The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-06-12
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
DRINK DELIRIUM.
A Graphic Description by One Who Has
Had the Disease,

HAD the Disease.
There are many popular errors con-
corning the disease called delirium
tremens, and comparatively little
actual knowledge of its direct cause.
or the proper method of its treatment.
A crazy drunk" mania-a-potu, COM
monty called Jim jams" or the
horrors" and delirium tremens, bv
the public in general, are supposed to
be one and the same disease, when in
fact they bear but slight resemblance.
Even the medical fraternity are
lamentably ignorant upon the subject,
and few indeed have just conception
of the disease or the proper treatment
to be pursued to effect a cure.
Mania-a-potu bears about the same
relation to delirium tremens as
does a severe cold to a fever. The
difference between the two is the differ
ence between imagination and reality.
In mania-a-potu the victim has hal
luclnations, sees strange sights, and
hears people talking to and about him,
all of which imaginary ideas he can
be reasoned out of; but when the con-
diton of delirium tremens obtains,
everything becomes a reality, and all
the powers this side of eternity cannot
convince the patient to the contrary,
and it is not good policy to make the
attempt.
Another very prevalent error lies in
considering person with the tremens
a dangerous maniac. 1t is true that de-
lirium trcmens is one of the many
forms of insanity, for the time it exists,
but the victim is in no manner danger
Gus to Others He is in constant fear,
and some trouble or danger threatens
him at every point, and his chief desire
is to escape, not by injuring or killing
some one, but to get away from sur
rounding perils. Sometimes his earthly
career is to be cut short by poison, and
he will refuse food, drink or medicine.
Again, he is to be cut into pieces with
knives, and he will beg pitcously for
some more speedy form of death. In
fact, death in some form threatens him
on every hand.
Although it is admitted that delirium
tremens is a orm of insanity, pro-
.duced by excessive alcoholic indul-
gence, it differs from ordinary insanity
in that, during the time the former con-
tinues, the person remembers dis
tinctly everything he heard or saw lin
fmagination) and recognizes those with
whom he is acquainted, and also re-
members actual conversation; while in
the latter case the period of insanity is
a total blank, whether it be for one
week, one year or more. Medical au
thority and the statistics of various in
.ebriate asylums will bear out this state
ment.
Another error, and one that often
emanatCs from So-called temperance
lecturers, who either from ignorance
or a desire to create sensation and pro-
found horror, have depicted a man dv-
ing from the tremens continually
screaming for rum" Records cannot
be produced to attest such statement.
AS a matter of fact, person will often
quit drinking when delirium com
mences without knowing that he is in
that condition. In an actual case he
never realizes that he is delirious. He
imagines himself all right and every
one else wrong
Another error lies in the suppositiOn
by many that a person always dies
from the third attack. With proper
treatment he may pass through many,
and finally die from old age. Again.
the idea is entertained, and even by
some physicians, that complete with
drawal of alcoholic stimulants from an
excessive drinker is liable to produce
defirium. On the contrary, when the
i,nyNraTnnfn6 ~ a
tain degree with alcoholic poison, de-
lirium will supervene whether the
habit is continued or not. To continue
drinking or to partake of intoXicants
at all, is merely to add fuel to fire, or
poison to poison.
While there is no danger to be feared
from a person in delirium tremens,
there is great danger to the life of the
sufferer, if not under complete re-
.straint, and a person may be afflicted
for days or even weeks before the dis
ease is recognized as such, and many
cases of suicide may be attributed to
this cause. case is remembered by
the writer of a physician of high
standing in the community, while suf-
fering from the disease and an inmate
of an institution, who called for his
surgical case, and when asked for what
purpose, answered that his abdomen
was full of small snakes, and he eX-
planned the manner in which he pro-
posed to perform a surgical operation
on himself to dislodge them. Had he
been home, undoubtedly a suicide
would have been recorded in papers
cause unknown. Another person,
after being pursued by demons of
every description, and threatened with
death in many Arms, was told by an
immense fish which swan into his
room that by taking certain prepara-
ton he would be enabled to live under
water, and so escape all prosecutions.
If the victim had been at liberty, he
might have tried the experiment, and
''floater" would have been reported
The Voice.