, but to the Influence of the Moon; which he observes,has a mighty Action upon our Earth, exceeding the other Planets, not in Energy, but in Nearness[49]. So that according to him, the Septenary Periods in Diseases are owing to theQuarterly Lunar Phases, which are the times of the greatest Force, and which return in about seven days.[50]
The result of the whole Affair, in short is this, ACrisisis no more than the Expulsion of the Morbific Matter out of the Body, thro' some or other of the Secretory Organs; in order to which, it is necessary that this should be prepar'dand comminuted to such a degree, as is required to make it pass into the Orifices of the respective Glands; and thereforeasthe mostperfect Crisisis bySweat, (both by reason that the Subcutaneous Glands do naturally discharge more than all the other put together, and also that their Ducts being the smallest of any, whatsoever comes this way is certainly wery well divided and broken)sothe mostimperfectis anHæmorrhage, because This is an Argument that what Offends is not fit to be cast off in any Part, and consequently breaks the Vessels by the Effervescence of the Blood. AnAbscessin those Organs which separate thick, slimy Juices is of a middle nature betwixt these two.
Now it is very plain, That if the time, in which either the Peccant Humour is prepar'd for Secretion, or the Fermentation of the Blood is come to its height, falls in with those Changes in the Atmosphere which diminish its pressure; theCrisiswill then be more compleat and large. And also, that this Work may be forwarded or delay'd a day, upon the account of such an Alteration in the Air; the Distention of the Vessels upon which it depends, being hereby made more easie, and a weak Habit of Body in some Cases standing in need of this outward Assistance. Thus a Fever which requires about a Week to its Period, may sometimes, asHippocratesobserved, have a good Crisis on the sixth, and sometimes not till the eighth day.
In Order therefore to make true Observations of this kind, the time of Invasion is to be considered, The genuine course of the Distemper must first be watched, which is not to be interrupted by any violent Methods: The strength of Nature in the Patient is to be considered, and bywhat Secretions the Crisis is most likely to be performed; and it will then be found, that not only theNewandFullMoons, but even theSouthings, whether visible or latent, of the Planet, are here of considerable Moment.
For Confirmation of which, we need only to reflect on what Mr.Paschalhas remark'd,concerning the Motions of Diseases and Births and Deaths[51]. Dividing theΝυχθήμερονinto Four Senaries of Hours, the first consists of three hours before the Southing of the Moon, and three after; the second of the six hours following, and the third and fourth of the remaining Quarters of the natural day; He takes notice that none are born, or die a natural Death in the first and third Senaries, which he calls first and second Tides, but all either in the second or fourth Senaries, which he calls first and second Ebbs. In like manner, that in Agues, the tumult of the Fits generally lasts all the Tiding time, and then goes off in kindly Sweats in the Ebbs. From whence he very rationally concludes, that Motion, Vigour, Action, Strength,&c.appear most, and do best in theTiding Senaries; and that Rest, Relaxation, Decay, Dissolution,&c.belong to theEbbing Senaries.
[25]Τας τῶν ἐπιλήπτων τηρεῖ περιόδους.De Dieb. Critic. lib.3.[26]Alexand. Trallian.lib. 1. c. 15.[27]Matth. c. 17. v. 15.[28]Apuleius de Virtutib. Herbar.cap. 6. & 95.[29]Anatom. Centur.2. H. 72.[30]Observ. Med.lib. 1. cap. 12.[31]De Morb. à serosâ Colluvie, Obs. 28.[32]De Aere Aquis & Locis.[33]No272.[34]Philos. Trans.No171.[35]Medicin. Static.Sect. 1. Aph. 65.[36]De Experiment. circa Sanguin.p. m. 341.[37]Observat.Lib. 2. c. 43.vid. etiam Observ.52.[38]Asthma & Tuss.§ 22.[39]Treatise of the Asthma, p. 17.[40]Observat. Anatomic.92.[41]ApudA. Gellium, lib. 20. c. 8.[42]Astronomic.lib. 2.[43]De Feber. Intermit.Ann. 1661. pag.m.65.[44]Comment. in Aphor.59. lib. 4. &de Crisib.lib. 2. c. 6.[45]Epidem.lib. 1. Sect. 3.[46]αἱ μὲν οὖν ἡμέραι ἐπισημόταταί εἰσιν ἐν τοῖς πλείστοις αἵτε πρῶται καὶ ἑβδομιαῖαι, πολλαὶ μὲν περὶ νούσων, πολλαὶ δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐμβρύοις.de Septimestri Partu.[47]Vid. Celsumlib. 3. c. 4.[48]Ibid.[49]De diebus Decretor.lib. 3.[50]Ibid.[51]Philos. Transact.No202.
[25]Τας τῶν ἐπιλήπτων τηρεῖ περιόδους.De Dieb. Critic. lib.3.
[26]Alexand. Trallian.lib. 1. c. 15.
[27]Matth. c. 17. v. 15.
[28]Apuleius de Virtutib. Herbar.cap. 6. & 95.
[29]Anatom. Centur.2. H. 72.
[30]Observ. Med.lib. 1. cap. 12.
[31]De Morb. à serosâ Colluvie, Obs. 28.
[32]De Aere Aquis & Locis.
[33]No272.
[34]Philos. Trans.No171.
[35]Medicin. Static.Sect. 1. Aph. 65.
[36]De Experiment. circa Sanguin.p. m. 341.
[37]Observat.Lib. 2. c. 43.vid. etiam Observ.52.
[38]Asthma & Tuss.§ 22.
[39]Treatise of the Asthma, p. 17.
[40]Observat. Anatomic.92.
[41]ApudA. Gellium, lib. 20. c. 8.
[42]Astronomic.lib. 2.
[43]De Feber. Intermit.Ann. 1661. pag.m.65.
[44]Comment. in Aphor.59. lib. 4. &de Crisib.lib. 2. c. 6.
[45]Epidem.lib. 1. Sect. 3.
[46]αἱ μὲν οὖν ἡμέραι ἐπισημόταταί εἰσιν ἐν τοῖς πλείστοις αἵτε πρῶται καὶ ἑβδομιαῖαι, πολλαὶ μὲν περὶ νούσων, πολλαὶ δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐμβρύοις.de Septimestri Partu.
[47]Vid. Celsumlib. 3. c. 4.
[48]Ibid.
[49]De diebus Decretor.lib. 3.
[50]Ibid.
[51]Philos. Transact.No202.
It having bin explained in the Beginning of this Discourse, how those Influences of the Heavens, which favour theReturnsofDiseases, may likewise raiseWindsat the same times; and that We feel the different Effects ofTheseaccording as other Causes do concurr to the Motion of the Air; it will not be amiss, to shew in one Instance or two, how much Natural History confirms this Reasoning.
There happened on the 26th ofNovember, 1703. a little before Midnight, a most terribleStormofWind, the Fury of it is still fresh in every ones Mind, which lasted above six Hours.
It is not to the present purpose to relate its History and Causes; What we observe is, That the Moon was at that timein Perigæo, and just upon the change toNew. Upon both which accounts its Action in raising the Atmosphere must be great; And hence indeed theTideswhich followed were also verygreat, and theMercuryin theBarometer, at least, in most places, fell very low.
This Influence was, without all doubt, assisted by some such other Causes ofWinds, as we have mentioned; These we can't know, but may however take notice how much the manifest State of the Air contributed to this Calamity.
After a greater quantity of Rains than ordinary had fallen in the Summer and Autumn, in those places where the Storm was felt, the Winter came on much warmer than usual; so that the Liquor in a Thermometer, of which the 84th Degree notes Frost, never fell below the 100th.[52]
Hence we may very well believe, that the Atmosphere was at that time fill'd with Atoms ofSaltsandSulphur, out of the Vapours raised by the Heat from the moist Earth, which being variously combined and agitated, gave that deadly force to the Motion of the Air.
A Proof of this we have not only from the frequentFlashesofLightning, observed a little before the Storm, but also from what the Country People took notice of the next day, that the Grassand Twiggs of the Trees, in Fields remote from the Sea, tasted very salt, so that the Cattle wou'd not feed on them.
Our Histories mention another Storm, which if not equal to this last in Violence, is however thought the greatest that had then ever been known and memorable from the time at which it happened,viz.on the 3d ofSeptember, 1658. the day on which the UsurperO. Cromweldied.
NoEphemeridesthat I know of relate the Condition of the Air that Year, but it is sufficient to remark, That whatever other Causes concurr'd, their force was accompanied with aFull Moon, just before the time of theAtumnal Equinox.
Upon the same score it comes to pass, That in those Countries which are Subject to frequentInundations, these Calamities are observed to happen at the times of theMoon's greatest Influence, so that the LearnedBaccius[53]has rightly enough laid the Cause of such Mischiefs upon immoderateTides of the Ocean, being unhappily accompaniedwith theattractive Forceof some or otherStars.
Dr.Childreyin hisBritannia Baconica[54]has from several Instances shewn theLunarAction in Damages of this kind.
Such and the likeNaturalCauses haveStormsandTempests; for as to the Question of Divine Power, whether or no Calamities of this kind do not sometimes, by the Anger of Heaven, happen out of the Course of Nature, it is not my Business to Dispute, nor would I by any means indeavour to absolve Mens Minds from the Bands of Religion. For although we must allow all the Parts of the Machine of this World to be framed and moved by Established Laws, and that the same Disposition of its Fabrick, which is most beneficial to the Whole, must of necessity, in some few Places now and then occasion Hurts and Mischiefs; it is however most highly reasonable, that we should yield to the Supreme Creator an absolute Power over all his Works; Concluding withal, that it was perhaps agreeable to Divine Wisdom, to order the Makeof the World after such a manner as might sometimes bring Mischiefs and Calamities upon Mankind, whom it was necessary by the Frights ofStorms,ThunderandLightningto keep in a continual Sence of their Duty.
[52]Vid.Philos. Transact. N 289.[53]DelTevere, lib. 3. p. 228.[54]Pag. 97.
[52]Vid.Philos. Transact. N 289.
[53]DelTevere, lib. 3. p. 228.
[54]Pag. 97.
The End.