As early as the 1920s, a Japanese archaeologist who came to survey the hot springs of Ethiopia described how heads of cattle in Ambo area submerged in the hot spring there to cure themselves from whatever disease from which they were suffering. They drank the water which they found to be purgative and seemed to secure a change in their physical appearance after consuming the hot spring avidly. They liked the salty water so much that they even ate the mud found on the banks of the pool of water.
This observation could lead to an examination of the curative character of mineral water which is the subject of this article.
Prior to the Ethiopian New Year, a sizeable number of people here in the capital were reported to go to some hot or cold springs, especially near churches, to immerse themselves in the water as part of a faith-healing process.
The practice usually occurs throughout the five or six days of the 13th months of Pagume every year. It is a sort of a ritual that happens before sunrise. It is difficult to guess why the practice is restricted to the end of the year and is stopped immediately with the beginning of the new year. It is possible that the annual event is peculiar to certain groups of people or to those following it due to the fact that they had been doing it in their places of birth or because of their faith or beliefs. There is no doubt that the purpose is geared to obtaining healing and spiritual regeneration through faith.
It is also difficult to give psychological explanations for such occurrences ahd why different people see it differently. For example, hypnotism works for some people and not for others. Similarly, there are people who believe in faith-healing and others who do not. In other words, some peple are responsive to undergo such healing while others do not do so.
A description of sickness that is healed through consultation and advice or similarly by bathing in sanctified water cannot be explained scientifically.
On the other hand, the fact that scientific explanation can be found in certain instances is undeniable. For instance, mineral water could react with some chemicals to cause bodily changes that could bring a beneficial effect on the person undergoing a healing process through such means. In any case, it is improper to reach a conclusion on matters that are related to faith or beliefs. The possibility of divine intervention cannot be ruled out just as science could unfold sudden and unexpected findings.
Take the case of the discovery of Professor Aklilu Lemma. It took years of scientific research and constant observation to reach a conclusion on the relation between a special plant endemic to our country and the universally dominant disease of bilharzia. Similarly, Ethiopians have a long-standing cure for a well-known parasite which is unknown elsewhere in the world. How the finding was reached centuries ago is difficult to guess. In a way, it gives an indication that the depth of medical knowledge based on the natural environment like plants and minerals is far from being totally understood.
Some individuals would consider the parallel drawn between a scientific discovery and faith-healing as irrational. But it is only through intensive research that we can reach a conclusion that a certain hypothesis is true or false.
The cause of malaria can be considered by rural people as being outside the realm of science. The vector being a mosquito may not be easily known to rural communities. They thus prescribe methods of treatment that have no bearing with the nature of the disease like the consumption of home-made alcohol or lots of quantities of garlic which falls short of treating the disease. Scientific knowledge about malaria is a necessity to eradicate or control malaria in areas where its prevalence is widely recognized. In general, health education paves the way for controlling diseases which, otherwise, could thrive due to wrong assumptions.
To go back to the main point, mineral water could treat certain diseases probably because of chemical changes within the body. But it does not mean that it could serve as a treatment for all kinds of sickness. As already stressed above, it could produce the opposite effect. Reliance on exorcism may cause mental damage on a person. That is why reliance on faith-healing undertaken in hot or cold springs or pools must be followed with utmost care and attention so that patients undergoing such treatment may not suffer side-effects like pneumonia and water-borne diseases. Of course, advice like this is too often seen with negative feelings by some quarters. However, persons in charge of managing special water-points associated with healing and medication must do their best to maintain basic health standards alongside the needs of the users.
Making these comments is necessary because some individuals going with the aim of undergoing treatment in the early hours of the morning sometimes face the danger of being attacked by robbers, according to reports. Thus face risks endangering their safety and security. Women and children could be regarded as being high-risk groups. It must be noted that not all people who flock to the places go there for healing purposes or in search of realizing their aspiration in accordance with their beliefs. There could be some with sinister motives of committing crime. Therefore, to prevent crime and other related ills, police protection must be present for the benefit of the most vulnerable members of the society.
Some residents of Addis Ababa are lucky because they live very close to hot springs. If we take the Filwoha area, for example, although hot-water is made available there at fixed prices, the benefits they offer in terms of refreshing body and soul are highly significant. Those who take a bath at that place regularly have a feeling that they have surmounted some kind of mental or physical discomfort thanks to the impact of the hot spring or perhaps the minerals that are found within it. Even in that well-known and well-frequented spot emergency facilities must be available so that persons with ailments related to the heart may acquire help without delay. This means that professionals dealing with first-aid must be on duty to cope with emergency situations.
The main focus of this article has been the use of mineral water in relation to the ritual that occurs in connection with 13th month. Once the month is over, the practice discussed about at length is certain to stop at the scale mentioned above. However, some underlying problems and concers may still continue to exist. It is the duty of those concerned to give the matter the attention it deserves.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition September 22/2019
BY BERHANU TIBEBU ZEWOLDE
