Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-18
ALCOHOLIC TRANCE.
MEN WHO LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS OF
EVENTS WHILE DRUNK.
Are Inebriates Responsible for Their Acts
While Under the Influence of Liquor
some Extraordinary Mental Con-
ditions Very Prominent.
Popular Science Monthly. ]


which the mind seems to act automatically,
and without consciousness of the surround
ings. and with no registration by the memory
Of the acts, are not new to students of mental
and nervous diseases; but the fact that they
are more or less common In inebrlety from
alcohol, and may follow any access, is
recent discovery. In many Of these cases
there is apparent realization OF all his acts
and works, In others a self-evident uncon-
sciousness Of them. This is only the begin
ming Of another and more pronounced stage,
In which the blank of memory and con-
sciousness Is total and during this period the
acts and appearance of the person differ
but little from those Of usual health. The
following may be mentioned as facts that are
generally accepted as landmarks from
which further study may he dated:
This trance state is a common condition in
inebriety, where, from some peculiar neu-
rotic state, either induced by alcohol or
existing before ale 1hol was used,
profound suspension of memory
and consciousness and literal paralysis Of
certain brain functions follow.
This trance state may last from few mo-
ments to several days, during which the per-
son may appear and act nationally, and yet
be a mere automaton, without consciousness
or memory Of his actual condition
This trance state may lie noted by criminal
impulses and by unusual thoughts and acts
foreign to all the mans past history In all
these cases there are no apparent disturb
ances Of the nervous system, no commissions,
no premonitions to mark this state; at soma
unknown point, all unconscious, the eclipse
begins.
A comparison Of the history of a number
Of cases viii show three mental conditions
quite prominent: /. In which the mind in
this state acts along certain accustomed lines
Of thought and actioI- g In which the
mind displays unusual r.nges Of thought and
action, which in some cisss can be traced to
certain mental states growing out of the sur.
roundings, and, s. Where criminal impulses
are prominent, that have no apparent con-
nection with the present or past These
conditions may be illustrated in the follow
ing cases:
A railroad conductor who drank to excess
every night after the days work was over,
would frequently get up in the morning, go
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 to him from some 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 in
this state, which he never did otherwise The
train hands knew that he was, as they
termed it, memory drunk" when he used
his notebook freely, and seemed dull and alb
| stracted. A skilled mechanic, who used
spirits to excess, suffered from blanks Of
| many hours duration, during which he at
tended a dangerous mac bine, performing all
the duties, requiring both skill and iudg-
ment A clergyman, who drank wine, has
frequently conducted service and preached a
sermon without any memory of the fact,
having blank Of all the surroundings for
hours
In the next division the mind displays
unusual ranges Of thought and act N, some
Of which can be traced to the surroundings
| A physician, who drank constantly and was
| bitter skeptic, went into a revival meeting
| and professed change of heart, and took part
| in the exercises, and the next morning had
| no recollection Of it Later, while drinking,
he heard the singing Of the revival meeting,
| and dropping all business entered and took
| very active part, and seemed fully conscious
| Of all the surroundings, yet, after nights
sleep, had no recollection whatever of any
thing which had occurred. A similar case
was that Of an editor, wlo after drinking to
excess, could always be found in temperance
meetings. making eloquent appeals and yet
he gave no evidence of being under the in
fiuence Of spirits, nor could he remember
any thing Of what had occurred Another
case is that Of a man Of fortune who drank
wine freely, awoke, and found that he had
married his servant AMI made an unusual
disposition Of his property, which was all
blank to him. To his friends and others he
seemed fully conscious Of the nature and
consequences Of these events at the time
| The last division, that Of criminal i'm
pulse growing out of this trance state illus.
trates the subject Of our paper more closely
The following cases bring out the facts bet
ter than any description: An inebriate was
repeatedly arrested for horse-stealing, and
often punished The crime was committed
| under similar circumstances, and no attempt
was made to conceal the property; on two
occasions he assisted the owner to hunt I'D
the horses. When it was apparent that he
was guilty, great was his astonishment, and
he denied all recollection of circumstances
| or events. This was confirmed by all the
circumstances of his life, by his inebriety
l duu u dii0 uDSeUCe OF mo
tive and object in the crime. He was fond
| of horses, aud seemed at this time to be gov
erned by an impulse to drive and ride be-
hind good horse. A farmer of quiet, good
disposition suffered from blanks Of memory
after drinking to excess One day, in what
seemed full consciousness Of the surround
ings, he attacked . stranger and injured
him so that he died He had no recollection
of the time. purpose, or any circumstances
Of the tragedy.
A clergyman committed a rape under the
most extraordinary circumstances. and de-
MED all recollection Of it; his drinking habits
and all the incidents of the case sustained his
statement A lawyer Of reputation planned
the abduction OF q lady he was going to
marry. A man Of a lar e family and happy
domestic relations married a notorious
woman. A physician stole a large sum of
money from patient A college gra iuate
enlisted in the army. In each of these cases
there was history Of drinking to excess, and
each had no memory Of the event, and all
the circumstances were so unusual and at
variance with previous conduct that un-
doubtedly trance state was present These
cases might be multiplied almost indefinitely
from the records of criminal courts every
| where.