Smyrna times., 1888-04-11

AOCo AAOb eAhCNo NAAC VI Gtl4 AAhO any OlAACA
it produces neither the
heavy drunkenness of beer, the furious
inebriation of brandy, nor the exhilar-
ating intoxicatiOn of wine. It is a
mean, an ignobLe poison, destroying life,
but not until it has, more or less bru-
talized its votaries and made drivelling
idiots of them. The symptoms of alb
sinthe drunkenness which lasts much
longer than that produced by spirits or
wine, are followed by extreme de.
preston and a sensation of fatigue
which are not to be got rid of. After a
while digestion is deranged, the appe-
tite is diminished and then lost, there
is a constant feeling of uneasiness, in
tense thirst, painful anxiety, accom-
panied by a sensation of giddiness and
tingling in the ears, and as the day de-
clines, hallucinatiOns of sight and hear
ing begin.
The mind of the abstinthe drinker is
oppressed by sort of sluggishness,
which indicates approaching idocy.
During his more active moments he
suffers from deLerium tremens-seeing
some imaginary prosecutor from whom
he is anxious to escape, or the fancied
denunciatOr of some crime he dreams
he has committed.
The symptom that first gives alarm
to the drinkers, peculiar affection of
the muscles, beginning with fitful con-
fractions Of the lips and muscles of the
face, and trembling of the hands, arms
and legs, soon followed by distinct
loss of physical power, worn and sad
cOuntenance, and a wrinkled and yell
low skin. In the end comes the entire
loss of intellect, general paralysis and
death.
In modern society, life is all a dis
guise. Not so with the absinthe drink
er intoxicated, they then reveal the
most deeply hidden secrets to their
companions. Others have their minds
so happily constituted that nothing
escapes them. In attendance on a
patient, we observed in the last stages
produced by abstinthe liquor, was in
sensibility Ito proper perceptions) To
his distorted eyes, all men, and even
inanimate nature itself seemed to be
drunk, while he alone was sober.
To his distorted mind, houses reeled
from side to side as if they had lost
their balance, trees and steeples nodded
to him like tipsy Bacchanals, and the
very earth seemed to slip under his
feet, leave him walking and founder
ing upon the air and at the last past
into stupor, or dead drunk. In the
morning he awOke in high fever, the
whole body parched, palms of the
hands in particular, and like his lips
are like leather, head violently painful
excessive thirst, while his tongue is
white, dry and stiff, inside of mouth
and throat, hot and sore. Look at his
eyes, how sickly, dull, and languid
The fire, which lighted them up the
night before is all gone, all the result
of being, drunk on absinthe whiskey.
There can be no reasonable doub
that the elimination of alcohol is duC
to its oxidation whilst passing through
the circulating system, so that it is ex
creted by the lungs in the form of car
bonic acid and water, and if confrma
tiOn of this view were needed, it is af
forded by the tolerance of large dOsei
of alcohol, which is shown when it il
subjected with peculiar rapidity to tn,
cOmbustive operation, as during con
tinued wasting diseases when no othe
combustive material remains in tn,
body.
We have many certain poisons, fash
iOnably used, that pass through tn
kindeys, and are thus eliminated, with
out undergoing any change that i'm
pairs their physiological action. Thi
evidence being afforded in the effects O
the re-ingeStiOn of the serine, either b,
the individuals themselves or b.
others!
From physiological study of the sub
ject, it appears that the kidneys posses
the wonderful power of celebrating
liquid by their own distillation stronge
in intoxicating qualities, than any NAL
or alcoholic drink yet known. A YER
curious example of this kind is afford
ed by the intOxicate species of fungu
which is by some of the inhabitants Q
northeastern parts of Asia, in the sam
manner as alcoholic liquors by othe
nations. This is an edible, terme,
amanita muscaria," fungus, mush
room order of plants of the Cryptic
gamia class.
This amanita, a name given, by tn,
Greeks and Romans, to the edibl
chdm-pignOns. Amanita forms, at tn
present day, a genus, some of whicl
are edible, others poisonous. Whethe
it be edible or not, it is to be hoped
may not be introduced to young or oil,
America of this country.
The effects like other excitants, hav
a limited duration, for man intoxica
by it one day, sleeps himself sober b.
the next. His restoration is due, how
ever, not to his repOse, but physicall
speaking, to the elimination of the poi
son which takes place during the inter
val for curious enough, ,ifhe drinks Gu
of his urine the next morning he is ye
more powerfully intoxicated than
was the preceding day and yet, still
more curious, this fluid has the sam
effect upon any other individual, int
whose urine the active principle the
passes so that according to the test
mony of travellers, the intoxicating
agent may be transmitted in this mar
ner through FIVE. six or more persons
small stock at the commencement thu
serving to maintain more than a week
debauchl We are not yet sufficient
acquitted, but it is probable that th
appearance of this substance (lik
some Others) in the urine, is due I