Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-13
SLAVES TO PETROLEUM.
Paris Has a New Drink That Threat
ems Strength and Purse.

From the London Telegraph.
Petrolism is the new vice that threatens
the brains, the strength, and the purses of
Parisians and Frenchmen. or, rather, il is
the old vice, alcoholism, in a new ard
startling form. Have We not heard OF
morphomania. and even of the woebegone
idiots who drink eau de cologne when they
can get nothing more fiery? But petrolsm
is, in truth. a grim novelty almost without
parallel. Nobody can say for certain what
its origin was or what its future will be,
but the competent authorities are painfully
aware that the terrible habit has made con-
siderable progress in Paris already. The
excise and customs duties on alcohol of all
kinds were lately raised, whereby it was
rendered more difficult for the Incorporate
man to indulge repeatedly in his little glass.
But this increase in the price does not ex-
plain the phenomenon. because the duties
were raised a few days ago, whereas petro-
lism has, it seems, been going on for con-
siderable time. For one of the urban dis
tricts in the neighborhood of the Bastille
contains respectable number of ''petro-
lques,' as the physicians term them, and
in the outskirts of Paris many more i'll
starred people are addicted to it, The taste
for this disagreeable beverage grows upon
the consumer, 1t is said, until 1t develops
into an irresistible passion. The doctors
have not yet had opportunities to study it's
effects, and their views lacking a firm
basis, are divergent.
The consensus of opinion. however main
talns that the intoxcation produced by
petroleum is of melancholy nature which
tinges things in gray. The petroleum drink
er is sad, discOntented, despairing. Unlike
whisky. the mineral oil never bestows
Dutch courage upon the Quaffer, who is
rarely quarrelsome or pUgnacious. More
over, his sleep at night would not seem to
be very injuriously affected by it. Generally
speaking, the "petroliuues'' sleep calmly
enough, and even their general health is
not as rapidly undermined by the al
coholic beverages in common demand.
Here. however. opinions differ. Some doc
tors hold that the gravest organic changes
are caused by the use. which is also an
abuse, of petroleum. and that the germs of
mortal diseases are called into being. The
manner in which the latest batch of ''pe-
troliques' was discovered Is curious. A
firm in the city furnished petroleum to GER
tain retail shops. The head of one of the
latter complained of short measure. The
wholesale merchant denied the charge and
proved that he was right Then the retail
dealer set himself to. discover the clue to
the mystery. but for a long time in vain.
None of the liquid was removed from the
premises or spilled, and yet it continued to
disappear At last Ii was discovered that
the workmen drank it to raise their labor
ing power to the proper level.
Another confrateruity of tippiers was con-
victed of the offense In different way. A
usually sober and Woodworking man. who
was happy though married began sudden
ly to stagger home in state of half seas
over. His spouse, Mortified at the prospec-
tive before her, searched his pockets 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 confded it TO one of her
married friends. The latter had a husband
of her own. who was in the same boat
They put their heads together. and after
some days of shadowing and inquiring the
two Borrowing matrons learned that their
lords and masters were slaves to petroleum
This curious and reprehensible vice is I
am told, receiving careful attention in med
ical circles in Paris. The authorities will
hardly take it up until they are ready to
tax it.