The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-08-16
AbainIhe.
From the Pail Mall Gazette.


quarter Of century ago absinthe was the
drink Of French cOachmen, grOOms and footnen
and people OF the lowest class; to day its most
ardent lovers are to be found among educated
and well to do Parisians. Literary men, profess.
sors, artists, actors musicians, fDsnciers specu.
lators shop keepers. even women, yield them
selves up TO its seductive inflence-to those IN.
defnable provocatiOns which seem, they say to
impaTt renewed activity TO an enfeebed brain
deveopings world Of new ideas, and which thus
IL is believed have inspired many a noble work
of imagination in literature and art. II may be so
but then, those who habitually exercise the brain
with absinthe soon discover that they can produce
positively nothing without its aid, and that time
arrives when heavy stupOr supersedes that excite.
meDt of the intellectual faculties which once
seemed so easy and so harmless.
After the first draught of this poison, which DR..
= Legrand, who has studied its effects, pronounces
TO be one of the greatest scOurges Of our time
you seem te lose your feet, and you mount to
boundess realm without horizon. You probably
imagine that you are going In the direction of the
infinite, whereas you simply drifting into the
incoherent. Absiuthe affects the brain unlike any
other stimulant; il produces neither the heavy
drunkenness Of beer. the furious inc briation Of
brandy, nor the eXhilarant intoxicatlon Of vine.
1t is gnoble poison, destroying life not until il
has more or less brutalized its Votaries and made
dTiveling idiots Of them.
There are two classes Of absinthe drinkers
The one, after becoming accustomed to Il for q
short time takes TO imbbing IL in considerable
quantities, when all OF a sudden delirium de-
claIes itself. The other is more regular, aud at
the same time more moderate in its batiOns but
upon them the effects, though necessarily more
gradual, are none the less sure. AbSinthe drink.
ers of the former class are usually noisy and az
Rressive, which, moreover, lasts much longer than
drunkenness produced by spirits or wine, and is
followed by extreme depression and a sensation
OF fatigue which is not to be got rid Of. After
while the digestive organs become deranged, the
sppetite continues TO diminish unit it il alto
geiher lost md intense thirst supplies its place.
Now ensUes q constant feeling of unessness,
painful anxiety, accompanied by sensations Of
giddiness aud unglng IN the ears; and as tbs
day declines hallucnatiOns OF sight and hearing
begin. desire of seclusiOn from friends and &C.
QuaintsDces takes possession OF the sufferer, on
whose cOuntenance strong marks OF dsquietude
may be seen; his mind Is oppressed by a settled
melancholy, and his brain affected by sort OF
sluRgishness which indicates approaching idiOcy.
During its more active moments ne is continually
seeing either some imaginary prosecutor from
whom be is anxious to escape, or the fanced de-
nuncistor Of some crime he dreams he has com
mitted. From these phsntOms he flies TO hide
himself, or advances passionstely towards them,
protesting his innocence. At this stage the result
is certain. and dissolution Is rarely delayed very
long.
habiusl sbsinthe driuksr ID peculiar affection OF
the muscles, encing with fuul contractons
of the lips and muscles OF the face, and tremb-
lipRs in the arms, hands and legs. These are pres
entity accompanied by tingiings, numbness, and q
distinct loss OF physical poEer; the hair fals on,
the couptenance becomes aud sad looking,
the body thin, the SKIN wrlnkled, and OF yellow
ish tinpe-eyerythug. in short, indicates marked
decline.
the brain takes place; sleep becomes more and
more disturbed by dreams, nightmares and sndden
CakeninPs; ordinary illusions, succeeded by gid
diness and headaches eventually give PLACE 70
painful Authorizations 20 dsllrium IN its most de-
pressing form hypochondra sDd marked impedi.
Inents Of speech. To the end comes entire loss OF
intellect general paralysis and death.
There are two kinds Of absinthe consumed In
Paris tie common and the Swiss sbsnthe. the lat
ter OF which possesses almost double the intoXi'
eating properties OF the former. lev yeArs
a. Of hn hSF
three times tRst OF the Swiss but now the pro-
portions are reversed, and four times a. much
Swiss kbsDthe il drank as of the common qushty.
According 20 Official statistics Francs receives
from Switzerland nearly 2 000, 600 gallons OF the
noxious compound annually in addition 70 which
an enormous quantity made ID PArls Is sosd as ths
Fetitahle Swiss production.
Genuine sbsinthe il distilled from the leaves OF
major and minor absinthe, sngerica roots, Gals.
mus sromsticus. snseed dittany leaves and Wlid
msjOram, all Of VIII ch have been previously bruised
and soaked for q period of eight days IN alcohol
ousntity OF oil Of sniseed is then added, and tbs
whole IL carefully mixed together. Occasionally
Tennel mint etc, enter into the composition. The
utmost care is taken 10 obtain the right shade OF
color and 70 insure the liquid expanding and
whitening well when mixed with water. Should II
preye TO be deficient in these qualities, the manu-
fscfurer does not hesitate to add indigo, hysop
nettles and even 70 have recourse TO suphate o.
copper to obtain the precise tnt OF green; !oi
chloride Of anthony to produce tue milky Nhit'
precipiates, both Of these chemicals being deadly
poisOns. -
PARIS actually has its clubs Of sbsinthe drinkers
the nembsts of which pledged TO intoxicat'
themselves with no other stmulant, and even u
drink other fuid-the only pledges, il Is be
Heved, which they do not violate. They Assem-
BILE daily 81 some appointed place Of rendezvous
at certain hour, and proceed to dssipste then
energies and their eentmes in draughts OF tins
fatal poison which Oils the public and private sd
houses Of Paris. These absinths drinking club
ere certainly not numerous; but liquor shop
abound IN all quarters of the city. where bsnthi
may he said g. be the staple drink aud lately sew
eral have sprung up which, 70 attract the youth q
Paris 20 them, dispense the insid0us beverage a
the hands Of pretty women.