Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-03-01
THE cHLoRoFoRm HABIT.
q Mar Driven to IL by Stock Gambling
Is Cured by Hard Rowing.

shouldn't do this; it's horribly unprofes-
sonal, you know Then he took q
small bottle, and with n small glass meas
are be carefully meted out the dose.
'.There are thirty drops of pure clloro-
form here, he said; 'when you 80 to
bed pour the chloroform upon the center
Of q folded handkerchief, lie upon your
side ON the edge of your pillow, and in
hale the drug, carefully keeping your
mouth closed. Sniff away at it Just rs il
4 were smelling salts; the pain will dis
appear, and you will sleep like a top"
Now l longed for night. When it ar
rived l jumped into bed, thirsting for
sleep, and carefully carried out my in
structions. Having lowered the gas l
took the folded handkerchief, emptiel
the contents Of the little bottle upon its
center, laid my head upon the edge Of
the pillow, closed my eyes and mouth,
and proceeded to iahale as directed.
Gradually, yet rapidly, a feeling of drow-
siness crept upon me. First seemed to
be looking upon a black and inky dark
ness; then the Darkness seemed softly IL
Illuminated 10y miSte points of light, like
distant stars. Presently the light Of
these stars became more intense, and l
noticed that they We're arranged in innu-
merable parallel rows. 1t gave Inc q
strange pleasure to gaze upon them
Now the pain in my face disappeared,
the stars seemed to grow brighter and %
increase in size. Then suddenly they
all began to revolve at the same
Instant. / gaGed at them this,
ct any rate, was the sensation)
with a sort of pleased establishment and
curiosity. AS | gazed they revolyed still
more rapidly; then | heard a pulling
NOSE, which increased in rapidity, ex-
actly resembling the sound made by
distant engine leaving a station, and then
IsaSk into n deep, tranquil. dreamless
sleep, whish lasted all the night. In the
morning | woke greatly refreshed and
the pain IN my face had gone. The one
sound nights rest had done me IN i'm
mense amount of god. Ny mind no
longer dwe- painful, upon a. mixer
able trouble. could face The share La
with calnncSs. One more | was a com.
parat.velys happy nan, and | went on
with my ordinary vacations in a half
jubilsnt sslte.
But again that II sight sleep avoided me
lcounted 1000. / repeated the multiple
eatior table, l tried to picture in my
minds eye an innumerable succession Of
sheep Jumping over a hurdle, | tried TO
recall the last Sundays sermon; all to no
avail. Morning came 70 find me still
weary and wakeful, and SO | resolved to
call again upon my friend the dentist. l
did 50, but my visit was not altogether a
mccess. On learning what ! wanted my
friend sternly refused fresh supplies.
Chlor0form, he said. was a dangerous
drug; To use it once was all well enough;
the habit Of taking it was worse than
dram drinking. When | began to entreat
De bowed me out of the room.
l Indignantly marched to the nearest
chemists and asked for an ounce of
chloroform as calmly rs if | had been de-
manding a black draught. The chemist
inquired if | were q chemical man, and
upon my replying in the negative de-
clined TO supply me. Afterward | went
to four other chemists with the like re-
suit. How [ obtained the drug at last Is
neither here N there; hut by the exercise
Of some ingenuity | became possessed OF
q pound bottle OF chl0roform and a two
Srachm PlSss measure graduated in
Srops. And now | found myself in pos
session Of a panacea more potent ihaE
'.pGpyy or mandragora, or all the drowsy
syrups Il the world." Every night !
ssed to procure sound AMI comfortable
yseep, ard | went on doing SO unconscious
Of my danger. For three whole months
Ic%ontinued in this course. The habit had
mastered me from the first. This Is an
fonest confession and not a sermon, and
I am bound to state that the only incon-
veniencc | ever experienced was n slight
ceiling Of nausea ia the morning. Two
distinct desires irrcsistibly prompted me
the n IN Intense longing for sleep and
q refuge from mental worry. the other a
Wandering after the pleasurahle sensations
which the inhalation Of the drug invari-
ably produced.
BY tAis time tho habit hal taken such
q hold upon me that during the daytime
u iDAll Aillllh va llttlF 'lf bAt VI NY
pleasure 10 come. Toprnduce the desired
effect the dose had been slowly increased.
/ was now inhgling regularly sixty drops
every night,
Probably | should not I've here To tell the
tale if | had not become engaged to be
married. Ny two future broihcrS-in-law
invited me 10 accompany them in a boat
Ing party on the upper Thames. / nc.
ceptcd; and then it suddenly struck me
chat / should be deprived for one whole
week at least Of my fayorite drug. De.
.ection in such indulgences would Ger.
tainly break OF the marriage. 1t would
not do To be found out: SO started with.
out a single drop Of my divine elixir. ]
was quite out Of practice in s~culling and
at night time | lay down to rest tired asa
dog and dead beat. That was my saliva
hon. Islept like a top, and ! have never
INHALED n single drop Of chloroform since.
/ know a good deal more about il now
than | did then. know now that had
shifted in my sleep on TO my face
might have been suiTocated. aud pro
badly would have been. / know now
that had vomiting taken place-and it Is
ono Of the commonest results OF the in.
salation Of the druC-there was every
-elihood Of a SIM N result. l know
too, that with n slightly larger dose there
evos averv rhanro Of my bpinr Gnuu1