The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-21
ETHER TIPPLING.
The ExhiIarntion Produced by the
Use of the Drug.

From the Scientific American.
1t is well known that the production OF
mtoxication by the drinking of ether is
vice especially prevalent among the peas
antry of the north and northwest portions
Of Ireland, that 1t obtains in some degree
in the western counties of England, and
also that it sometimes finds its way into
the boudors Of titled and arstocratic
danes; but until recently It was held to
be strictly confined 20 the United King
dom, except. perhaps. in rare and isolated
instances. In Viertehj ahrsschrift fur
, GerichtBche Medlcn, the medical officer
of health for the district of Heydekrug In
Lithuanian Prussia draws attention to the
fact that ether tppling Is there Excess
sivey prevalent and constantly increasing
"a condition he ascribes to recently in
creased excise duties advancing the price
of spirits and practically inhibiting their
use by the lower classes, who are chiefly
Of the Slay race 1t is added the vice Is
an Importation from Russia, It being in
some districts of the Muscovite empire
"perniciously prevalent" Mere chill
dren," 1t Is declared, often come to school
exhibiting signs of having imbibed ether
before leaving home; mothers give to
their offspring to relieve abdominal pain;
and on market days the odor of the drug
IS perceptible everywhere in the respira-
tory exhalations OF the peasantry Of both
sexes, and when a vehicle occupied by
them IS encountered on the highway,
cloud of etder seems to float along"
1t is not, however, the commercial drug,
or that prepared for purposes Of anethesia,
that is employed, but the compound spirit,
known as "Hohman's Anodyne" or "ano-
dyne drops" which rs merely commercial
sulphuric ether diluted with three parts
of alcohol The exhilara ton produced is
declared To he much more DlGaelra HE
than that accruing to alcohol; the drug
Is not only less expensive, but requires
less amount to produce intoxication; and
that the subsequent depression ana dis
comfort Ckatzenjammer'D are less mark
ed Il might be added also that the stage
Of exhilaration Is much more transient
and leads TO more frequent inhibition.
one thing Is notable viz, that outside
Of surrepuuous employment. the use of
ether as beverage and intoxicant IL con-
fined to peoples whose social and hygienic
conditions leave much 60 be desired peo-
pie with whom complete intoxication rath-
er than mere stimulation is the desider-
alum.
That ether as a beverage and intoxi-
cant is much more perniclous than alco-
hol may be imagined; Il ie also much
more seductive in its Influences, once the
Individual Is habituated thereto The IN
juries accrung 70 the habit are most rap
idly induced. and generally farther reach
ing than those derived from beverages Of
purely spurious nature; chronic catarrhs
that are absoluteiy irremediable. fatty de-
generation Of the heart, calcticatiOn Of
tine great blood vessels, "hObnail' liver
"a cancerous conditi0n--sOftening Of the
brain and other cerebral troubles leading
10 great mental debility ana even 10 com
plcta tdlocy, are tle common scQuels
claimed % obtain 10 th6 vice. In any event