154 



FARMERS' REGISTER— EXPERIMENTS IN FEEDING. 



show themselves under every phase of the Moon, 

 not only in persons of the same age and of the 

 same constitution, but also in the same individual. 

 This alone is sufficient to show that the Moon has 

 no influence, and all modern physicians are agreed 

 on this point. 



I have little faith in the observation of Sandori- 

 us, namely : that men in health gain one or two 

 pounds in weight at the commencement of the 

 month, and that they lose as much towards the 

 end. In the same manner, observations made 

 with the greatest care have induced me to doubt 

 very much the remark cited by the poet LuciLius, 

 and often since repeated, namely : that lobsters, 

 oysters, and other shell fish, are fatter while the 

 Moon is on the increase, than when she is decreas- 

 ing. A very little attention will convince us of 

 the nullity of this assertion ; especially if we can 

 but credit the remarks made by tlie able physi- 

 cian, Mohaidt. I have the greatest confidence in 

 the very careful experiments made by the celebra- 

 ted agriculturists, Laquinierie, Nardmann, Reich- 

 ard and Hartenfds ; also by the great naturalists 

 Suffon and Reaumur ; who proved distinctly that 

 the increase or decrease of the Moon had no influ- 

 ence, either upon the germination of seeds, or up- 

 on the increase of plants, or upon the rapidity of 

 their developement, or upon their quality. I have 

 also much dilficulty in believing that the light of 

 the Moon produces a particular effect different 

 from that of any other light. The experiments 

 made in Rome in 1783 by jithan. Cavallon, and 

 repeated by Bertholon de Saint-Lazare, prove 

 nothing respecting lunar light augmenting evapo- 

 ration ; in the same manner I assert that those of 

 Weitz made Avith potash at Lautenberg, prove 

 nothing respecting the lunar rays drawing forth 

 humidity. If in South America and Batavia, they 

 Lave such a dread of Moonlight, I should attribute 

 the pretended pernicious effects said to be produc- 

 ed, more to the humidity of the air, and to the 

 coldness of the nights, than to the effect of any in- 

 fluence of the Moon. Bontius observed the teta- 

 nus to take place at Java most frequently during* 

 the night, in the rainy season ; and he expressly 

 remarked, that the two terrible diseases so fre- 

 quent in the East Indies, namely, the cholera 

 morbus and the dysentery, most frequently took 

 place during the rainy months of summer. The 

 celebrated Reil observes that sailors have become 

 incapable of supporting day-light from having slept 

 exposed to the light of the Moon. I have however 

 never heard from our sailors any complaint of this 

 kind. M. Reil also asserts that children sleep 

 less tranquilly when the Moon is on the increase. 

 Having had no experience on this subject, I can- 

 not speak decidedly as to the truth of it ; but in 

 any case we could explain it without having re- 

 course to the influence of the Moon. I should be 

 glad to know if painters have really remarked that 

 the feeble light of the moon has an effect upon 

 their colors, as they have pretended it has.* In a 

 word, experience does not prove any particular in- 

 fluence of the Moon's phases upon animal organi- 

 zation ; and the theory given by R. Mead is ab- 



* JsTote by Ihe French Translator. — Experiments made 

 at the Royal Observatory at Paris, have proved that the 

 light of the Moon, condensed by a very poweriul lens, 

 had no effect whatever in altering chemical products, 

 though very sensibly and easily alTected by the light of 

 ihe sun. 



soliitely false. I can positively assert that I have 

 always been attentive to this subject, Avith respect 

 to sick persons, during the long time that I have 

 practiced Medicine, and that I never perceived 

 any relation between the courses of the Moon and 

 my patients, or between their symptoms and the 

 means of effecting cures. Neither have I remarked 

 any influence of the lunar phases, either on dis- 

 eases caused by worms, or dropsy, tumors, or even 

 on epileptic diseases; I will not however, deny, 

 contrary to so many ancient observations, but 

 that the Moon may have some influence in parti' 

 cular diseases. 



Among all the instruments we can employ in 

 order to detect natural agents otherwise impercep- 

 tible, the most sensible, as Laplace has very pro- 

 perly observed, are the nerves, the sensibility of 

 which is often increased by disease. It is by 

 means of the nerves that some sick persons are 

 able to perceive the influence of the Moon in par- 

 ticular situations, that influence being so extreme- 

 ly small. 



It may also be this circumstance, perhaps, 

 which has discovered to physicians that there is a 

 relation between the lunar phases and the access 

 of epilepsy and insanity. I dare not decide wheth- 

 er we are to explain in this manner the remarks 

 made by Diemcrhrceck and Remuzzini, respecting 

 the pestilential fevers which raged in the years 

 1636, 1692, 1693 and 1694. It coidd however be 

 owing to nothing but accident that so many per- 

 sons affected with fever died during the time of 

 lunar eclipse which happened on the 21st of Janu- 

 ary, 1693. The influence of the moon upon the 

 crisis of diseases taught by Galen, and defended 

 so long in the schools of medicine, is contradicted 

 by experieiace, at least in Europe; and if Balfour 

 be right in asserting that there is a connection be- 

 tween the tides and the access of endemic fevers in 

 India, and that the crisis of fevers happens but at 

 the moment when the luni-solar action begins to 

 decrease, we can only so far agree with him, that 

 this effect only takes place near the sea-coast. In 

 general, we must read those authors who refer so 

 many things to the effects of the IMoon on diseases, 

 with considerable distrust. It is here, as in many 

 cases of reverie — we only see it when webelieve it. 

 A belief in this influence can only deceive the ob-^ 

 server, who, otherwise fond of truth, shares this 

 belief with the sick person; and thus it is that 

 hope and fear excite in the imagination, effects to 

 which the Moon does not in any way contribute. 

 Thus also it was in fbrmer times. People in gene- 

 ral, were afraid of eclipses of the Sun and Moon, 

 and believed that these phenomena exercised cer- 

 tain pernicious influences over sick persons and 

 persons possessed of weak nerves; now absolutely 

 no sick person perceives the effect, and the phy- 

 sicians pay no attention to it. 



Experiments in Feeding". 



From the Transactions of the High)and Society. 

 Report of Experiments on the comparative advan- 

 tages of deeding Stock with Mangel- Wurtzel, 

 Turnips and Potatoes. By Mr. Andrew 

 HowDicN, Lawhead, East Lothian. 



In compliance with your wish, I now send you the 

 results of an experiment which I have been con- 

 ducting during the past winter, and in which nian- 

 gel-wurtzel has been used to the extent of two 



