Waterbury Democrat., 1901-01-26
WHAT AssINTHE IS.
France Now Trying To Curb the Craze
 For It.

:
 For It.
 When the French house of deputies passed bill two weeks ago forDluding lne manulacture or saie Ill trance or aDslnLne anu other a1chohc liquors wu1cn are pronounced 'uangerous" by the Academy or aieulclne It iecogulzeu the uerrlDie Spreau or the green ter TOT, Which Is Sad to De respouSlOIe tor the gleat increase In InsanlLy and OtAer Silu.lar ainIcLlons aMoAS the lencn. peopie. Since lSot, as was poinled ouL III the cAaulper oI deputies tue amount or aDsiuJne consuueu m | lauce nas uolDAeu, 1t now reaching the amount Of 1U,ouU,UUU lters, or neaIIy Io,ooO,uOO quarts, Including men, wolnen and chudren. In farlS the reports of une mInslry of finance snow that there Is an aDSlnthe .setier to every three builungs Ill the me tropolls. Already the green terror has kIlled many Of the most brilliant men of the country. Guy De Alaupassant, Alfred De Mussat, BaudeIalre, who translated Foes works into French; Theodore Barriere, Andre Gill, the artist, and host of other men of let terS anu or genus burned their brains away with the green flame and died miserable deaths. Even four years ago, before the habit had reach ed half it's present strength, Henri Rochefort started a crusade against it's 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 1t came to be introduced is curious story. During the Algerian war of 1S44-47 the French troops in Africa suffered greatly from tropical fever and many things were tried as preventiyeS. Among them was absinthe, and it was found to be effective. The soldiers were ordered to mix small quantities of it three times a day with the ordinary French wine they drank. They objected at first to the new medicine" declaring that 1t spoiled the taste of their wine. Gradually, however they grew to like ir, and within a few years they were much more willing to do without their claret than without their green spirits Finally absinthe drinking be- came such an evil in the army 1t was found necessary to entirely forbid it. 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 it rapidly spread among all classes of the people. It cured or prevented tbe fever of the Algerian soldiers, but it 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 profusion under cultivation, and vari- ous other aromatic plants and cover ing the mass with alcohol. After soak ing for eight days the compound is distilled, yielding green liquor, to which certain percentage of anise seed Oil is usually added. 1t was first made by a couple of old Swiss women who found it a good remedy and pre- ventive of levers.
 The effects of abSinthe on people who drink it habitually are admitted by medical men to be worse than those which follow the use of brandy or other strong spirits. It soon becomes to it's devotees the first necessity of life. To get it they will sacrifice any thing. Taken by novice and in small doses, it has for a time pleasan mt are simulated, and q dull person may under it's influence seem almost bril-. liant. It apparently has no effect when taken In small quantities on the ! steadiness of carriage or the deport lnent of it's users. There is nothing about them to betray that they are under the influence of the drug. But ! if a single glass above certain amount be taken the victim is likely to fall like log, all his faculties par alyzed and entirely unconscious. He may lie in this condition for hours i and on recovering consciousness he 1 will feel like q man who is suffering from an agonizing disease.
 | Tortoni'S famous cafe was in the old days the resort of a cotsri of Fari sian writers and artists who went there before the dinner hour to drink their absinthe. For many years tho green liquor was drawn from the same old barrel, which was periodical 1y filled with absinthe brought iron Neufchatel. Among the young mel who were present every evening 1T the crowd was Theodore Barriere. Ht became a victim to the absinthe demo1 in its worst phases.
 It is related that one night he wa: lying upon the bed in his room read ing by the gaslight when a large I baboon came into the room and looked at him in a sorrowful way. Then i
 went out, only to enter a moment late
 with a second balloon in it's arms Tn, two proceeded to stretch slack rop, across the room immediately abov, his bed, and then, walking the rope they disappeared through the wall. Fol lowing closely behind them across tn, rope, passing in through one wall ant
 out through the other. came all tn
 animals which were in Noah's ark
 When the elephant started to wall
 across the slender cord so close abov
 his head Barriere gave tremendou
 yell of terror, which brought assist
 ance and a doctor.