The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-07-22
TEMPERANCE.
HAVE THEIR SANE MOMENTS.
Some Unknown Phenomena in Acute
AlcOhOIic IntOXicntiOn.

CONFUSION OF tnOuSnt are present.
Then an increasing confusion and men
tai enfeeblement, also general lower
ing of all emotional and functional
activities. The reasoning is obscured
and deranged. certain ideas may fill
the mind to the exclusion of all others,
together with mental instability of
thought, such as changing suddenly
from one topic to another, are present.
In all cases degrees of dementia, with
profound and progressive palsy, are
the marked symptoms. These are so
prominent and common to all cases
that no one doubts the insanity and
imbecility of an intoxicated person.
In certain number of cases in this
condition, there has lbeen noticed sane
moments and intelligent reasonings,
with clearness of Judgment and per-
ception, equal, if not superior, to the
highest brain activity in it's normal
state.
In a semi-comatose state, the mind
will suddenly display a degree of wis
dom and sanity in some opinion or ad-
vice, then sink back into its demented
condition. Usually these sane thoughts
refer to its present condition, as in the
following:
In one case a man profoundly intoX-
icated, while being taken to a station
house, said to the officer: 81 was over
come with the heat and drank some
whisky; my brain has given way. Take
me to the hospital" He was found dead
n bp CT
statement was true.
In second case, u physician, notori-
ously stupid from spirits, said: 81 am
poisoned from kidney disease. Put me
in hot bath, and purge me-" then re
lapsed into delirious state. The next
day he died, and his advice was found
to have been true.
A man arrested for assault, in de-
lirious state, said: Il hit the man be-
cause he was kicking his wife; it made
me mad to see him do this" He then
relapsed into delirium, and, although
sentenced to jail, never repeated this
statement. 1t was afterward found to
be true.
These are prominent examples of
ii
brief moment. Other cases less impor-
tant, referring to more trivial things
are also common.
These sane moments concern the acts
and motives of others, as in the follow
ing:
A man in pronounced alcoholic de-
lirium, said: Il have willed my prop
i
using trust funds. l have returned all
the money, but he has refused to give
up the deeds. He has been urging me
to drink on every occasion, and wishes
to destroy me-" He recovered, and this
was found to be true, although he never
referred to it when restored.
A stupid comatOse inebriate, son of
business man, was brought to me-
The father complained of financial
stringency, when suddenly the son
said: discharge my brother, and put
stranger in his place, and times will
be better" The father did this, and
wrote that he found and stopped a
serious defalcation. The inebriate son
did not remember this remark, and
could not understand why he made it.
A man, suffering from delirium ire
mems, said to his brother: Sell out
all your stock in such a company, for
it will fail" OF course no heed was
taken of this advice, and the man when
he recovered denied all recollection
of it, Later the company failed and all
his property was lost.
\ man found in deep drunken stupor
on the street said: Get physician for
my friend, who is dying in room at
leading hotel" Later man was found
dead in a room at this hotel who was
his friend. When sober he could not
recall this remark. He had drank with
this man few hours before he was
found on the street.
These cases show that certain ideas
are formed and expressed unconscious
ly, leaving no impress on the memory,
and appear in the stupor and palsy of
intOXication.
Probably some special exciting cause
brings them to the surface as flashes
of reason and conceptions of truth,
then all is a blank again. OF course
these incidents are not common to all
intoxicated men, but exceptional. De-
curing, as they do, in the extreme pal
sy from spirits, they suggest the OPP
GRAFTON of consciousness below the
senses and behind the phenomena Of or
binary brain activity. The shrewd re-
marks and wise advice of intoxicated
men at times out of all harmony with
their present or past actions is the same
condition. These sane moments are
marked in some cases, who when clear
~ intoxicated, seem to have flashes of
wisdom unusual at other times. The re-
mark so often made by the laity that
states of intoXication in certain men
are followed 10y greater wisdom and
Judgment than ever manifested during
their sober periods is a recognition of
this condition.
The theory of double consciousness
applies and explains much of this phe-
nomena. The ordinary consciousness
is palsied by spirits and cannot act only
along automatic lines. The subcon-
seriousness or subliminal sense breaks
through this palsy and asserts itself
in wise comments or statements of