Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-04-23
= CHEN THFHC
Curious effects Of Wafer.

A late number of the Water-Cure Journal
among a variety of interesting matter, contains
an article on the T." Effects of WI alter in Intoxca-
tion, founded on very remarkable case rela-
ted by Dr. CurrIe in his narrative published fifty
yearSago. The facts ascertained to be true on
thorough examination, occurred at Barbados,
and are thus stated
"a gentleman of this Island, whose name
was Weeks, great votary of Bacchus, was in
the practice, from fifteen to twenty years, of
plunging into cold water when he rose from his
bottle, and actually going to sleep in a trough
full of water, with his head supported on kind
of wooden pillow made for the purpose, above
the surface, When he dined abroad, and had
not that convenience of his own trough he used
to strip off his coat, waistcoat and shirt and sit
exposed to the open air, and in that situation 90
to Sleep whether it rained or not. And some
times he went and bathed in the nearest adioin-
ing pond, to which he generally required assist
ance to be conveyed. The effect of this prac-
tce was, that instead of experiencing debility,
lassltude, headache, and nausea, he found him
self on awaking, cheerful and refreshed, and free
from all the effects of ntoxication. In the year
1888, dining one day abroad, he got alternately
drunk and sober three several times before mid.
night, each time recovering his sobriety by inn
merslng himself, and sleeping in cold water and
on awakening, returning to the company The
last time, after supper, he was so immoderately
intoxicated, that he insisted on his companions
undressing him and carrying him themselves to
the pond They accordingly carried him in a
chair, and set him up to the chin in water, where
he continued upwards of an hour, person sup
porting him. l had this last circumstance from
a gentleman, one of the party, whose veracity
may be entirely depended on
AT home, however, he used, as | have al
ready mentioned, trough used for the purpose,
with bench in it as pillow, having been near
y drowned when sleeping in his pond, from the
negro who was appointed to watch him, having
himself fallen asleep In this waery bed he
would sleep, one, two, three, or even more hours,
experiencing always the greatest refreshment.-
His wife and family when they wished him to
change his quarters, used to draw out the plug
and let the water Iun off, when he awoke and
humorously complained of the loss of his bed.
clothes, At length this expedient began to lose
its effects in rouslng him, and one time he con
tlnued to sleep i'll his empty trough. In conse
) quence of this he was seized with extreme rigor
and chills, followed by fever attack of rheu
matlsm, which affected him long time, anC
made him desist from the practice in future
But to the end of his life he was in the habit O
sitting, when intoxicated, with his clothes open
and sometimes quite naked, exposed to the wine
and rain This extraordinary character died O
apoplexy, about three weeks ago, aged sixty
three"
On this remarkable case Dr. Shew makes
some observations which we would copy a
= length, but for want of room. He defines in
toXication, considered in reference to its effect
on the body as 8" a state of fever, caused by tn,
stimulus drank" and maintains that water is thu
greatest febrifuge or cooling agent in nature
In many cases Of drunkenness where MAJ
: cannot walk or remember long enough to speal
d sentence through, remedy may be found il
good shower bath. The man above referred
S to was enabled to endure the cold bath in con
e sequence of the unnatural heat generated by th,
u alcohol but he was not thereby enabled to en-
dure fatigue on the contrary, he was disposed
+ to sleep. To we'll man it would have been ex
ceedngly dangerous to lie thus in water: bu
the drunkard was able to endure it on accoun
of the extraordinary amount of heat in his sys
S TEN. Such in substance is DR.. Shew's theory
$ The facts are certainly very curious.--N Y
! Tribune.