The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-02-28
ALCOHOLIC TRANCE.
MEN WHO LOc- CONSCIOUSNESS OF
EVENTS WHILE DRUNK.
Are Inebriatcs Rcsponsihie for Their Acts
While Under the Influence of Liquor
Some Extraordinary Mental Con-
ditions Very Prominent.
[Pnpnlar Sciencn Monthly |

Popular Science Monthly
Morbid states Of the nervous system in
which the mind st'em> to act automatically,
and without CONSEQUENCES of the surroun l.
ings. and with no registration by tho memory
of the nets, are not new TO students of mental
and nervous disease: hut the fact that they
are more or less common IN inehnety from
alcohol, and may follow any access. j, n
recent dicovcry. In many Of thoS case
there Is apparent realization Of all his acts
and works in others a self-evdent uncol-
sci1usncss OF them This is only the begin
ning of another and mora pronounced stagr,
in which tie blank Of memory AMI con
sciousncss is total, and during thi, period the
acts AMI appearance of the person differ
but ltte from those az usual health The
following may be mentioned as fact hat ara
generally accepted ~ landmarks from
which further stui7 may L. dated:
This trance state il common condition in
mchriety, where, from some peculiar neu.
rotic state. either induced Ey alcohol %,
existing before alcohol was used,
profound suspension of memory
and consciousness and literal paralysis Of
certain brain functions follow.
This trance STATE may last fronla few mo-
mens to several days, during which the per
son may appear and act nationally, and yet
lie mere autoInaton, without consciousness
or memory Of his actual condition.
This trance state may lie noted 10y criminal
impulses and hy unusual thoughts and act,
foreign 10 all the mans past history. In all
these cases there are no apparent disturb
ances vi the nervous system, no COMMISSIONS
no premontions Ia mark this state; at some
unknown point, all unconscious, the eclipse
begins.
A comparison o. the history Of number
Of cases wi show three mental conditions
quito prominent: |. In which the mind in
thi, state acts along certain accustomed lines
Of thought and action. .. In which the
mind displays unusual ranges Of thought and
action, which IN 81 me cesAs can be- traced To-
certain nlt ntal states growing ont NJ the sur
roundings, and. 3 Wherc cifninal impulses
nre prominent, that have no apparent con-
nection with the present or past These
conditions may he Illustrated in the follow.
ing cae:
railroad conductor who drank To excess
every night after the days work was over,
would frequently get UP in the moruing, 20
out on his train, perform all his duties cor
rectly, and recover CONSCIOUSNESS Of himself
suddenly on the road, and all the past be a
blank tn him from somo point the night be-
fore. These blanks occasionally lasted
twenty four hours, and he could never recall
anything which happened, and only knew by
the money and tickets that he had made a
trip ON his train. After a time he would put
down in "a notebook events of Importance i'm
this state, which he never did otherwise. The
tran-hsnds knew that he was, AZ they
termed 10, "neinory drunk" when ho used
his notebook freely, and seemed dull and ALI
stracted. A skilled mechanic, who used
spirits to excess, uttered from blanks of
many hours duration during which he at-
tended a dangerous machine, performing all
tho duties, requiring both skill and judg-
ment. A clergyman, who drank wine, has
frUI,rcnuy Noiiuti,Jsi service and preached "a
sermon without any memory OF tho fact,
having blank Of all the surrounding, for
hours
In the next division the mind displays
unusual ranges Of thought and action, some
of which can be traced To the surroundings.
a physician, who drank constantly and was
n bitter skeptic, went into a revival meeting
and rrofessed change Of he;nt, and took part
IN the exercises, and the next morning had
no recollection of it Later, while drinking,
be heard the singing OF the revival meeting.
and dropping all business entered and took a
very active part, AMI seemed fully conscious
Of all the surroundings, yet, after nights
sleep, had no recollection whatever of any
thing which had occurred A similar ca.e
was that Of an editor, WHO, after drinking to
excess, could ,lways be found i'm Temperance
meetings. making eloquent appeals, and yet
he gave no evidence OF being under the in
fuence Of spirits, nor could ho remember
anything Of what had occurred Another
case is that OF a man of fortune who drank
wine freely, awCke, and found that he had
married his servant ssld made an unusual
Opposition of his property, whith was al
blank To him. IL lis friends and others he
seemed fully conscious Of the nature and
consequence Of these events at the time
The lat division, that Of criminal i'm
pulse growing out u this trance state illus
trates the sui Jet of cur paper more closely y
The following cases bring out the facts bet
ter than any description: An ipebriate wa,
repeatedly arrested for horse, tealing, ana
often punished. The crime was committed
under similar circumstances, and no attemp
was made to con1'al the property; on tw,
occasions he ass sisted the owner to hunt M
the horses. When it was apparent that hs
was guilty, great was his astonshment. and
he denied all recollection Of circumstance.
or events. This vas confirmed by all tht
circumstances OF his life, by his inebriety
and blanks Of memory, and absence Of mo-
tive and object I'm the crime He was fond
of horses, and seemed at this time % be GOV
orned by en- impule o. drive and ride be-
hind good horse. A farmer of quiet good
disposition suffered from blanks of memor,
after drinking TO excess. Ons day, in wha
seemed full consci iousness OF the surround
ings, hs attacked u stranger and injSr.t
him so that lie died Re had no recollectio,
Of the time. purpose, or any circumstance
of the tragedy.
A clergyman committed rare under th,
most extraordinary circumstances, and de
MED all recollection of it, his drinking habit
and all the incidents OF the case sustained hi
statement. A lawyer Of reputation planned
the abduction Of a lady he was going I,
marry. A man Of large family and happ'
domestic relations married notoriou
woman physician stole a largo sum @
money from IA putient. A college gra luat
enlisted in tlss army. In each Of these cas-,
there was history of drinking TO excess, anc
each had no memory OF the event, and al
the circumstances were so unusual and a
variance with previous conduct that TN
/ doubtedly trance state wa present The
cases might bo multiplied almost in,ieflnitel,
/ from the records OF criminal courts every
/ where
Late Discoveries.
| Washington Hatchet.l
/ An English electlscsl journal has dxcov