The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-23
Men who Have All the Symptoms
but Have Not Touched a
prop.
Condition Due to Spiritual Hyno-
tism, Thought Transference, or
Mental Contagion.
Instances Cited by n Noted Medical Au-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF the State
of Drunkenness.

Ih2t q man may e4ulplb dIl bue "eAA-
recognized symptoms of a state of inebriety,
terminating in a profound stupor for hours
without having touched a drop of intoxi-
eating liquors, is a fact so strange, SO M
comprehensive, SO contrary TO our COM
mon experience and belief, that it taxes our
credulity to the utmost, says Midas Critic
rion, Ninety-nine men i'll every 100 will
continue %incredulous, Notwithstanding the
assertion of scientists that such a thing ID
possible, and the asseveration of respecta-
BILE eye-witnesses that it has often occurred.
DIR. w. III. Holcombe, of New Orleans,
one of the oldest and ablest of the homeo-
pathic physicians of that city, vouches for
its occurrence in the case of Mr.. George w.
Christy, a we'll known lawyer of New
Orleans, recently deceased, who declared
on his %death-bsd that he had not tasted in
toxicating liquors for eighteen years, dur
ing all of which time his friends had been
e~rieving over what they supposed his IN
fortunate and degrading habits.
III reference to the question as to whether
there can exist q state of involuntary
drunkenness-a state of intoxication pro-
duced without alcohol or drugs, by some
spiritual hypnotism, transference OF
thought, or mental contagion, with which
we have hitherto not been acquainted-isa an
interesting one, and it has for its existence
a strong scientific basis. In support of this
we give the substance of an exceedingly
able and interesting article published IN the
Alienist and Neurologist, by DR.. L. d.
Crothers, of Hartford, Conn, q distin-
guished expert in nervous and mental dis
eases. The article is entitled Certain
Hereditary and Psychical Phenomena in
Inebriety."
''There are PERSONS" says DR.. Crothers,
"who have average brain power, and III
many instances are men of genius and
positive force, with a peculiar nerve organ
~ization, usually temperate men, never using
alcohol. and who yet und certain circum-
stances and from some particular excite
ment, act and appear as if fully intoxica-
ted, In some instances alcohol can not be
tolerated, producing nausea, vomiting and
extreme depression; and yet from some I'M
known cause. purely mental, they will sud-
denly exhibit all the usual signs OF into1i-
cation"
The following cases, selected from DR..
Crother's reports, prove the point in ques-
ton conclnsively:
First case. u. B., a farmer of "a, tenn
perate, a man of wealth and character, who
had never used any kind of spirits, suffered
from a violent shock and alarm from a run
away horse. His face became red, his
voice Jerking and husky, his language silly,
and he staggered with all the appearance of
q drunken man. He recovered, but was
thought to have been drinking. Some
months after, at the funeral of a child. all
these and other marked symptoms of lntox-
ication returned, to the great modification
of his friends and family. A careful in
quiry made it clear that he had used no
spirits of any kind"
Second case. "The treasurer of a large
mandatory, temperate, but nervous, sud
denly appeared intoxicated when accused
by the president of having flashed the books
He was unable to talk nationally, and both
appeared and walked like one who had
drank quantities OF ardent spirits. The
next day he recovered and explained every
thing to the satisfaction of all. A week
afterwards he became angry and had an
other similar paroxysm. A short time after
that a third attack of apparent drunken
ness came on, and the physician called it
congestion of the brai... In all these in
stances no evidence of his having drank any
liquor could be obtained"
Third case. ga merchant, a temperance
man from principle, had been IN good
health up to his failure in business. One
day. on the receipt of a letter containing
bad news, he became to all appearances in-
toxicated. His brother-in-law, a lhysi-
clan, made q careful examination of all the
facts and surroundings, and concluded this
was a case of what he called mind-lntoIl"
cation, or drunkenness from other causes
than alcohol or drugs. Several subsequs mt
attacks occurred in this man, always with
out the Intervention of liquor
Fourth case: During the late war many
similar cases were noted, and were subject
to much comment and speculation. Thus
men, who were total abstainers, would,
under the excitement of the battlefield,
exhibit the wild frenzy of a drunken man,
or become stupid and largely unconscious
of the surroundings. AS an illustrations, n
noted officer at Antletam, came riding back
FROM the front, swaying in his saddle and
shouting parts of songs in a marked
drunken state. He was u total abstainer
and had not drank any spirits, but his con-
duct was SO strange and wild thai he was
ordered back under the impression that he
was intoxicated"
Fifth case. ga noted temperance lee
turer, formerly an inebriate, had been fol
ten years or more a total abstalner. One
evening, while lecturing, he was banded 4
dispatch from his wife announcing the fa-
tai illness OF a child. He drank a glass of
water and attempted an explanation to the
audience, became confused, and staggered
and acted like a man becoming rapidly III
toxicated. He was finally led from tht
stage, and laughed and shouted in a maud
lin way. The audience supposed that ht
Was oIuuh, DuI Hi tLc ClTCuUlstHllCt
showed clearly that no spirits had beer
taken
Sixth Case. "a clergyman was under my
care for five months, when one day f;
brother clergyman paid him q visit, and NJ
doubt talked very severely to him of the sill
of drinking. | found him a short Will,
after in bed, with all the symptoms of in
toxicatlon. This Was the tirst pronounced
case | had seen, ana ! could not be mis-
taken. The sudden emotional excitemen
had preclpitated him into the state of iu-
toxication."
Seventh case; "a pathological state ha
been observed, which / call unccnscious i'm
ltatlvo inebriety, whore persons, from til
influence or contagion of the surroundings
or of some unknown factor. are to all in
tents and purposes intoxicated. One o
these cases was }. H., Il lawyer omploye.
III the state department He never ooult
or would drink any form OF alcohol. II
vas q society man and the member of
club. For several years past it has bee
noticed that after spending an hour 0
more IN company with mon who wor
drinking to intoxication, he would take o
THAR condition, md l5Iyn ,I,,, a.-.- :.