Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-11-09
ClJaire EitGrature.
From the Main Temperance Journal.
Delirium Tremens.


From the Main Temperance Journal.
Delirium Tremens
"Hail, horrors hail and thou, profoundest hcU.'
DR.. JRwETT T--You mention, in late
number Of the Temperance journal, as a
fact for which ycl cann.E ei.8eunt, THAI q
poet who undertakes te ssf. tlfe mlseries of
Of intemperance. almost always contrives to
introduce the devil into his strain. Had YOU
ever had the delrium tremens, vulgallv and
properly called the horrors! because hell,
if there be literal hell, has none greater,
YOU wouId be at no los, for the reason. In
dependently Of the necessary mental associa
ton ofdrunkenness with every thing that's de-
vish ana infernaf, believe that no man was
ever delrius from the effects OF strong drink
for twenty-four hours, without having suffer-
ed fifty deaths, each more agonizmg than
one on a galIows, and having spent what APP
pears to him year, at least, In hell, with
the damned. speak in the most positive
ana absolute mood and tense, because the
images then coniured up by the infamed
brain are 50 painfully distinct and vivid, the
moral conviction Of their reality is SO fear
fully strong, that, to the sufferer, for the
time, they are indeed realities. Let no one,
therefore, laugh at the convulsive efforts Of
the maniac drunkard to.sscspe from needful
restraint. For all the purposes Of suffering,
he IS in the grasp of 6ends; he does stand
upon the gallows, with the rope around his
neck he does see the pile lighted that is to
consume him, flesh and bones he does strive
to get out Of the way Of the mad dog Or
his very soul is appalled, BY some other hor-
rible vision, Of which the realization would
drive the boldest sane person mad.
| do not speak from conjecture, from the
observation of delrium tremens in Others
but from my own most wretched and repea-
ted experience. | believe that have been
as often and as deeply intoxicated as any
man of my age now living, and that | have
survived more paroxysms of the horrors, than
anv other one man ever did who survived :;
the wonder with me is, first, that am now
alive; and secondly, that am still in pos
session Of my reason. Judging, therefore, Of
Others by myself, as all men do on all occa-
sions, | think may affirm that every drunk
ark descends, once, at ie;st;saIIVe into hell
For my own part truly and dispassionately
do [ say, that would prefer death by stake
and fagot, to another protracted attack of the
horrors.
have tried opium, too, and we'll know
r its effects upon body and mind. Like alec.
hol, it produces delirium but, unlike the
7, delinum Of alcohol, its visions are often pleas
D urable, brilliant, ecstatic. [ am persuaded
r that, if a man could only retain and record
the ideas that shoot through his brain while
e frenzied by opium, and, sometimes, too, by
: alcohol, We should have Shakspeares and
/ Byrons by the score. Such resplenden
s fancies, however, are like the corruscations 0
g the aurora borealis; they are as fleeing anc
e brilliant, and fade before the memory ha
It time to grasp their form or order. The reac
IS ton Of opium is stronger, too, than that 0
II ardent spirt,-the physical prostration tha
/ follows it is more profound ana oftener term
e mates in hopless INSANITY or itliscy.
+, But, in the deiirium that follows drunken
/ ness, there is seldom anything even momeu
e tarily pleasant; Its fances, though sometime
: bright, visible, tangible, palpable, are a
<, attended with much pain of body, and NOR
} of mind its suggestions and its images ar
e almost all Of wo, Of misery, and Of horro
IS unutlerable.
'e 1t sometimes indeed usually, happen
t, that man is conscious of the approach {
OF the horrors and can keep them of,fora Will
N by il strong mental effort. 1t sometime
-e happens that he knows some Of those aroun
" him, and is partially conscious Of what
s. really passing. In such cases, he cannot s.
~ parate the true from the false, and would |
I'll eqaally ready to swear to either. Nay. fl
of hours afterwards when reason has resume
IS her sway, he will sometimes resent any doul
It Of the truth and reality Of his impression
ne as barefaced attempt to persuade him Oh
te of his senses. ! can at this moment pail
S. fally remember what was said and done, an
u what thought was said and done. on tu
or three such occasions; but, did nv saly
tn ton depend upon it, [ could not separa
ur what was true from what was unreal
We One will Sometimes reason very correct
to from the false premises Of drunken deiriur
ee Once, remember, imagined myself su
In rounded by an infuriated multitude, howlil
to for my blood, in block house that seem,
. to have thick and strong wooden doc
It'll which they could not force. Thereupo
th they brought up twelve FOUNDER and Sc
m Il round shot through the door, and [ hea
las some one say outside that it was pity tn
nd had not powder to charge the piece again
ess The fools ! said to friend at my sid
re- If they had drawn the ball, and ran t
lth muzzle Of the gun up against ore Of t
of hinges, they would haze blown the door
of upon u.s. That friend, afterwards learnc
rth actually was present, and these words | ,
ro- tually did say, though they do not see
eat more distinct to my memory now than dc
is, the imaginary report flash, and. smoke
led The imaginary cannon.
no Several creyiees having been found in
our block house, anumber of the mob prepal
, as TO Ere upon me through them with sm
his arms. Seeing my fate inevitable, | ba
rles my bosom. Aim here said ], laying
nd, hand on my heart; don't mangle me.
rue ask of you is, rot to make me suffer- :
/ ?" puts me in mind Of Marshal Ney,' said
9 in friend above mentioned. This, too, I