ABSINTHE. 
359 
yellowish  tinge — everything,  in  short,  indicates  marked  decline. 
Simultaneously  with  all  this,  lesion  of  the  brain  takes  place ; 
sleep  becomes  more  and  more  disturbed  by  dreams,  nightmares, 
and  sudden  wakings;  ordinary  illusions,  succeeded  by  giddiness 
and  headaches,  eventually  give  place  to  painful  hallucinations, 
to  delirium  in  its  most  depressing  form,  hypochondria,  and 
marked  impediment  of  speech.  In  the  end  come  entire  loss  of 
intellect,  general  paralysis,  and  death. 
There  are  two  kinds  of  absinthe  consumed  in  Paris,  the  com- 
mon and  the  Swiss  absinthe,  the  latter  of  which  possesses  almost 
double  the  intoxicating  .  properties  of  the  former.  A  few  years 
ago  the  consumption  of  the  common  absinthe  was  three  times 
that  of  the  Swiss ;  but  now  the  proportions  are  reversed,  and 
four  times  as  much  Swiss  absinthe  is  drunk  as  of  the  common 
quality.  According  to  official  statistics,  France  receives  from 
Switzerland  nearly  2,000,000  gallons  of  the  noxious  compound 
annually  ;  in  addition  to  which  an  enormous  quantity  made  in 
Paris  is  sold  as  the  veritable  Swiss  production. 
Genuine  absinthe  is  distilled  from  the  leaves  of  major  and 
minor  absinthe,  angelica  roots,  calamus  aromaticus,  aniseed, 
dittany  leaves,  and  wild  marjoram,  all  of  which  have  been  previ- 
ously bruised  and  soaked  for  a  period  of  eight  days  in  alcohol. 
A  quantity  of  oil  of  aniseed  is  then  added,  and  the  whole  is 
carefully  mixed  together.  Occasionally  fennel,  mint,  etc.,  enter 
into  the  composition.  The  utmost  care  is  taken  to  obtain  the 
right  shade  of  color,  and  to  ensure  the  liquid  expanding  and 
whitening  well  when  mixed  with  water.  Should  it  prove  to  be 
deficient  in  these  qualities  the  manufacturer  does  not  hesitate  to 
add  indigo,  hyssop,  nettles,  and  even  to  have  recourse  to  sulphate 
of  copper  to  obtain  the  precise  tint  of  green,  or  chloride  of  anti- 
mony to  produce  the  milky  white  precipitate,  both  of  these 
chemicals  being  deadly  poisons. 
Paris  actually  has  its  clubs  of  absinthe  drinkers,  the  members 
of  which  are  pledged  to  intoxicate  themselves  with  no  other 
stimulant,  and  even  to  drink  no  other  fluid — the  only  pledges,  it 
is  believed,  which  they  do  not  violate. 
They  assemble  daily  at  some  appointed  place  of  rendezvous 
at  a  certain  hour,  and  proceed  to  dissipate  their  energies  and 
