The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-06-03
DRINKING THAT KILLS.
The Term of Life of an Absinthe
Drinker.


Drinker.
New YORK, May %, 1SS8.-Absinthe
drinking has increased to an alarming
extent in New York. In many bar
rooms the statement is unhesitatingly
made that at least ten out of twenty
five patrons call for the absinthe in
some form. This fact is significant, in
asmuch as by the medical fraternity
the liquor is pronounced to be far more
destructive to the nervous system than
either whisky or opium. 1t is the
deadliest of drugs. Indeed, a man may
smoke opium for years without COM
pletely wrecking his mind or body,
while an absinthe drinker will die, or
be sent to a lunatic asylum in less than
four years. Afact not generally known
is that nearly all absinthe drinkers in
this city are persons of means and in
telligence. No special retreat has as
yet been provided for the treatment of
habitual drinkers of the brain killer,
but the private resorts for the cure of
lnebriates are filled with patients who
are suffering untold agonies caused by
over-indulgence i'll this drink. The
worst case of delirium tremens result
ing from excessive whisky drinking is
triiing compared to that brought on by
absinthe. 1t is certain that some place
especially adapted for the cure of the
later will be decided upon in the near
future.
Absinthe is, or was, liquor used al
most exclusively in France. New
Workers now bid fair 10 rival the Pari-
SLAMS in this vice. The injurious effects
Of absinthe are much more marked in
this country because of the climate.
In France, nearly every one drinks alb
sinthe, and the fatal results from over
indulgence are few, because OF the
climatic conditions and the manner in
which the Parisians drink. They do so
scientifically. Americans do nothing
by halves. They drink as much absinthe
as they formerly did whisky, max
ing no allowance for the increased risk.
DRINKING THAT KILLS.
Absinthe consists essen TALLY of al
cohol mixed with volatile oil of worm
wood and some other less active IN
gradients, especially oil of anise. DR..
Cyrus Edison, of the Health Depart
ment, and others say that for some
time, it has been noticed that the effects
of absinthe drinking differ essentially
from those Of pure alcoholic drinks,
constituting a series of symptoms
which have been designated under the
name of absinthism. The attention of
a Mail and Express reporter was called
to the case of wealthy merchant who
was quite recently taken ill in the
street, and carried into the house Of a
physician. He had for score of years
drank brandy and whisky, often times
to excess. About six months ago, he
took to drinking absinthe in the morn
ing to steady his nerves. He found
that after the frsi effects of the drink
wore off, he was in worse condition
than before, and in order to keep up he
found it necessary to keep himself
pretty much all the time braced up with
the poison. From drinking absinthe in
whisky, he took to drinking it plain.
When he was carried into the physi-
clans Office, he was frothing at the
mouth and suffering from conVulsions
He is now under special care, and there
are hopes of his ultimate recovery.
The characteristic symptoms of alb
sinthism are restlessness at night. with
disturbing dreams and nausea and
vomiting in the morning. The hands
tremb,e and the tongue shakes in
ierky fashion in the mouth. The suf
ferer is hardly able to articulate. Their
fAlloxu uorfion onA doniIad faplar
to epileptiform commissions, in which
the patient loses consciousness. He
falls. bites his tongue, foams at the
mouth, and makes facial grimaces. Ali
the while his limbs are working. Ex-
periments have been made with alcohol
and oil of NORWOOD, separately, on
/ the lower animals, and it is undeniably
demonstrated that the effects referred
| to are ascr;bably directly to the worm
wood. As absinthe is made from worm
wood, it may be inferred by even the
uninltiated in medical science that. as
drink, it is more dangerous than any
other alcoholic drink in its pure form.
FATAL CONCLUSIONS.
Those authorities who have had occa-
sion to look into the subject because of
| the recent cases brought to their atten-
ton, say that from the fatal effects pro-
duced from the oil of NORWOOD, it is
certain that absinthe is capable of pro-
ducing immediate fatal commissions
where ordinary spirituOus drinks con-
tanning a similar amount of alcohol
might be taken with perfect impunity.
Norwood is a perennial plant, with
branching, round and furrowed stems,
which rise two or three feet high. The
lower portion Of the stem lives several
years. The plant may be fonnd grow
ing on the roadsides. and it is known to
school boys as 'old man." 1t has q
disagreeable odor. By distilation it
yields volatile. It's at this season
of The year that it is gathered. The
dried herb is much stronger. Among
the ancients, it was used for medical
purposes. Several doctors used to pre-
scribe it here for complaints attended