, 1893-10-25

ssting to uotice the development of the craze.
AT Hrst the water was alleged to alleviate
and cure physical disorders ouly, and under
that impression the river was trequenteo.
Now the people are told with rude logic that
the river is Christ; thai Christ heals all dis
eases aud that If tho9 sill only have fa'th
the water will cure them, not only Of then
bodilv ailments but also Of their sins, which
will be washed sway il the process OF bath
ing. The female portion Of the pilgrims
especially have unhouude1 faith IN TINS
ts4ohlng and thsy IetuIn from the shlloY
waters With the j1yful exclamation that they
are " ure and oiean.' 1t Is a wonder.dl
thing. this credenoe OF the people Ia q dogmS
50 ~palp4bly false, and 1t raises the question
whether the religious sentiment lncuieAt9d
in them bv the churches is not OF the most
superficial nature-a thin veneer winch only
slightly covers the deep ingrainsd soparstI-
ton of centuries. But the most important
and most p~rsctoal issue raise by the present
dslasion is one which haR reference to the
public hoalth. Ins Poop 6 rsthe en- mdsse,
diseased jndividul3 ruhbiug shoulders WIN
healthy subjects. snl ai d in@ilS the water
that has Iaysd a thousand bodies--thosS on
the south being specially ~fayoUred with tho
offscourtnQs Of tho multitude of women and
the mai ,rity Of the men. is thls possible Z?
the rraoer may Ask III Advertisements. 1t IL
perfectly true nd the htlf has not been told
Tae scene is almost too hldeous to disclose
III jts eutIroty t. the intelligent community.
The Woe affair ID an u~nmjligated fraud.
The water Is the water Of the Hops River.
The river il tho Hope River itself which,
affsr descending from he mountains, runs
h 10 through a wide and heaulful rsvlne 10
the sea The water which flows quietly
along at Mona is tire excess from the intake
~ G--la. T.Vv, vvIiOh Il rQ n of fha
supply foI Kingston and is Of ldentlcally the
same nature rs that wlich we drink svery day
in the CIV 1t is scarcely ueedful for us to say
that neither Alexander Bvdward nor any
other man has the power to endue 1t with
miraculously healil & properties, and that 1t Is
much more likely u be an agent OF death
u means of physical cure The most
explanation IF the origin of tho
affair is that BedwaId took q heavy supper
unon the story Of the Pool OF Bethesda and q
dream resulted. The rest fol-
as q matter Of course, since 1T ia not
difficult to convince every emotional fool IN
Jamaica that he is 4 prophet sent from God.
What is Il matter for serious consideration is
the attitude which the authorities must
assume towards the delusion. They otnnot
allow it to die out, even if there were any
of this happy result. which thers Is
not. In the interest OF the public health
some effort must be made Immediately to put
4 sop to these weekly procy edin2s. We can.
understand why an epidemic Of disease
aas not al, eady broken out in the district and
sooner or later it Is bound to come If the
80 mes continue rs at present. Indeed Gases
sickness are, we understand, occurring
which are ira cable to drinking the water,
and assuredly it will be a miracle" il no
serious widespread malAdy results. What
steps the Government should adopt to lessen
Or avert the danger which menacss the gen
eraI community it is difficult to say, but there
is no question that they should take immedi-
ate preventive action of some sort. They
require to go cautiously and wisely
about the matter, but the people, we believe
are amsnable to reason and q reaction would
rot be difficult to start. If this is not done
an outbreak of disease is almost certain 10
occur and the worlds finger of scorn will
then be ileoted to Jamaica as the abode of
religious superstition and the scene of prao-
tioes which disgrace the fair fans of English
:..i.-oATN~