An essay on the pernicious effects of the use of ardent spirits / by the late Doctor Benjamin Rush.

  • Rush, Benjamin, 1746-1813.
Date:
1815
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the pernicious effects of the use of ardent spirits / by the late Doctor Benjamin Rush. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    3. Captiousncss, and a disposition to quarrel. 4. Uncommon good humour, and an insipid simpering, or laugh. 5. Profane swearing, and cursing. 6. A disclosure of their own, or other people's secrets. 7. A rude disposition to tell those persons in company whom they know, their faults. 8. Certain immodest actions. I am sorry to say, this sign of the first stage of drunkenness, sometimes appears in women, who, when sohcr, are uniformly remarkable for chaste and decent manners. 9. A clipping of words. 10. Fighting; a.black eye, or a swelled nose, often mark this grade of drunkenness. 11. Certain extravagant acts which indicate a tempo- rary fit of madness. These are, singing, hallooing, roar- ing, imitating the noises of brute animals, jumping, tear- ing off clothes, dancing naked, breaking glasses and china, and dashing other articles of household furniture upon the ground, or floor. After a while the paroxysm of drunkenness is completely formed. The face now be- comes flushed, the eyes project, and are somewhat wa- tery, winking is less frequent than is natural ,• the under lip is protruded ; the head inclines a little to one shoul- der ; the jaw falls ; belchings and hiccup take place ; the limbs totter ; the whole body staggers. The unfortunate subject of this history next falls on his seat—he looks round with a vacant countenance, and mutters inarticu- late sounds to himself; he attempts to rise and walk. In this attempt, he falls upon his side, from which he grad- ually turns upon his back. He now closes his eyes, and falls into a profound sleep, frequently attended with snor- ing, and profuse sweats, and sometimes with such a re- laxation of the muscles which confine the bladder and the }ower bowels, as to produce a symptom which delicacy