What Influence the Moon has in Asthma's,[38] van Helmont takes Notice, Exacerbatur Paroxysmus (says he) Lunæ Stationibus, & ævi tempestatibus quas ideo præsentit & præsagit.[39] And Sir John Floyer, who has given us a more particular History of this Disease than any Author, observes, that The 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 Learned Kerckringius.[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 gave Fullness to her Face, and Attraction to 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 old Latin Poet Lucilius says,[41]
Luna alit Ostrea & implet Echinos, Muribu' fibras
Et Pecui addit — — —
And after him Manilius[42]
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 the Crises or Changes of Acute Diseases. The Ancients made great Account of Critical Days, 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 in Eastern Countries, when these came to be applied to the Distempers of Northern Regions, 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 of Crises, 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.