The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-08-07
THE HORRORS OF DRINK.
Sensations of Victim of Delirium Tt

FeTndpS no DeIUer lued Oh WldC Gno
disease consists of can be given than by
relating the writer's own unvarnished
experience, which was as follows:
After protracted debauch, | landed
in an institution for the treatment of
inebriety, and was assigned to room
in the hospital department, where in
few hours my trouble commenced. l
was continually seeing shadows of pic
lures on the walls-faces, some angry
and distorted, others very beautiful
would appear. At times would see
some wild animal gazing at me through
the ventilator or window. These made
no noise, but there were invisible peo-
pie who persisted in talking to me,
sometimes giving me friendly advice,
and at others using the vilest epithets,
and threatening me with some fearful
punishment unless l went away but
that | was unable to do, nor did care
to, for / realized that all this confusion
existed only in imagination, although
| would forget myself and answer back
occasionally and then laugh at myself
for it afterward. This state of affairs
continued for two days, and then
changed from mania-a-potu to delirium
tremens, or from Imagination to reality.
That is l knew it was imagination be-
fore. After the change from the first
to the second stage of the disease, l was
equally sure that everything L saw
and heard was real, and no power on
earth could convince me to the con-
trary.
The change came about almost in
simultaneously and in the following
manner. For wonder, was lying on
the bed, and distinctly heard the ply
stefan in charge talking with police
man concerning me, by which learned
that | was there under observation, and
in a few days was to be sent to an in
sane asylum. He told the officer when
to come after me, and gave special in
structiOns to take me away in a herdi9
instead of the patrol wagon, as a mat
ter of safety. He also cautioned the
attendants to keep sharp watch upon
me. | opened my door and looked ont
into the corridor, but of course no one
was visible. | called the attendant and
asked him about the matter, but he de-
MED it, as did also the physician. /
persisted that it was a fact, Just the
same, and, could have done SO, would
have made my escape, even though
nearly in nude condition, and to guard
against that | was placed in room the
windows of which were grated, and
here the real torment commenced.
ITO describe all | saw and heard
would make very large book. The
scenes We're constantly changing from
one extreme to another. Sometimes it
would be pictures, whose beauty would
defy the most noted artist to reproduce,
beautiful women in respondent dress,
then, like the dissolving views of a
stercoptican. change to women in a
nude state, from whose sight and ac-
tons | would turn away in disgust.
| Again, my parents (who have been dead
| for years. were being murdered, and |
demanded my clothing and liberty that
| might protect them, and swore like a
| trooper when was denied. ! claimed
that there was nothing the matter with
myself, that those who had locked me
in We're crazy, if anyone, and that |
was unjustly detained; but l could not
II1hhC CilCIu DtllCNC H. LII GilC wv
ling of an eye the scene was again
changed, and l was surrounded by ven
omous reptiles of all sizes and kinds,
and by dangerous animals of every
| known and many unknown species,
and whose number would test the Ca
pacity of Noah's ERIK and the descrip
tive ability of d Dante.
"Thus it continued, ever changing
from one scene of horror to another,
and these sights were living, moving
! objects. At one time, and for to me
some unknown reason, former ac-
qualntanccs We're boring holes through
| the wall to shoot me, and to guard
| against that | crawled under the mat
! tress. They then decided that as they
could not shoot through that they
would set it on fire and cremate me,
and | screamed: Help. murder fire"
to the extent of my lungs. The next
moment | had new trouble. Small
doors in the side of the room would
open, through which would come
| troops of small animals of strange
kind. They seemed to be playful and
harmless. Others came that were not
so, and was obliged to be very active
to keep out of their reach. Again,
had exposed the secrets of some order
and delegation visited me and gave
me choice of the manner of death,
the penalty I must suffer; but l COM
promised with them by joining the
order. Rats and snakes by the million,
animals of every known species, and
thousands that no one ever saw but
myself, besides many people to injure
me in some way were present with me
| in a room about ten feet square, but
which at present seemed as large as a
public park, and here | remained in
! this living hell for two days and nights,
until the proper time arrived and 1 was
given dose that put me to sleep most
of the time during the next thirty-siX
hours, after which reason resumed her
throne and | was cured. Imagine your
self in the nightmare lasting two
days and nights and you have some
idea of delirium tremens.' THE Voice.
TOPICS OF INTEREST.