The evening times., 1899-05-25
DYING FROM TEA DRINKING
Patrick Phelan Nenr Death From Vii
Incessant QunfiinE.

New York. May 25.-Excessive tea
drinking is the cause of the pitiable con-
dition of Peter Phelan, who. as he lies in
Bellevue Hospital, resembles a wax man.
| ikin. Thirty cups Of tea a day was the
least Phelan used at the time he was
prostrated. Now the doctors are batting
to save him from death from anaem a
They say he is one of the most interest
ing cases from a medical point OF view,
that ever came under their observation.
Phelan, who is forty years old. was an
assistant stage carpenter at the Broadway
Theatre until four weeks ago, when he
suffered nervous collapse. The tea drink
ing habit with him had been growing
steadily. until tea was his food as well as
his drink. His cravings for tea were as
fierce as any that ever beset an alcoholic
victim. AS often as he could slip away
from his work he was brewing and drink
ing the beverage. Quality made no differ
ence TO him. All he demanded was that
the beverage be strong.
He did not know the seriousness OF his
illness when he found himself unable to
leave his bed one day. He tried to doc
tor himself and drank more tea-food he
could not digest.
His mother. who lives at 455 West S K
teenth street. heard he was i'll. and had
him taken to her house. Physicians who
visited him were puzzled. They were at
loss for a diagnosis On their advice he
was taken to Bellevue Hospital on May Il
Here IL was discovered that Phelan had
been a tea drunkard.
DR.. Egbert lie Feyre visiting physician.
and DR.. Herman Ritter, house physician.
of the Third division, had treated a a
drunkard a few months before. This pa
tient had been young woman. but she had
not been in nearly SO serious condition
as is Phelan. His face and body were SAT-
from hued and his lips, gums and eyelids
white He was scarcely able to move. and
when he did his respiration was like that
of one who had run up a steep hill. The
lifting of his hand made his breath come
fast.
1t was several days before he was able
TO give any of his history. The physicians
have not yet been able to learn all they
wish concerning him. He is such an in
teresting case that they have been anxious
to ascertain everything possible regarding
his life. They did learn that he was born
in New York and had always lived here
AS child he was fond of tea. and had
been allowed to drink as much of it as he
liked. He grew to like it more and more.
He drank it without milk or sugar. When
he was young man he was accustomed to
drink six or eight cups a day. He finally
required twelve cups Of strong tea a day
to enable him to work. So the habit grew
until at the ago of forty years thirty cUps
a day was his minimum.
One Of the most serious effects OF exces-
sive tea drinking has been the great re-
duction of the red blood corpuscles. An
examination by the physicians at the hos
pital showed only $4,000 red blood cells
and II per cent haemaglobipe per CUBIC
mi of nfh oil
shows 100000 red blood cells and I.early
100 per cent haemaglobine per cubic milli-
metre.
Haemaglobine, which is the coloring
matter of the blood, contains, intimately
united with organic matter. a certain pro-
portion of iron. The quantity of iron is
small. but very important. Simple .anemia
is almost always relieved in a short tine
by the administration of iron.
In the case OF Phelan very delicate treat
ment is required. as he is so close to
deaths door. He is being given small
quantities of nutritive food and iron.
DR.. Ritter said yesterday that he thought
Phelan's condition was slightly improved
although he was lowering between life
ard death. 1t would require the most
careful treatment to bring him through.
Phelan sleeps much of the time, but it is
not difficult to awaken him. At times he
talks naturally and other times he wan
ders. He does not realize how dangerous
his condition Is. He told DR.. Ritter yes
terday that he wanted to go back to work
next week. He said he was receiving very
good treatment. except that he could get
no tea and he had to lie in bed.
The young woman tea drunkard that DIR.
Ritter and DR.. LIE Fevre treated several
months ago has been a caretaker of a
country house. She had used tea in Ire
land. but did not become a slave to the
habit until she had gone to the country
house. Here she was very lonesome and
she said she drank tea Ito cheer her up
Her case was not nearly SO serious as that
of Phelan.
DIR. Ritter said that tea drinking in mod
Grafton, if the tea be properly made. is alb
solutely harmless and that tea drunkards
were comparatively few in this country.