The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-06-29
MooNSHINE psYcHoSIs.

he first word 10 this combination
most people know the meaning OF.
The second means mental dlstuF-
lance or insanity.
II he combination means the kind
81 insanity one develops when one
drinks moonshine whisky and home
brew beers,
Dr. l.emchen OF the Chicago State
hospital holds. as do most men III
charge oi insane a.J lums, that the
type OF monkeys one gets from
drinking moon,hrnc differs some
what from the orthodox kind car
red by the Knights oil the Crook
ed Elbow in the days OF old
The hard drinkers OF old fashioned
whisky got delirium tremens; saw
animals. reptiles and insects on the
walls; heard voices and other
sounds; sometimes had commissions.
and. finally. pulled TIP IN the asylum
with a form % insanity called para
noia or paranoid.
The drinker OF moonshne drops
as il he had been shot or knocked
on the head. He is not apt TO get
the monkeys. Ii he has hallucina
tons, they relate to vision rather
than sounds. He may see things, but
he rarely hears sounds.
Some OF them lie in a stupor until
death takes them away. Conscious
ness does not return.
II they 90 wake up, memory is
blank. They have little remem.
brancc OF what they saw, heard, sad
or did.
DR.. Lcmchcn says that in the in.
sttution with which he is connected
those developing moonshine psyche
sis were old alcoholics in the pre-
prohibition days.
This statement goes somewhat to-
wards confirming the view that pro-
hibition will not become effective TN
til the old soaks die off; that Tor them
there is not much hope OF permanent
cure and that those learning to drink
row and practicing on moonshlne and
home brew are either rather lew
in number or less extreme in their
indulgence than we're the men and
women OF the old crop.
DR.. Lemchen contends that the
difference between the effects OF
bonded whisky and moonshine proves
that it is the drug and not the man
which makes the monkeys.
Different toxins attack different
nerve cells and different types OF
symptoms OF poisoning are produced
The poisons in bonded alcohol IN
toxicate the nerve cells in the spe-
cial centers, making the subject see
things and hear sounds
Those in moonshine attack the
nerve cells in the associated centers,
causing stupor, loss OF memory, loss
of consciousness and impairment OF
Judgment.
"F" was an old drinker until the
country went dry. He drank moth
ing from time to time until friend
started him on moonshine two weeks
before. He finally got drunk, quar-
relied with his wife, set his house on
fire and took to the woods.
He states that an hour after drink
ing moonshine he was drunk and had
no recollection of what had happen
ed until he found himself in the asy-
lum.
81" got to drinking homemade
whisky. When he landed in the state
insane asylum he was talking queer
" and seeing black people and black
dogs. but he was hearing no voices
or other sounds.
"R." began drinking moonshine
three weeks before he landed in the
asylum. His reaction was par
alvzed" drunk-saw many animals,
but heard no voices.
u. P" drank moonshine for a
week. Remembered almost nothing.
Heard voices.
David" Heavy drinker for years.
Drinking moonshine lately. Stuper-
Gus. Very little memory. Mind badly
disturbed.