The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-04-17
DRINK THAT MADDENS
AND DEPRAVES.

culturist Department" is now being
produced in considerable quantities in
this country and is being used to an
alaaming evtent. In some sections of
Wisconsin wormwood is being cult
waited, and it from this plant that oil
is distilled for making absinthe. 1t is
necessary to give the cultivation Of
wormwood great case, and a certain
age or growth must be reached before
it is suited for distilling the oil, an oil
which is worth its weight in gold.
Climatic changes have resulted in
making certain sections of Wisconsin
favored spots for the growing of worm
wood, and now there are several worm
wood farms in that that State. There
is secaet' however, in its cultivation,
which is carefully guarded by che pio-
ncers, and the consequence is that
number Of growers are unsuccessful in
raising plant that will produce the
oil. The plan Of. sowing the seed
broadcast has been abandoned, and
now the successful growers plant in
drills or rows, cultlvating as they
would corn or tobacco. 1t is just be-
fore the plant has reached maturity
that it is cut down and sent to the
distillory, where the oil is taken from
the green plant. The oil is extracted
by means of heat with the exact pro-
cess of which l am not familiar.
"The. Wisconsin growers of worm
wood and distillers of the oil at first
shipped nearly all their output to Eu-
rope, but now they find good market
for it in this country, and at almost
fabulous prices. Of course the drug
houses of America furnish ready
home market, The oil is employed in
many ways, but its chief uses are in
the making of absinthe and liniments.
The penetrating powers Of the oil are
something wonderful. When applied
to the surface it works its way right
to the bone, and this makes it exceed
ingly valuable in compounding strong
liniments. The by-product of absinthe
is already an awful curse. A person
under the influence of the drug expe-
rience the most pleasant dreams and
imaginings, but, like all excesses, it
kills the gentle emotions, freezes kind
ness, rouses in man the spirit of the
beast, and accomplishes more vile
deeds than are dreamed of. A large
drink of absinthe will produce insensi-
bility, convulsions, dilated pupils, slug
gisb pulse and other serious effects
the after effect often including trem-
bling in the ears, illusions ofsight and
bearing and other horrifying results.
So strong hold has the use of absin-
the gained in France that ihe govern
ment has made repeated efforts to sup
press its sale, an undertaking which, l
fear, will never be accomplished. Its
use in America is increasing every
day.
''This rank poison is kept by nearly
every saloonist in every city and town.
A few drops in glass of whisky will
make the average drinker think and
feel that he owns half tie earth, and
that another drink of the same kind
will give him the remainder. Just a
dash of absinthe' is what fully one
half of the present day drinkers, and
esp ciaFy among the upper class, will
Say to the bartender when he orders a
drink. Two or three drinks with Just
a dash of absinthe' will cause the
drinker to get in that condition where
he owns it all, knows everything,
wants to hug every body, and it the
biggest fool in II states. When the
stuff begins to die out he is on the
verge of good case of monkeys
There is no drinking shedule so sure
of producing jimjams in short order as
just dash of absinthe.'
"While our Wisconsin manufactu-
rers of the oil which produces absinthe
are getting good quality, France will
continue to make the best grade, be-
cause the secrets of its manufacture
have been known there for ages. This
secret has never found its way into
the laboratories this side of the Allan
tic, and don't think it ever will. Alb
sinthe is dangerous, green-eyed fairy,
and it is to be regretted that Ameri-
cans are able to produce the death
dealing stuff. Its use is growing with
wonderful rapidity. Mark my words,
it will not be great while before ma
tional legislation against its manufac-
ure will be asked" Washington Star.
The egotist may have an impedl-