The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
MADNESS FROM DRINK.
A WRETCH IN THE AGONIES CT c.
ElRlUM TREMENS. .

Shocking stehe at a Hospitnl-EaE'"ei-
nations Of Patlent-A Physician &c 4,
About tho Cause and Treatment Of tn"
Disease.
"Hc's got mania potu," was the short ding
nosis of the young doctor. "Put him in the
strong ROOM"
It wasn't so easily done, however. He
fought like devil incarnate, and the fel'!s
which rose up around btiu' Of Every tui-l
seemed to lend strength to resist luis supposed
prosecutors. In the awful struggle he re-
leased one of his hands and struck viciously
at one of the men holding him. But he was !.
at last overpowered. He would probably have
killed tho attendants one by one, but they
were too many, and in fifteen minutes he was
strapped down to q cot Horrid reptiles
crawled over tho helpless body, which was
at their mercy. A great poisonous snake
which had found its way into the hospital
was slowly creeping upon him to end his
miserable existence. There was tcrTableS
despairing cry, which was deadened Within
those four padded walls, and the exhausted
man fell back painting, breathless, and ap..
parently dead. He soon revived to new and
more loathsomc hallucinations
That horrid snake came hack again rein-
forced by an alligator, while tiger stuck his
hungry jaws within the little room and
gritted his teeth and opened his caparious
jaws in anticipation Of palatable feast OF.
the poor wretch tied to his bed. All this, and
much more, the maddened man saw in his de.
lirium. The transition was rapid from one
horror to another, but there at last came
rest from the sickening spectacle.
oUIEr1NG THE SHATTERED NERVES.
A doctor entered with potion Of chloral,
which the frantic patient was forced to swal-
low Presently the effect became noticeable.
The sick man grew less violent, and the Giar-.
ing eyes, resembling two balls of fire, grew
calm and closed as if III slulnber. The chlornl
did its work well, and sustained its reputation
as soporihc specific. Tho raging lion is trans
formed into peaceful, sleeping lamb, and
.....,r1iefliate danger is over. In the morning
tho patient awokc comparatively refreshed,
but he feels an unconquerable thirst for
whisky. He is almost crazy for drink, and
declares be will have it or die A very little,
IS given him; which quets tho sh3ttered Mgryey
for little while. By slow Stages he was,
brought around all right, and in four or five
days he was discharged cured Of that attack,
but he is liable to go through the same thing
again before long.
ut is O strange disease" sold prominent
hospital physician, abut modern science j..
able to control it better than formerly. Tho
proper namo for what is vulgarly called the
'jim-jams' is mania potu, or ma ness from
drink. It is produced by excessive use OF oil
f, ba
comes prostrated, and there is ON imperfect
circulation of the blood, which produces moro
or less congestion of the brain. a mans
ideas flow with the utmost profusion, but
thcro is no regulation or Will power, and the
sufferer is affected by illusions and halluci;e,
nations7- false sensations Of q real object, Of
intellectual peryersion without any relation.
to real object In the former case the un-
fortunate man would think q ball rolling Oh.
the floor was O rat kr q bat, or crouchinS
bear. The lnan affected with hallucinations,
secs things which have no actual existence
around him. =. -,:. ~
IN pAnoxYsMs OF TERROR
aThc great. feature Of mania potu is the loss.
of voluntary OF will power. 1t is always very
difficult to control deliriunl trepieuS patients,
because they can not bo convinced by reason,
and in former days they often died i'll
paroxyslns of terror. They gain superhurnan
strength, and men who, in their normal coil-
dition could be easily handled by u single
strong man arc too much for three or four
powerful attendants, The treatment formerly
was to exhaust tho patient by cnletics. Now
chloral or bromide of potassium ore the sover-
Giisn remedies. Very few men DIG of delil1nm
trenlcns, but they suffer ten thousand deaths
while in tho horrors Of the delirium.. think
periodical drinkers aro more iablo to mani:t
potu than tho steady topcrs. There arc two,
classes of cases Of the disease. In ono t1o
afflicted is possessed of high fever, hot slliii,
and is inclined to violence while in the other.
the skin is cool, swcaty and thcrc is no mani T
festation Of violence. Old DR.. Tolliver once
had fight for bis life with a man who had
dcliriun tremens, and they are often cx-
trcmcly dangerous to- handle"
Many of tho delTizens Of Tino street are Ia
,hiliar with the Syiiptoms md terrors Of the
inn -t,nis, and havo kccn in the hospital fight,
ing monsters which the eye of sane man iiuS
never vet behcld. The man who laughs ut
delirium trcmens has never been through it.
An old topper shivers every time he hears tho;
oxprcssion and the most callous wretch feels
pity for fellow sufferer who has been tortured
by tho imaginary demons and reptiles which
::c Li.!cc,c LIS sen in his attacks OF alcohol
ism, q mild term for the most intense suffer-
inc to which the human brain can be sub
icctel.-Ciucinnati Enquirer