32 
IODINE AN ANTIDOTE TO STRYCHNINE. 
sinthe from poisoning with any other concentrated alcohol, taken in small doses repeated 
with extreme frequency. It may be remembered by some of our readers that some five 
years ago, when absinthe was beginning to make a noise in Paris, by reason of its hav¬ 
ing become the drink of fashionable idlers, instead of being the vulgar luxury of pea¬ 
sants and labourers, a clever young physician, F. Moreau, wrote a careful treatise, in 
which he formally denied that the absinthe (or wormwood) in the liquor had any speci¬ 
fic poisonous effect whatever; in fact, if our memory serves us, he declared that there 
was very often no absinthe in the liquid sold under that name. At any rate, he totally 
denied that the symptoms were due to anything but the alcohol, and (to a very limited 
extent) to the adulteration with salts of copper which is sometimes practised. His 
opinion was opposed by M. Marce, who concluded, from certain experiments, that ab¬ 
sinthe has a special tendency to produce intellectual dulness, with terrifying hallucina¬ 
tions, and a very rapid and complete degeneration of the mental powers. For our own 
part, we have never been convinced that there is anything in the symptoms of acute 
or chronic absinthism , as they are described, essentially different from those of acute or 
chronic alcoholism which has been produced by the imbibition of innumerable drams of 
any spirit. We have repeatedly seen the whole train of symptoms, which are now so 
much talked of, produced by the constant drinking of brandy or rum. As for hallucina¬ 
tions, there is nothing more common. At any rate, it will take a good deal of very solid 
and precise evidence to convince us that the trifling amount of essence of wormwood 
contained in the liquor called absinthe, adds any considerable poisonous power to the 
natural influence of some 20 or 30 ounces per diem of a highly concentrated alcohol, which 
is what many of these Parisian buveurs actually dispose of in the course of innumerable 
visits to the cafes and other houses of refreshment.” 
In reply to this, a correspondent of the 4 Pall Mall Gazette 1 has published the 
following article from Pereira’s 4 Elements of Materia Medica,’ on the physiolo¬ 
gical effects of wormwood:—“In moderate doses , it produces the ordinary 
effects of the aromatic bitter tonics. Its bitter principle becomes absorbed ; 
hence the flesh and milk of animals fed with it are rendered bitter. Borrich 
says that the milk rendered bitter by it proves noxious to the infant. 
44 Large doses irritate the stomach and excite the vascular system ; a specific 
influence over the nervous system, characterised by headache, giddiness, etc., 
has been ascribed to it. This has usually been supposed to depend on the vola¬ 
tile oil; but a similar power lias been assigned to the bitter principle.” 
It has been concluded, therefore, by some that the injurious effects of exces¬ 
sive and long-continued absinthe-drinking are due to the wormwood it contains, 
and not to the alcohol. Others have ascribed its injurious effects to Calamus 
aromaticus , which is said to be oue of its constituents. Pereira says with re¬ 
gard to this substance, that “ it is rarely employed by medical practitioners, 
though it might be frequently substituted with good effect for the more costly 
Oriental aromatics. It is a useful adjunct to other stimulants and tonics.” lie 
thus sums up its physiological effects : —“ It is an aromatic stimulant and mild 
tonic. Yogt arranges it with the excitantia volatilia , and regards it as approach¬ 
ing angelica root on the one hand, and cascarilla and angustura barks on the 
other.” It seems quite clear, therefore, that no injurious effects could be caused 
by this substance. The other supposed vegetable constituents of absinthe are 
angelica, dittany, aniseed, and marjoram—all well-known vegetable substances, 
and perfectly harmless. From our knowledge of the physiological effects of the 
different vegetable constituents of absinthe, the only one which has been shown 
in any degree to produce injurious effects is wormwood; but until far more 
experiments upon the animal body have been tried even with it, we must agree 
with those writers who attribute the injurious effects of excessive absint-he- 
drinking to the alcohol it contains, rather than to its vegetable constituents. 
