Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-05-16

or sale in France of absinthe and other
alcoholic liquors which are pronounced
dangerous" by the Academy of Medl-
cine it recognized the terrible spread
OF the green terror" which is said to
be responsible for the great increase in
insanity and other similar Affections
among the French people. Since 1894,
as was pointed out In the chamber Of
deputies, the amount of absnthe con-
sumed in France has doubled, it now
reaching the amount of 10000, 900 liters
or nearly 10,060,000 quarts, including
men, women and children. In Paris the
reports of the ministry Of finance show
that there is an absinthe seller to every
three buildings in the metropolis. AL
ready the green terror has killed many
of the most brilliant men OF the
country. Guy De Maupassant, Alfred
De Musset, Baudelaire, who translated
Poe's works into French; Theodore
Barriere, Andre Gill, the artist, and
host of other men of letters and of
genius burned their brains away with
the green flame and died miserable
deaths. Even four years ago, before
the habit had reached half its present
strength, Henri Rochefort started
crusade against its use. In his appeal
to the people he said: "Absinthe is
the bane of the nation and is Killing
France"
The French nation did not go into
the drinking of absinthe of their own
choice. How it came to be intro
duced is curious story. During the
Algerian war of 1S44-47 the Preach
troops in Africa suffered greatly from
tropical fever and many things were
tried as preventives. Among them
was absinthe and it was found to be
effective. The soldiers were ordered
to mix small quantities of it three
times day with the ordinary French
wine they drank. They objected at
first to the new medicine" declaring
that it spoiled the taste of their wine.
Gradually however, they grew to like
it, and within few years they were
much more willing to do without their
claret than without their green
spirits" Finally absinthe drinking
became such an evil in the army that it
was found necessary TO entirely forbid
1t. Now French soldier or sailor
who is found slipping the insidious
liquor is severely punished
But the soldiers returning from AL
giers took the habit back with them
and 1t rapidly spread among all classes
of the people. 1t cured or prevented
the fever Of the Algerian soldiers. but
1t has come near killing the French
nation"
Absinthe is made by pounding the
leaves and towering tops of various
varieties of wormwood, which grow
from two to four feet high in great pro-
fusion under cultivation, and various
other aromatic plants and covering the
the mass with alcohol. After soaking
for eight days the compound is dis
titled, yielding a green liquor, to which
certain percentage of anise seed oil is
usually added. II was first made by
couple of old Swiss women who found
II good remedy and preventive for
tevers.
The effects of absiathe on people who
drink 1t habitually are admitted by
medical men to be worse than those
which follow the use OF brandy or
other strong spirits. II soon becomes
to its devotees the first necessity of
life. To get it they will sacrifice any
thing. Taken by a novice and in small
doses. 1t has for time pleasant effects.
The brain and all the faculties are
stimulated, and duh person may UNI
der its influence seem almost brilliant.
1t apparently has no effect when taken
in small quantities on the steadiness
of carriage or the department of its
users. There is nothing about them TO
betray that they are under The in
fiuence of the drug. But II a single
glass above certain amount be taken
the victim is likely to fall like log,
all his faculties paralyzed and entirely
unconscious. He may lie In this con-
dition for hours, and on recovering
consciousness he will feel like a man
who is suffering from AN agonizing
disease.
Tortoni's famous cafe was In the old
days the resort of a coterie OF Partisan
writers and artists who went there be-
fore the dinner hour to drink their alb
sinthe, For many years the green liq-
uor was drawn from the same old
barrel, which was periodically filled
with absinthe brought from Neu-
chatel. Among the young men who
were present every evening In the
crowd was Theodore Barriere. He be-
came victim TO the absinthe demon
in its worst phases.
II is related that one night he was
lying upon the bed in his room read
ing by the gaslight when large ba-
boon came into the room and looked
at him in a sorrowful way. Then it
went out, only TO enter a moment later
with a second baboon In its arms.
The two proceeded to stretch a slack
rope across the room Immediately
above his head. and then, walking
the rope. they disappeared through
the wall. Following closely behind