PERIHELION AND PESTILENCE.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 1015, 28 December 1878, Page 2

PERIHELION AND PESTILENCE.

WHAT MAY ENSUE DURING THE NEXT SEVEN YKAIIS — A PERIOD OF SUFFERING AND DEATH. If there is anything m " astrological criology," we are approaching one of the most pestilential periods of tho earth's history. Since the commencement of the Christian era, tbe perihelia of the four great planets of i the solar system — Jupiter, Uranus, | Saturn and Neptune — have not been I coincident. But this is about to I occur, and, m the language of Dr Kcapp, who has traced the history of the greatest epidemics that ever afflicted the human race to the perihelia of these planet, " there will soon be lively times for the doctors." The theory i*, that when one or more of the large plauets is nearest to the sun, the tempr&ture and condition of our atmosphere are so disturbed as to cause injurious vicissitudes, terrible rains, prolonged droughts, &■:., resulting m the destruction of crops and pestilence among human beings and domestio animals. Dr Kuapp has cjllected a mass of statistical data, all going to show that perihelion data have always been marked by unusual mortality, and that sickness and death have invariably corresponded with tho planets m perihelion ot the same time. The revolution of Jupiter round the sun is accomplished m a little less than 12 years ; of Saturn, m a little less than ?0 years; of Uranus, m about 84 years ; and ot Neptune, iv about 104- years. If it be true, therefore, tint the perihelia of these planets occasion at. mospheric conditions unfavorable to life, pestilential periods bhould occur once m a dozen yearj, and aggravated and sill more widespread epidemics at longer intervals. In tracing the history of epidemics for more than 2,000 years, Dr Knapp finds the facts m all cases to validate the theory. Thus, m tlie sixth, a«4 again iv the sixteenth centuries, three of these planets were coincident m perihelion, and these were the most pestilential times of the Christian era. But soon wo are to have, for tho firs^ time m two 'hou- and years, all four of these plants against us. They will be at their neaiestapprach to the sun m or soon after 1880^ that for a few years, say from 1 880 to 1885, the vitality of every living thing will be pat 1 5 a severe trying ordeal. Some persons think they see, m the signs of the times, evidences of the great disasters m the immediate future. The excessive ieat, the unexampled cold. the pre, i'a,l#UQ© of good. am| deters at s^a*

the general failure of the potato cro( s the wide-spread chill fever among human bmng-, and tho epizootic among animals, nv.s mentioned as among the premonitions of the rapidly-approaching perihelion. Well, v to be forewarned id to be forearmed." Accidents expected, we know verj' well that the persons of more vigorous constitutions and more bygeinic habits will have the better chance to survive whatever adverse influence the extraordinary perihelia will occasion. It is well known to physicians that m all pestilence, plague, typhus, small-pox, cholera, murrain, &c, the intemperate, the dissipated, and those whose sanitary conditions were bad furnished the victims-