The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-06
FRANCIS NEW VICE.
..PetrOIism" the Latest Thing Which
Is Sapping the Nations Strength.


Is Sapping the Nations Strength.
Paris Correspondence of London Tele-
graph.
Petroleum is the new vice that threatens
The brains. the strength and the purses of
Parisians and Frenchmen, or, rather, it is
the old vice, alcoholism, in a new end
startling FORM Have we not heard of
rnorphomania, and even of the woebagone
idiots who drank eau de cologne when
they can get nothing more fiery? But
Petrolism is, in truth, a grim novelty al
most without parallel Nobody can say
for certain what it's origin was nor what
its future will be, but the competent au-
thorities are painfully aware that the Ter
ribIe habit has made considerable progress
in Paris already.
Thegexcfse and customs duties on alco-
hol of all kinds were lately raised, where
by il was rendered more difficult for the
inteure rate man to indulge repeatedly in
his little glass. But this increase in the
price does not explain the phenomenon,
because the duties were raised a few days
ago. whereas petrolism has, II seems, been
going on for a considerable time For one
of the urban districts in the neighborhood
of the Bastile contains a respectable num-
Der Of "Petroliques," as the physicians
term them, and in the outskirts of Paris
many more ill-starred people are addicted
TO it, The taste for this disagreeable beY-
erage grows upon the consumer, IL IS SAID,
until il develops into an irresistible pas
sion The doctors have not yet had OPP
portunities to study its effects, and their
views. lacking a firm basis, are divergent.
The concensus of opinion, however, main
tains that the intoxication produced by pc
troleurn il. of a melancholy nature which
tinges things in gray. The petroleum
drinker is sad, disconnected, despaiTing.
Unlike whisky the mineral oil never be-
slows Dutch courage upon the quatter,
who is rarely quarrelsome or pugnaclous'
Moreover. his sleep at night would not
seem to he very injuriously affected by II.
Generally speaking, the "petrohques'
sleep- calmly enough, and even their gen
eral health is not as rapidly undermined
as bv the alcoholic beverages in common
demand. Here, however, opinions differ.
Some doctors hold that the graVest or
eantc changes are caused by the use,
which is also an abuse OF petroleum, ana
tbot The germs Of mortal diseases are
called into being The manner in which
the latest batch of "petroliques' was dis
covered is curious. A firm IN the city
furnished petroleum to certain retail
sbons The head of one of the latter COM
nlainna Of short measure. The wholesale
merchant denied the charge and proved
that he was right. Then the retail dealer
sci himself TO discover the cleW to the
mystery. but for long time in vain. None
Of the liquid was removed from the prem
ises nor spilled, and yet it continued to
disappear. AZ last it was discovered that
+beir workmen drank il to raise their la
boring power to the proper level.
Another confraternity of tiDplers was
convicted Of the offense in a different way.
A usually sober and Woodworking man,
who was happy though married, began
suddenly TO stagger home in state of
half seas over. His spouse, Mortified at
the prospective before her searched his
nocllets. and to her surprise found that
his funds were not lower than before.
Neither was he ever late, strange to say.
Unable to solve the riddle, she conhded il
ia one Of her married friends. The latter
had a husband Of her own, who was in the
same boat They put their heads togoth-
or. and. after some days of shadowing
and induirug, the two sorrowing matrons
learned that their lords and masters were
slaves TO petroleum. This curious and
repreheusib,e vice is, am told, receiving
careful attention in medical circles in
paris. The authorities viii hardly take
n nm until they are ready to tax il.