The Wasp — 1894 — page 202: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features an article titled "A Great God-Send" about the "Boy Phenomenon" Daily accomplishing miraculous cures. The accompanying portrait shows a man's face with the caption "A Short Time Only in Which This Mighty Healer Can Be Consulted." The text describes someone claiming supernatural healing powers—curing blindness, deafness, and lameness—drawing crowds and testimonials. The article appears satirical, using religious language ("Biblical times") while documenting the "phenomenon's" dubious medical claims. This mocks faith healers and medical charlatans who were popular in late 19th/early 20th-century America, exploiting desperate patients. The "Boy Phenomenon" likely refers to a specific contemporary healer whose name the OCR obscured, known for theatrical claims and limited availability ("short time only"), suggesting opportunistic fraud targeting the afflicted and hopeful.