Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-06-05
The Leisure Hour.
STRANGE BUT TRUE.
DY WILLIAM GILBERT.

Among the terrible phenomena connect
ed with the vice of iDtemperance, the one
most TO be dreaded is that least spoken of
by temperance advocates; | allude 10 the
delusion the unhappy victim of the vice is
very frequently undcr-that he is haunted
by phantom, whose mission it is 10 pre-
vent his return TO the paths of sobriety.
And this omission on the part OF the tenn
perance advocates is the more remarkable
as the deluson is very common among ha-
bitual drunkards. In fact there is scarcely
a physician Of a lunatic asylum in England
who has not had one or more cases Of the
kind under his notice.
This delusion has also feature of inter-
est about it distinct from its psychological
phenomena. 1t frequently so much resem-
bles the medieval tales Of individuals who
| had sold themselves to the fiend, and AFTER
wards repenting of their bargain had en-
dcavorcd Intellectually to break it, that one
is almost tempted TO believe that dipsoma-
mia, imagined by our forelathors to be de-
moniacal possession, was a very common
mistake in the middle ages.
Admitting this TO be the case, it would
be singular study TO trace out how many
| poor wretches have suffered at the stake
for imaginary crimes connected with sor-
Gerry, which after all were merely the effects
of habitual drunkenness bringing on this
peculiar phase of insanity.
The particular phenomenon l allude TO
as common in the middle ages as well as
in the present day, is that the victim of
drunkenness imagines that phantom ap-
pears to him whenever he attempts to re-
cedc from his bargain with the evil one, or,
according to our modern ideas, TO return
TO the paths Of sobriety, and, pertinacious-
ly following him, drives the unhappy
wretch TO continue his habit till it forces
him into the grave. So close did the ailin-
ity between the medieval tales and the
present drunkard's phantom appear to me
that determined to make collection o
the latter cases in order, at some conven-
lent season, to bring them under the notice
of the public so as to add one more effort
and perhaps as fruitless as many that have
already been made, to stem the increasing
misery occasioned by the vice of drunken
ness. Circumstances, however, occurred
which obliged me 10 delay the publication
| oil inc WuOlt COllttllOUs WV dhlOIS Ai'
number, which may be taken as a sample
of the rest, now bring under the notice o
the reader.
Some thirty years since there resided a
x, llourishing city in the north of Italy
an English gentleman whom will desig
nate by the name of Smith, admitting that
for obvious reasons it is an assumed one
At the time of my making his acquaintance
he was between twenty-five and thrty-fivt
years of age, of middle height, and al
though not decidedly handsome had yer!
intelligent east of countenance. He wa
we'll educated, had naturally courteou
manners, and was generous and charitable
With all Smiths good qualities he ha
one besetting fault, which went far to neu
tralize his many virtues; or, to tell thu
strict truth, ho was n confirmed drunkard
He had acquired the habit in England, an
in Italy, where he was under little subjec
ton to his family, it increased in intensity
One of the results of this failing was tina
il shut him out from the better class of Ital
. ian society, by whom intemperance is just
ly considered as a filthy and degradin
). vice while many of the worst portion {
the Italian young men in the city collecte
round him, tempted by his great liberalit
and unbounded hospitality to ignore hi
faults, or rather, they encouraged him j
them, they proliting to great extent b
: his falling. 1t is only justice TO Smill
however, to state that his senses were M
entirely deadened TO the degrading cours
Il ! of life he was leading. Naturally gentle
- manly and high-spirited, he felt keenly IL
p. tacit refusal of the better class of Italian
to associate with him. So keenly, indeed
did he feel this aversion that he made seN
eral attempts TO break himself of this hal
it, and at last so far succeeded that he woul
frequently keep sober for a fortnight {
three weeks together. And then agai
would como over him the irresistib
temptation TO return to his old habit, an
in it he would indulge for nearly the san
space of time he had remained sober.
He possessed another noteworthy featul
D. frequently to be detected in these occasion
al drunkards, that when sober more an
liable or gentlemanly man it would hay