ECHOES

The Daily

Does the sun have a greater influence on the destiny of miserable humanity than is commonly believed? Should we attribute to it the periodicity of certain scourges and cataclysms, such as wars and epidemics? Scientists are supporters of this brand new theory, and we must recognize that the observations on which they rely to support it have given singularly disturbing results, one might even say convincing evidence.

Abbot Moreux had already underlined, in his remarkable astronomical works, the strange coincidence which seemed to exist between the periodicity of maximum solar activity and the appearance of wars. revolutions and social cataclysms. On the other hand, the research of Mr. Louis Chapplain led him to suspect the existence of a periodic law of epidemics, the demonstrations of which he provided in a very curious article in the Medical Chronicle.

The study of this question was suggested to him by a remark made while reading the history of the terrifying diseases which frequently devastated the Middle Ages; having noted that the main epidemics which ravaged France, during the sixth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth and fifteenth centuries. had their maximum intensity in 546, 945, 994. 1043, 1089, 1130 and 1493, he found that with the exception of the maximums of 546 and 1493, which are isolated, the five others occur in series and that 'a roughly constant number separates these dates from each other 49 years, from 945 to 994; 49 years. from 994 to 1043; 46 years, from 1043 to 1089: 41 years, from 1089 to 1130.

“Forty-six years, on average, therefore seem to separate the appearance of two maximum epidemics,” says Mr. Louis Chaplain; these numbers repeating themselves four times in a row, there is little chance that they are the effect of chance, and they must be linked to a law of a much more general order. » This is what Mr. Chapplain set out to research and what he endeavored to establish, starting from the year 546.

Reproducing the tables, with columns of numbers and dates, that he drew up would take too long; but their examination allows us to note, in fact, that the average figure of forty-five years can be taken as a periodic law of appearance of the epidemics mentioned in history.

However, we cannot fail to establish a connection between this period of forty-five years, periodic law of epidemic maximums, and the period of approximately forty-five years governing the maximums of solar activity.

How, under these conditions. not to be led to suppose, then to admit “that there is a cause and effect relationship between the periodic return of the activity of the sun and the return of certain terrestrial events, such as epidemics,”
The theory is all the more impressive as it is no less accurate with regard to wars, as the eminent astronomer Abbot Moreux remarked.

But then, this leads us to accept very disappointing conclusions: if solar activity is responsible for the scourges which devastate humanity: epidemics, cataclysms and wars, humanity would therefore be powerless to ward off them? Certainly, it can find means of effective combat against certain epidemics; this is how it has already mastered leprosy, the plague and cholera, but what will it be able to do against the most terrible of all scourges, war, that it prides itself on eliminating by the sole means of wanting peace? In this struggle, must not the mysterious and all-powerful influence of the sun inevitably prevail? Is it not, therefore, written in the destiny of men to be periodically struck by the furious madness which pushes them to destroy each other?

If the sun governs the actions of humanity, the primitive peoples who, throughout time have worshiped the bright star, had established the most logical of religions. Man moves and God leads him. Yes, and the sun is this God!...

PAUL MATHIEX.