New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-19
FAITH AGAINST MOSQUITOES.

faith cure camp-mccting is being hcld al
Greenyile. n J., and the session has Deeh Signal
;zed according to report by a striking demonstra-
ZION Of the power Of faith. At frst-so the STORY
runs-the meeting suffered greatly from tne ON
niprcscnt Jersey mosquito But some oil inc
leaders combined forces against the nuisance anu
next day were able to announce trlulnphahtV
that the pests had disappeared. 30 far the ac-
count proceeds smoothly enough, but IL IS eViuenO
that as testimony something Is LACKING 10 ~
Tho sccptic NAV not unreasonably ask for proof,
first. that the departure OF the mosquitoes was
final and comprehensive; second, that if it was, 1t
did not follow upon some other cause than 1liuh
curc-such, for instance, as strong wlnd' OF the
exhaustion of available tissue on the bony frame
worl, of The campers 1t is worth while to de-
tcrmine this moot point inasmuch as the jersey
mosnuito really docs offer occasion for fair ana
souare fest of the faith cure and therefore, II the
Cyrcenyille brethren and sistern will hunt up ana
deposit tangible evidence in support OF the alegcu
phenomenal proceeding, science VIII uouP'esS
undertake proper inquest
IT. is perfectly clear to begin with, that nothing
but an elemental force Of some kind could dfiNe
away hungry company Of jersey mosquitoes
Ordinary means, such as protest eXpostua'ioh'
obiurcation. the making Of smudSes ana slhilar
conventional resorts, VIGOROUSLY futile IN the
circumstanccs The Jersey mosquito is proof
AGAINST remonstrance. He has no bowels OF COM
passion. lie is hollow, and he wears patent drill
and q suction pump in the ptilessly practical lore
part OF him 1t docs not, TO those VINO nave pom
| dered his character deeply, seem reasonable 10
surpose that the Jersey mosquito Is susceptible
even to those forceful mantrams or magic Worus
by which the Indian fallir has been known 10 re-
duce the man-cating tiger to tameness nor lh-
4l,n
deed DO the faith-curc principles warrant the COIL
clusion that the aforesaid jersey mosquitoes "ere
! expelled in this manner. They are q creature
which may he led but cannot be driven. HOW,
then could their departure have been procured :
The faith curcr holds that there is no i'll which
does not exist by virtue Of human Imagination
and that 10 eliminate disease it is only necessary
to deny the reality of its existence firmly enough
II Is scarcely necessary TO point out that the faith
required TO deny the existence of Jersey mesquite
at the very moment when, TO use vulgar figure,
he is getting in his fine work must be colossal
But this is implied in the narrative.
II may indeed, be doubted whether the spec
tacle OF the Indian Sycamore at the torture-sta<e
chanting his death-song, what time his foes vlvl-
sect him leisnrely is more thrilling than the
picture here presented. The camp-mccting in the
Jersey wlds, the martyr faith-curers applying
their principles in simple confidence overhead
darkening the canopy Of heaven, the clouds OF the
foe. the strdent hum Of his myriad wings vlbrat-
ing through the atmosphere with shrill mo-
notony broken at intervals by the sasping means
and angushed cries OF the victims, into whose
tender Gesh the patent drills are being driven with
a zest worthy of better cause AT length tine
state Of ccstacy which corresponds to the lnd'al
warriors final indifference 10 scalplng-Inlle ah'
torment steals upon the quivering experimental
lists. They are rapt beyond sensitvcneSS ana lee
the sharp punctures no more. 1t is AT this pom
that the adversary is overcome, for the jersey
mosauito though deaf to clemcncy and humanity
is a proud insect and cannot endure an apathet
rcccption 10 his advances. Half his pleasure II
life is derived from contemplation of the agonie
Of his victims Render these victims pachyder
matous and life ceases to be worth living for him
H. is TO be observed that the faith cure as applied
70 mosquitoes is full Of difficulty; in fact 1t nigh
he questioned whether the remedy was not wors
than the disease Then too, the ugly doubt re
mains whether the Greenville mosquitoes really di
stav away, even if they went This must b
cleared up before definite conclusion can b
reached