Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-06-04
ABSINTHE BECOMING COM.
MON.
A Foolish Drink Among Rich
Young Men-EViI Effects of
the Habit.
New York Tribune.

New York Tribune.
Yes, pou Chawlie, y know 5 come
to grief altogether, pou old ohappie
IL all comes from that internal
absinthe, y know" The reporter
was sitting in the casino, and imme-
diately behind him were a brace of
high collared, vacuous expressioned
members Of the gilded youth of our
city. Its awfully horrid stuff that. !"
went on the youth, and pou old
Chawlie used to suck it down at an
awful rate, y know. See him at Del's
ey'ry afternoon, Well, he got quite
silly, y know. Reg'lar ninny, | assuah
you; so his gunner packed him off
to the west, somewhere, where
he has beastly old uncle, who is in
the cattle line Has a ranch, y know,
and all that-but here's Lily Just come
out. Amt she looking well?" and the
conversation, which had proceeded by
ierks, turned upon more congenial
theme. What had been said, however,
induced train of thought on the part
Of one hearer which caused him TO
make inquiries in sundry places
A man with a waxed moustache,
diamond pin and a white linen Jacket.
who was dispensing fluids behind the
bar of well known up town hotel was
first applied to. much absinthy
drunk? said he, deity squeezing a
bit OF lemon peel into cocktail as a
finishing touch. We'll, | should smile.
Pretty near every drink mix has a
little OF the green stuff in it. Lemme
see. | guess it's along Of five year or
so ago that it first come into fashion.
and for the last two or three it's been
gettin' called for more'n more. There
amt much Of it drunk neat, but I've
noticed that when teller once begins
to take it that way he sticks to it pref
ty close. Bad for the nerves? guess
not. You Jest get up of mornin' feel
ing as If yer couldn't part yer hair
straight an see if cocktail or a John
Collins, dashed with absiuthy, don't
make new man of yer. Bad for the !
nerves. Why, yer amt round much, |
guess, young man, or you'd Nv tum-
bled to what absinthy was by this
time, and the very diamond in his
shirt front sparkled with scorn at the |
question.
In the cafe of fashionable and
dude haunted restaurant an aged and
garrulous waiter told different story.
'lEet ees ter r-rible ting, Eat ab |
sinthe," said he. IL see SO much
meesery in my own Paris from it gat
1T max me vair sorTee to see it cen SO
much OF use in Amerique. Zair is a
yong man, two, tree yong mans Eat |
see ere 90 ireenk a great deal every
day, and they look terri rible bad. 1t
makes zem pale, melancholie and fletri.
Eet ees a bad ting, M'sieu, and more
yong gentlemans see every day ordair
zair absinthe q la Francois. N
Inquiry was made by the reporter
at two up town saloons and at
several down town places. In
all It was found that absinthe
drinking had become much
more common in the last two or
three years, and especially among the
younger members Of the ultra fashion
able set, many Of whom drink it regu,
larly, morning, afternoon and evening.
Said prominent importer of wines
and liquors: 81 import quite a large
quantity now Of absinthe. What is
called the Swiss absinthe is the supe~
rior quality, and it is manufactured by
crushing NORWOOD (artemisia absin
thum), angelica root, sweet hagroot
star anise root and some other herbs,
and letting them soak in refined alco-
mol for several hours. l don't believe
myself that pure absinthe is more
deleterious than any other liquor, but
it is SO adulterated with turmetic.
indigo and blue vitriol that it is enough
to poison any one.
1t was stated by physician Of large
practice, however, that a single large
dose OF essence oil absinthe" admin
istered to dog had caused the animal
to expire in commissions. 1.-The con-
tinued use of absinthe in moderate
doses, he said, brings on muscular
tremblings and decrease Of strength
The hair of the tippler falls off his
face becomes sallOw and thin, his
sleep is uneasy and the end is either
epilepsy or partial paralysis. Taken
in large quantities it brings on the
ordinary effects of intoxlcatiop but
the appetite soon goes, constant thirst
is induced, followed by mental OBJ
preston, loss Of sight and hearing and
q final lapse into confirmed idiocy, for
which there is no cure. notice With
apprehension the tendency Of eur
young men to contract this terrible
drinking habit, and though no pro-
hibitiopist, feel that some steps
opg6t to be taken to restrict the sale
OF this pernicious intoxicant. The
use of it has been absolutely forbidden
in the French army and navy, which
shows that | am no visionary in my
statement as to its efFeets." oas