Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 67.djvu/512

506 He was the 'pooh-bah' of the court, occupying the positions of physician, chemist, printer, librarian, drawer of horoscopes, astronomer, etc. He compiled annually an almanac in which he indicated the principal weather events, including the temperature for each day, besides the general character of the seasons and the year. This almanac had enormous success for twenty years or more, and helped to amass a fortune for the author.

I have before me a little volume holding between its covers copies, for the years 1791-1800, inclusive, of an almanac published in London by one Francis Moore, physician. This almanac in its day had great sale and reputation. It gives predictions by months and also by quarters, based, as it says, 'upon observations of the influence of the Planets.' Besides the weather predictions, Dr. Moore seems to have read the horoscope, and prophesies about everything else in the universe. A few quotations taken at random might be interesting. "Summer Quarter, 1794. The Position of Saturn causeth Cold and dry Diseases proceeding from Melancholy, mixed with tough Phlegm, causing Obstruction and Indigestion in the Stomach, Heaviness in the Head, etc., the cure of which must be left to the care of learned and able Physicians; as for the Weather Consult the Calendar Part." Consulting the Calendar Part, I find the following predictions: For June, "Rain (more or less) may be expected about the 8th, 17th, 24th and 30th days of this month; the day before or the day after." The July and August predictions are similar to this, only a little variation in the dates. For January, 1794, we read the following forecast: "Rain or snow (more or less) may be expected about the 2nd, 10th, 16th and 28th of this month; the day before or the day after; that is, within the Triduum, or Compass of three days."

I also have before me a copy of 'Word and Works' for January, 1904, containing the weather forecasts of Rev. I. E. Hicks for that month. As these forecasts, as printed, take up more than two columns in that paper, I will not give them in full, but confine myself to exact quotations from the salient features:

"Forecast for January, 1904. We enter the new year in the midst of a Venus perturbation. This will insure some very great extremes of temperature, with violent storms and blizzards during the regular and re-actionary storm period. The first storm period is central on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th." (Central where, it does not say.) "During this period we have the moon in opposition, etc. A general reaction to warmer will set in to the west as we enter this period; the barometer will fall decidedly, and storms of winter wind and rain will turn to gales and blizzards as they advance eastward on and touching the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Look for sudden reaction from moderate to extreme cold weather immediately behind the rain stages of storms at this and