National Republican., 1886-10-09
HE WAS BORN DRUNK.
The Queer story ruIu by II Doctor o
an Infant.

The Queer story rUIu by ~ Doctor of
an Infant.
The infant son OF well.known citizen OF
Westled, n. D., though old enough to
walk and talk, appears and acts like an
Intoxicated person. A local physician In
conversation with reporter gave "A history
Of the case. 1t seems that the parents were
very exemplary young people, and began
their married life without a cloud to dim
their future. No one in the town had
better habits than the young husband, but
some mouths after his marriage he lapsed
II little from the path OF strict temperance.
One winter evening the mau went from
his home usteusibly "tO watch with u sick
member Of the village lodge" lie really
visited Sam GOschaik's tavern. The trust
ing wife discovered at . o'clock that her
husband had forgotten to purchase meat
Tor breakfast and she went to the market.
stormy wind was blowing aud the snow
was falling, but rs she passed the hotel the
sound of Il mans voice IN song came to her
ears. She listened but moment. There
was no mistakiug her husbands voice, aud,
scarcely knowing what she did, she looked
into the barroOm window aud saw her hus-
baud there in u state of beastly intOxiCation.
Some time afte, this. little episode son
was born to the parents-a fine, healthy IN
fant, bright and comely. Some months
later, when the child began To walk anu
talk, they took him to the physician. The
little one could not walk without stagger-
ing In most unseemly aud ludicrUus
manner, and could not lisp baby words
without strange hiccough and hesitation.
The Decor, averring that II he had seen
such symptoms In an adult he should have
pronounced them due to intoXication aud
nothing else, with little difficulty obtained
o
impression that provoked the peculiar
maady with which the child is afflicted.
No line of medical treatment could be OF
use in such u case and reluctantly the
physician gave up the boy to endure his
strangely miserable life.
There is nothing like catalepsy about
| the case" the doctor explained, "Ihere
| II no healthier child in town. As near as |
| eau explain IL, the child has muscles and
nerves in that condition Of yCtiOn which It's
father showed when the mothers impress
| sion Of his intoX cation was received
There are no fits or cOnvusions, though a
tremOr Is always present. In spite of this
| fact there is no mental weakness. Thel Is
no coordination In the movement Of the
lower limbs, and the hands are almost as
bad or. His gait is heavy and insecure, "A
| regular drunken reel or stagger. As tO his
/ speech, It is not only incOhereut and ram
bling, but he has all Of the phenomena uf
| eXhiaration or excitement characteristic Of
the early stages Of intoXication. His ideas
seem to dow rapidly, aud all of the senses
are wonderfully acute, but there are the
muscular tremhliugs and the actual sham
| bling gait OF the drunkard.n
"ls recovery to be hoped forY' the re-
| porter asked.
| "NO," the doctor answered. "lt is a
| hopeless case, impossible to cure, That
| boy, II he lives, viii have the continued ap-
| pearunce Of drunk Renness, and 1t cannot be
| helped. lie is drunk, naturally drunk, aud
though he may become u great scholar hC
| viii never uutgrOw this maady,"