Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-06-14
.ABSINTHE.
Growing Popularity Of the Deadly
Beverage in This Country.
A Prominent Wheeling Diyins's Fruitless
Struggle Against the Seductive
French .LiQuOr---An In
teresting Scene.

ratner nAnOSOme cO~untenAnce, Walhoo lntO
a popular Market street sample room at
noon Yesterday. he bore the indescribable
air Of a mar who had put 10 the night" and
exhibited a restless iWpatience in waiting
on the pleasure Of the bartender. His
order, when given, was almost whispered,
accompanied by a significant nod. The
bartender took an ordinary sized flask from
the shelf behind him, and picking up q tiny
spiral glass, holding about a dram, care
fully filed it. This glass was in turn empt.
led into an ordinary wine glass filled with
water. On tie top OF the compound a
greenish sediment accumulated, which was
carefully removed with q spoon. The bev-
ersge was then handed to the customer,
who eagerly gulped it down, and paying the
charges left the room. In answer toa ques.
ton from q reporter, the bar tender said the
drink was
ABsINTHE, A FRENCH LIQUOR,
which is rapidly growing into popularity in
this country. In answer to q query, as to
the amount drank in Wheeling, the bar
tender answered that the calls for either
that particular beverage, or any other fancy
drink of a kindred nature, were compare
lively few; straight drinks having a tena-
cious grip on the sppetites Of the greater
portion Of our Wheeling people. 1--WE fill
an occasional order for absinthe for theatre
cal people and fast women, the e~xalting
quality of the strong stimulsnt making it
excessively popular among alS reckless
classes Of society. know of a number OF
ladies in Wheeling, who daily make use Of
the ~stimulant, and who, in order to deceive
outsiders did alternately at several sample
rooms. There is strong fascination about
the drink, and when a person gets into the
habit of using it daily, he rarely breaks of.
The gentleman who just left the room, is q
iewelry drummer from New York, and for
the past few days, has paid me two or three
visits q day, always drinking the same bev-
eIage. He told me he had first begun to
use the drug eighteen months ago, having
it prescribed 10 him by a physician for dys,
pepsia, but forming the habit from daily
use of the stimulant, he had gradually in.
creased the amount till he had become .ssz
A TO THE PRACTICE.
he said he had attempted on several occa-
slOns 10 break off from the habit, bus had
oeen been forced back By excessive ner.
Sousness, giddiness, loss OF appetite and
sleep He added that he knew the drug
would cause his death in time, but that he
could not refrain from its use.
There are several Of the young
fellows about town who occasionally
'nduIged in a glass Of absinthe, csrelessly
dpregardipg the warnings given them.
There art few outside of these and the occs-
sional tourist that ever call for the drink.
Later in the day the reporter met q promi-
nent young physician, and finding him at
leisure secured the following information in
reference to the origin of the liquor: Alb.
Ylnthe is prepared BY pounding the leaves
and Towering tops of various species of
norwood along with angelica root, sweet
~Rsg.root and star. snise fruit, and mscerst-
ing these in alcohol. After soaking for
eight days the compound is distilled, yield.
ing an emerald color liquor. to which a
quantity of snise oil is added. The liquor
thus formed constitutes
THE GENUINE FRENCH ABsINTHE.
An inferior quality of absinthe is made
with other herbs and essential oils, while
The authorizations praclicej, are numeroas
and deleteriOus. In the adulterated liquor,
the green color is usually produced by
,umeric and indigo, but blue vitriol is often
commonly used. The varieties especially
noted in commerce, are divided into two
classes, the common, and the Swiss, the
latter being genuine. The chief seat Of it's
manufacture is in the canton Neutchatel
in Switzerland, although sbsinthe distiller.
les are scattered generally throughout
France and Switzerland. The liquor
is chiefly consumed in France,
bat there is also large
quantities exported to this country. In sd-
dition to the large quantities manufactured
in France for home consumption, the amount
imported from Switzerland averages 2,000,-
900 gallons yearly. The drinking OF ab-
sinthe was introduced into France during
rhe Algerian war, 1874. II. The soldiers
we're advised TO mix absinthe with their wine
rs a febrifuge. On their return they brought
with them the habit of drinking it, which is
now so widely disseminated in French so
Giety, and with such disastrous consequences,
that the custom is Justly considered a
grave national evil. The appetite is often
formed by prescriptions given by physicians
rs the drug is often given IS a tonic 70
i~atuleut dyspepsia butin my opinion there
is as little danger Of a mar forming the
habit, il he is possessed o f~orlinary s~elt.con-
troll, than if a prescription OF brandy should
cause him to become an hshitusl drunksrd.
The
POWERFUL NATURE or THE sTIMULtNT
ia such that excessive drinking will prove
or strong whiskies. In excessive drinking
there is first the feeling of e~xaltation, pecul.
lar to a state OF intoxication. The incress.
ing dose necessary to create this effect de-
stroys the digestive organs, and consequent
ly the appetite of the victim.
An indispensable thirst follows, with gid.
diness, tingling in the ears, Authorization Of
the sight and hearing, constant mental op
preston and anxiety, loss Of brain power,
and eventually idiocy. The symptoms in
the case Of a tippler, commences with mus
cular quiverings and decrease Of physical
strength, the hair drops of, and the victim
becomes emacisted, wrinkled and sallow,
horrible dreams and decisions constantly
haunt the unfortunate, and are followed by
paralysis, which
LANDS HIN IN H GRAVE.
There have been several instances in this
city that came under my view, OF ladies who
are slaves of this habit. One in particular,
is fast breaking down under the steady
drain on her physical forces. Sheis wealthy
and has several times been treated with a
view toward relieving her of the spectre
which haunts her, but the attempts have
been unsuccessful, as her will power is com.
pletely gone. There is an instance, too, of
an old gentleman in this city, who several
years ago began the habit. and constantly
toyed with the drug till he has become a
slave to the habit. We had an instance here
several years ago of popular divine, who
catered to bis appetite, till one day he was
discovered in
An Ante-Room of His Church
in a state bordering on idiocy. He accept,
ed q call TO q distant city shortly after, and
the story Of his misfortune never came out.
He una AN axoapkinnau, h-;l;anN -a sc