Medical astrology: moon fever and diseases from the sky

For centuries, mankind has always believed that the kingdom of heaven can affect daily life.

This is the basis of astrology.

The rise and fall of the kingdom and personal destiny are attributed to the movement of the celestial sphere.

Therefore, it is not surprising that celestial bodies, especially the sun, moon and planets, are related to various human health problems, especially fever and insanity.

The earliest civilizations recorded by historians and archaeologists in medical astrology may be Mesopotamia, Sumer and Assyria in Babylon.

Mesopotamian astrologers tried to link human diseases with planetary movements, which they thought reflected the will and intention of God. This is a Sumerian cylindrical seal, which came from the Wardrasi Museum in Berlin around 2500 BC.

(zeevveez/CC times 2.

0) This seal is decorated with celestial symbols that may indicate that the sun is surrounded by planets.

Medical astrology and astronomy, which westerners are more familiar with, were developed in the Greek world and the Middle Ages.

In the late Middle Ages and early modern times, people thought that different parts of the body would be influenced by different constellations.

For example, the head of Aries is affected, and the throat of Taurus is affected.

One way for medical astrologers to diagnose patients' diseases is to make an alchemy of four kinds of body fluids according to whether the moon dominates the constellation of pain in any part of the patient's body and according to the four elements and the zodiac.

However, in the17th century, western medical astrology was influenced by the scientific revolution.

In the past, medical astrologers relied on birth charts and supernatural influences, but after17th century, medical astrologers began to explain the influence of celestial bodies on human health with scientific explanations.

For example, John Gadbury, a famous medical astrologer in the 0/7th century, tried to explain the influence of celestial bodies on human health. He said that the planets caused meteorological interference, which in turn affected people and animals in areas where meteorological events occurred. He cured the morbid murals of domenico di Bartolo.

Sarah pelegri nau (pilgrimage hall), Santa Maria Hospital, Siena.

Robert boyle, the founder of modern chemistry, is not a medical astrologer, but he thinks that particles or "particles" from the celestial world may affect the earth's atmosphere, thus making the viewpoint of medical astrology or medical astronomy more credible in science.

However, he doesn't know the details yet, so it is not clear whether he thinks the influence of these particles is due to the collision between the particles themselves and the earth or the similar magnetic force related to the particles.

Robert boyle's idea inspired doctors and non-doctors interested in medicine to develop the theory of moon disease.

Although these new "scientific" medical astrologers do not think that they have broken the tradition of medical astrology and returned to ancient times, their experience and naturalistic methods explain the influence of celestial bodies, especially the sun and the moon, which makes them closer to medical astronomers than medical astrologers. If we use the modern definition, the portrait of robert boyle.

(Welle Images/CC BY 4。

0) A famous supporter of medical astronomy is Richard Mead, a doctor who wrote a paper on how the moon's gravity affects human body fluids, just as the moon causes ocean tides.

He also believes that the gravity of the sun and the moon leads to atmospheric circulation, which affects air quality. Meade thinks it is very important for health. A full moon is on the water.

(CC0), Meade and other medical astronomers believe that the gravity of the sun and the moon disturbs human body fluids, including air and liquid, which leads to diseases.

They believe that these effects will lead to or aggravate diseases such as fever, insanity and hysteria.

People think that the influence of celestial bodies is particularly strong in the tropics.

Therefore, medical astronomy is very popular among doctors practicing medicine in equatorial regions.

Besides gravity, heat is also considered as a factor, so some diseases are considered to be more serious at certain times of the day, depending on the position of the sun and the moon. Although this new medical astronomy uses the language of Newtonian science, medical astronomers seem to have no different views on the influence of celestial bodies on health.

For example, like astrologers in the late Middle Ages, they believe that there is a connection between madness and the phase of the moon.

The main difference lies in how they explain it.

Ancient astrologers used mysterious power to explain it, while these new medical astronomers tried to explain it with natural science, that is, Cerronius Bosch's extraction of the crazy stone.

Medical astronomy (public domain) finally fell out of favor with western medical institutions after19th century, but medical professionals tried to show the relationship between astronomy and human health, and it was not in vain.

Although they were proved wrong in details, for example, there was no evidence that the moon had any effect on fever or insanity, these medical astronomers found something.

Celestial bodies do have a real impact on human health.

For example, when sunlight touches the skin, it produces vitamin D.

On the contrary, excessive exposure to the sun can lead to sunburn and skin cancer.

Heat from the sun also helps to promote climate and weather, both of which have an indirect impact on human health.

Fortunately, the earth's magnetic field protects us from galactic cosmic rays.

However, if astronauts are beyond their protection, galactic cosmic rays from supernovae and other interstellar sources will also affect human health.

Radiation and health studies show that galactic cosmic rays may have harmful effects on the brain.

Some studies also show that cosmic radiation may damage or shorten telomeres, that is, DNA caps at the ends of chromosomes, which are related to cancer and aging.

These are the challenges that NASA is currently studying, because it intends to send human astronauts into deeper space in the near future, especially Mars.

(CC0), although medical astronomers don't know the details, they are basically right.

Some celestial bodies do affect human health.

Above: Human bones in space.