Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-02-16
The Horrors of Drunkenness.


David is the son of kind indulgentand
wealthy father. John is about twenty
two years old. He was formerly in the
Fort Plain Bank, and before that in the
Thirteenth United States Infantry.
John David's weakness is his inability
to refrain from drinking. With him it
is mania, and though an educated fel-
low, with good blood in him, still the mo-
ment he leaves the Island he commences
drinking, and continues to drink until
he becomes insensible His father is a
rich man, and several times he has been
to the work house, where John is engag-
ed as clerk, to reason with his son.
"What did you say to your fatherr'
| asked John.
"Why, told him he was right. l
told him was fool to dIink, and once
or twice l have gone home with him re-
solved to stop drinking and take place
in society which know belongs to me,
but couldn't! o, l cannot!"
It was queer to see a sane, good-look-
ing young fellow talking that way, but
he has become diseased. Intemperance
| with him is a mania. John knows it and
stays on the Island now of his own ac-
cord, where he is away from the temp
tation.
CURIOUS CASES.
One poor fallen woman came here in
1867, and she has been here most of the
time since. As soon as discharged she
goes straight to the city, commences to
drink again, is re-arrested and sent back
So sne spends her life in the Work
House.
There is a wreck of once beautiful
woman here-a Mrs. Van Wart, whose
husband is a rich, kind-hearted mana
millionaire. Still she remains here
Hundredsof times has her husband been
to see her, reasoned with her, made her
promise to be good and stop drinking
Each time she makes new resolve, but
each time she sees the poisonous liquor
and the old appetite returns. She drinks
is missed from the house, and her hus-
band will find her in some miserable
slum of the city. Then he has to have
her sent back, where she lives in the
family of the superintendent, Joseph
Keen.
o, this demon drink
DELIRIUM TREMENs.
There is one cell cushioned with stuff
| ed leather all around the sides, where
they place men with wild delirium tre-
mems. After becoming manageable they
are taken to the " Horror Ward" where
they are doctored and nursed back to
health and strength. In this ward were
about ten men, several of them intelli-
gent genteel-looking men. One John G.
Walters, of No. q East Broadway, is a
scientific physician and surgeon, but
drink made him a temporary madman,
and he was brought here. He appear
ed to be perfectly sane, but DIR. Phillips
said he was little mixed yet.
"What have you been drinking, Doc
tor ?" asked.
"Oh whiskey-whiskey all the time, y
he replied.
What did you do when you had the
delirium the worst?'
"I bit my tongue and chewed my
Fps"
"What are you taking now?"
"Hydrate of chloral."
DIR. Phillips says many more cases oi
deiirium tremens die now than used to-
This, he says, is owing to liquor nova
days beng made with so much poison in
, it. Men are made irrevocably insane.
"What is the best remedy" l asked
for poisonous liquor?"
Well, milk and eggs are antidotes
, and if you must drink, why mix milk
or eggs with your whiskey, and the pois
on will take effect upon the milk or eggs
instead of upon your stomach"
| AFFECTING INCIDENT.
In the Horror Ward was Paul Horn
: handsome fellow, but in dreadful
state He speaks FIVE languages ant
) was formerly book-keeper at Arnold's Oh
Wooster street, near Prince.
Paul has just come from the deliriun
cell, and was fastened in "straigh
jacket" to keep him from violence. BY
him sat his patient and lovely wife. Sh,
! had come over from New York to Durs,
him. 1t was the old story with her hus
band, Paul was good and kind when b,
was sober, but when he drank be became
demon, and frequently struck her.
But" said she, with smile of love
: cit was not Paul who struck me, was i
Paul?"
Then she put her arms around hi
neck, and Paul still in his straight jack
{ ct held her in close embrace withou
speaking. Reason had returned and hi