270 LUNAR IiVFLUENCES. 



iieclion between the phenomena of disease and the phases of the 

 moon. 



None of the known laws of nature have as yet been able to explain 

 ■why the moon should influence the movement of the sap in plants, the 

 durability of a roof shingled in a particular phase, the time of felling 

 timber, and a thousand other things which are commonly received as 

 facts. Popular opinion has invested our little satellite with almost un- 

 limited power and the most extraordinary and opposite efiects are attrib- 

 uted to its influence. It does not follow, however, that that which is 

 generally believed must necessarily be true, and if the foundation on 

 which these opinions rest, be very slightly examined it will be found 

 that few of them are even apparently sustained by fact?. 



Rejecting the more absurd and ridiculous superstitions which are 

 and have long been prevalent, and directing our attention to an opinion 

 which has the greatest appearance of plausibility, let us inquire whether 

 the phases of the moon are accompanied by any change in the condi- 

 tion of the atmosphere, or if such changes are more prevalent at thdte 

 periods than at others ? To settle this question it would be obviously 

 useless to take the opinions of any number of individuals based merely 

 upon ordinary observation. Our prejudices are so strong, that without 

 intending to deceive ourselves or others, those appearances which help 

 to conflrm our peculiar views are remembered, whilst those which are 

 opposed to them are su fleered to pass unnoticed. The question can only 

 be settled by a long series of instrumental meteorological observations, 

 and by comparing the results for a number of years. This has been 

 done by M. Schiibler, and the results, re-examined by M. Arago, render 

 it probable that there is but little correspondence between these two clas- 

 ses of phenomena; that any other epoch, besides the new and full moon 

 or any particular phase, would exhibit as great a variety of changes ; and 

 that if any influence is exerted by the moon at the period of the lunar 

 phases tending to produce changes of weather, it is so combined with 

 other causes of disturbance as to be almost, perhaps altogether, inap- 

 preciable. 



Effects sometimes attributed to the moon are due solely to the con- 

 dition of the atmosphere in respect to the quantity of vapor which it 

 contains. When the moon shines brightly it is an evidence of the ab- 

 sence of clouds, and consequently the heat radiated from objects on the 

 earth's surface, not being returned by reflection, is lost, and the temper- 

 ature of the radiating objects is reduced. From this cause buds and 

 young shoots have been sometimes frozen under a clear sky, when they 

 would have been saved by the presence of clouds. Here an cllcct, which 



