The Portland daily press., 1885-02-03
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DIR, GORDON RESUMES.

DIR. GORDON RESUME5.
In the afternoon DR.. Gordon resumed the
stand and said that in case like the ono cup
posed in the forenoon, where tremors had been
shown and other symptoms, where no act haG
been committed that was actually delirious
still every physician would fear that sooner OF
later the delirium would come Now in an ac
like this, OF cooking the pistol and pointing il
to man who entered the room, and threaten
ing to shoot him if he didn't leave, to the doc
tors mind would be very strong evidence
probably evidence that the delirium had
come.
DR.. HENRY NJ. HARLOW.
Reside at Augusta; have been practising
physician little over forty years, and was su-
perintendent and assistant physician at the in.
sane hospital in this State for thirty-sight
years. The long-oontinued use of alcoholic
liquors hiss q tendency to produce insanity, de-
nrlum tremens, mania, meiancnolia, and cpl
lepsy. Delirum tremens is a disease of the
nerve centres, of the brain, and is character
lied by tremor, sleeplesshess,a land delrium. 1t is
characterized BY premonitory symptoms, some
times OF Stupor and sometimes of irritability.
have known cases where there has been an OBJ
lvious state of mind for some time previous TO
the outbreak of the delirum. Such man is
dull OF comprehension, in kind of dizzy state
and takes but little notice of what is said. He
may perform acts which would not attract at
tentIon especially; for instance, he may travel
qoile a. distance in the cars and not know
where he is or where he is going.
Q-Take the case of a man who had been
drinking heavily for several years, and who
had for some months preceding been using al
cohol IN large amounts regularly, but had left
oil Tor week, or partially sleft off and
exhibited symptoms of tremulousness
10 his hands, wildDess of his eyes,
throwing his hands about and talking to
himself while walking on the street; suppose
he was in the room in a hotel lying on bed
with his eyes open, the door is opened by a
stranger, and the man, having O pistol in his
hand, should point it at that stranger numb
ling some words, what state of mind would
that indicate?
Al should say he was in a state of great
nervous excitement-a nervous condition with
possible hallucinations of sight.
Q-Whether or not it would indicate that
the man at the time was aware of what he did?
Al should say he might not know what he
was doing, or be conscious OF what was going
on.
Cross-e1onain ation-The doctor was asked
If o person was at the time laboring under any
of these deirious characteristics of the disease
if he could go about from place to place in the
presence Of a previously formed plan, and
carry on intelligent conversation about differ
emit subjects with different people, tran
sact business and pay bills and go
from place to place in an ordinary, natural
and sostematical way and the doctor replied
that man could not DO in a state OF delirium
tremens and do that; that he might possibly
be in the premonitory Stage; 1t would be the
natural and proper conc fusion for medical
man or anybody else, to say that ne was in an
ordinary state Of mind.
The Attorney General then went over that
act Of Libby on the 4th of September and the