The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-19
EFFECTS or ABsINTHE DRINKING
Fearful Physical Wrecks Sometimes
Caused-Other Drinkers Are I'm

Fearful Physical Wrecks Sometimes
Caused-Other Drinkers Are I'm
harmed
From the New Orleans Times-nemocrat.
IT see that the French government is
making an effort to suppress the manu-
facture OF absinthe" remarked a New
Orleans physician, land that the medical
corps of the army has made some alarm
ing reports as to the effect of the stuff
on the rank and file Of the troops. SIM
liar movement was started in 1880 or
therea bouts and, If / remember rightly.
an order was issued forbidding the sale
of the cordial to any soldier. The subject
was discussed at length in the papers az
the time, but the dealers brought their
influence to bear, and the crusade was
ultimately abandoned.
"Absinthe is a strange tipple," he con-
tinued, land the evidence as 20 its effect
is singularly contradictory. Some people
drink it all their lives and apparently suf-
fer no bad results, while others are re-
duced 20 horrible mental and physical
wrecks by not half as great an indulg-
gence. More absnthe is consumed in
New Orleans than in any other city of
the United States, and in years past /
have made the habit something of study,
hoping to discover the exact toxic prop
critics of the preparation and some fixed
facts as to its effect on the system.
can't say, however that l was particu-
larry successful. The liquer is simply a
distillation of NORWOOD. known botanic
ally as 'Artemisia observation-disclosures the
name, absinthe. Wormwood itself is used
to some extent as a medicine, and a fluid
extract made from the leaves and tops is
regarded as a good tonic in cases of dys-
pepsia. The extract has some very slight
narcotic properties, but the distlIation
seems to develop a new and powerful
agent, which, in certain cases, acts di-
rectly on the brain and great nerve CEN
ters and stimulates them to an extraordi-
nary degree The ultimate effect is a
breaking down of the system loss of
memory, inability to artioulate, halucina-
tons and something resembling palsy
One absinthe wreck whom | treated
| for several months had strange lapses. in
which he would forget his own identity
and be unable to find his way home An
one takes money, the profit must be enor-
other patient was continually using the
wrong words, like a man with aphasia.
! One day he walked into the Office and
said: Doctor, l have run out of referen-
! tial.' He meant to say he had run out of
medicine, but was absolutely unable to do
| 1t, and to this day never, hear the word
| 'referentiaP without thinking of him. But
as l said before, it all depends on the in
! dividual. Some are naturally immune to
| the poison and others are abnormally SEN
sitive to it. Then, again. the symptoms
! differ widely so widely that it would be
| impossible to diagnose a case without
knowing something of its history AL
together, the active principal of the stuff
| is a great mystery
Here in New Orleans absinthe is gen
/ orally drank in combination with anisette.
| diluted in about six parts of water I
think the French way of taking It is less
| injurious. In Paris the confirmed alb
! sinthe drinker pours about half gill in
the bottom of large tumbler and fills it
| up with water Then. as he sips he
| adds more and more water from the
| carafe until the mixture is almost trans
| parent One glass will occupy him at
least an hour, and he rarely takes a
! second