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Myths under the Moonlight: Why did the ancients believe that moonlight can cause night blindness?
Night blindness, or "nyctalopia", this ancient and mysterious name provides us with an opportunity to delve into the history of human vision. Ancient people often believed that moonlight could cause night blindness. What kind of observations and reasoning were they based on? This question is constantly being questioned as science advances, and it also challenges our understanding of ancient wisdom.
"Humanity's superstition about moonlight can be traced back to ancient times. The ancient Greeks believed that the moon's light could affect people's eyes, especially the development of vision."
Night blindness is the inability to see clearly in low light. It is most commonly caused by retinitis pigmentosa, a condition in which the rod cells in the retina gradually become less able to respond to light. These historical observations led ancient people to begin to pay attention to the impact of moonlight, and eventually formed the myth that "moonlight can also cause night blindness."
In ancient times, a common recommendation for treating night blindness was to increase vitamin A intake. For example, the ancient Roman physician Aulus Cornelius Celsus mentioned that liver is a good source of vitamin A. He noted that the condition was uncommon in women with normal menstruation and suggested that those afflicted should apply the fat dripping from roasted liver to help improve vision.
"From ancient times to the present, people's worship and fear of moonlight have deeply influenced their understanding of health."
The ancients believed that the moonlight at night, in addition to illuminating the darkness, could also indicate certain health problems. Especially in tropical regions, rumors that sleeping in bright moonlight can cause temporary night blindness have reinforced people's belief in the potential harm of moonlight. Whether based on experience or superstition, the ancients closely linked night blindness to moonlight.
In addition to diet, social environment and cultural concepts also play an important role in the myth of night blindness. During the American Civil War, soldiers' reports of night blindness were viewed with skepticism, with many military doctors dismissing them as fake illnesses or exaggerations. Due to biased perceptions, these people often do not receive the medical attention they deserve, even though the root cause of the disease is often related to malnutrition.
"The history of night blindness shows us that perceptions of health are influenced by cultural and social attitudes."
The ancients' view of moonlight extends to zoology from another perspective. Many animals, especially some horse breeds, such as spotted horses, have also been diagnosed with congenital stationary night blindness, a condition that does not worsen over time. . The cause of this phenomenon is related to genetic mutation and even linked to pigmentation patterns. In this case, night blindness is not limited to humans, but similar conditions also occur in the animal kingdom, further complicating our understanding of night blindness.
With the advancement of science, the explanation for night blindness has become clearer and people have begun to pay attention to vitamin A intake and other potential factors. However, ancient ideas still have a latent influence on today's culture, and people have not yet completely released the myth of moonlight, which forms a fascinating historical background, making people think about how the ancients continued to seek light and understanding between light and shadow. .
In today's society, can we re-evaluate these ancient beliefs and explore the relationship between moonlight and health from a scientific perspective?
