The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1882-03-21
New York Herald, 18th inst.
AN EXTRAORDINARY DRUNK.
Case of a Man Who Took Nine
Hundred aud Twenty Grains of
Bromide and Four Hundred and
Twelve Grains OF ChlOral to Cure
IntOxicatiOn Without Bad Effect.

Hundred aud Twenty Grains of
Bromide and Four Hundred and
Twelve Grains OF Chlora1 to Cure
IntOxicatiOn Without Bad Effect.
Doctor Thomas, the house surgeon of
Chambers Street Hospital, came up from
the downstairs ward the other night wa
wing paper over his head and smiling
as If highly elated.
whats the matter, Doctor 2" asked
reporter of the Herald, who was sitting
in the reception room looking over the
records of the day. "Have you just cut
somebody up?'
g Better than that" he replied. live
got here on this paper the record. .of.the
most wonderful case of drunk have
ever seen or heard o."
whats the matter-couldn't you
rouse him ?" ..-
Grouse him! The trouble was be was
tco much of rouser. I've given him
enough chloral and bromide in the last
three days to kill ten men, and it did not
have the least effect on him"
"Who is he and where did he come
from ?"
"Wai! till get my book and I'll tell
you the story. 1t is an interesting one,
not oaly on account of the extraordinary
treatment resorted to but also because it
brought to light unexpected honesty on
the part Of rumseller."
The book told the following story !:
about ten o'clock 10 the morning two
men came into the hospital ,oue OF whom
was extremely nervous from long de-
bauch. He was apparently about sky
years OF age. His clothes (soiled and
torn as they were) we're of good quality
and make, and even these dirty garments
and tue swollen and bloated face did not
hide from the doctor the fact thathe was
o gentleman in the ordinary acceptation
of that term. His companion announc-
ed himself as a B1wery hotel keeper.
The man, he said, came to his place in.
toxicated four days before, and had been
drinking hard ever since. On the day
he arrived he told the hotel keeper that
be had $50 in gold sewed up in his shirt,
and tina. be was going to drink it up in
AS. an earnest he engaged
a room and ordered that several pint
bottles Of the sparkling wine be sent up.
Giving the bartender $50 gold piece
he strrpger retired to drink all alone,
This be continued to do for the four
lays, eating nothing during that time
and promptly handing over another sim
lar coin when the first hal been swat
owed At last the hotel keeper became
frightened. His guest had money left,
nut abused nature began to rebel. The
nan was on the verge Of delirium tre-
mems
THREE QUARTS OF CHAMPAGNE A DAY
"Before ] took the patient down
',airs," said the doctor, "the hotel keep
IT showed me his book with the account
If wine the fellow had ordered, which
vac :hree quarts day, and as it came to
s37 so be insisted on nv taking the 80
10 left from the $40 he h,i received, re-
marking at the same time that | would
ind $40 more in the fellows shit.
lid not believe him, but sure enough,
ewed up in little pocket under the pa
tents arm were two twenty-dollar gold
pieces "
"Hoa about the wonderful treatment ?.
81 am coming to that. When | got
be patient down in the ward he said he
vas used to big doses of bromide and
,horal, and must bave lots Of them. /
gave him 80 grains of bromide and 80
grains of chloral, which Is big dose
hat. amount of chloral having been
Known to cause death. The usual amount
,f chloral given at time under such
circumstances is Is grains, but Of bro
nide larger doses can be given with per
'ect safety as it is not so poisonous Too
much of the latter drug, however, is apt
70 disarrange the stomach and make one
sick. As he had told me he was in the
habit of taking chloral / ventured 90
giving him double the quantity aud
watched him closely for some time after
ward. To my surprise it had no effect.
He was stupid before, bat the chloral did
not make him any more so. In fact, he
seemed more restless than ever re-
peated the dose after two hours, with the
same result. tell you | was surprised.
His nerves we're in terrible condition,
and l could hardly keep him in bed
The moment left him he would follow
me, begging for larger doses Of course
didn't dare to do this, but ] kent CIV
ing him the same dose every two honrs
for "a hours, and in that time he hal Ia
ken 6S5 grains OF bromide and 273
grains of chloral, without its having had
the slightest effect on him.
REsoRrINa TO MoRPHIA.
"He had not slept wink and was not
a bit depressed As his pulse and gene
raj condition continued good l gave bin
one eighth of grain of morphia in two
doses, half an hour apart, of one-six-
teenth each. This kept him quiet for
little time and be took some stimulating
In the next two dsvs,
however, he took 235 additional grains
of bromide, l39 of chloral and one-hal
grain Of morphia. He was discharged
cured on the fourth day, having in 70
hours taken 920 grains of bromide, Az
grains of chloral and five-eighlhs OF
grain OF morphia That is an enormous
amount to take in 50 short time. |
don't think there is another case on re-
co I'd that comes anywhere near it. The
amount OF chloral, 273 grams, taken in
the first "a hours, certainly makes the
case an exceptional one."
"Did you get the mans name ?" asked
the reporter.
"Of course, and all about him; but l
promised not to divulge anything. The
whole staff here were very much inter-
ested in the case. The msn, although be
looks 60, is only about 40 years OF age
He is a Californian. and his family are
there now He is highly educated and
has mary refined tastes, but has evident
ly been rake and a hard drinker oil his
life. He told me that be had spent
months and months in hospitals, both in
Paris aud in London, In recovering from
the effects of his debauches believe
his story, for be spoke enterteininely OF
foreign travel and is a good iingnist. He
did not seem alarmed at the risk he ran
in going on such sprees, but laughed
lightly when I warned bin against con.
tinuing in such COURSE"
off ha rnntinnaa what Mill ha the re-