cold water, thirst, and at last hiccup, delirium, jaundice, and convulsions; and death took place on the ninth day. On examining the body the stomach was found gangrenous over the whole villous coat; the colon too was much inflamed; and all the small intestines were red."[1]
A case of great complexity, but probably of the same nature, has been related by Opitz in Pyl's Memoirs. The subject was a woman liable to epilepsy, and addicted to excessive drinking. After one of her drinking-bouts she was seized with vomiting and severe pain of the bowels, afterwards with delirium, then with convulsions, and she died in twenty-four hours after the first attack. The stomach and intestines were greatly inflamed, a table-spoonful of blood was effused into the ventricles of the brain, and the left lung was purulent.[2]
Besides the immediately fatal effects of spirituous liquors now described, there is still another variety of poisoning more common than any yet mentioned, and constituting a peculiar disease. People who fall into the unhappy vice of habitual intoxication, after remaining in a state of drunkenness for several days together, are often attacked with a singular maniacal affection, which is accompanied with tremors, particularly of the hands, and after enduring for several days, ends at last in coma. When the delirium is not so violent, the disease by proper treatment may be cured. But frequently, after the delirium and tremor have continued mildly for some time, they increase, and the delirium becomes furious, or coma rapidly supervenes; in either of which cases the disorder commonly proves fatal in two or three days more. This disease, which is now familiar to the physician, is called delirium tremens. It is supposed by some to depend on inflammation of the membranes of the brain, followed by effusion.
Other diseases, besides delirium tremens, are also slowly induced by the habitual and excessive use of spirituous liquors; but in general the habit of intoxication acts in inducing these diseases only as a predisposing cause. A particular variety of tuberculated liver probably arises from the habitual use of spirits without the co-operation of other causes. That variety of disease of the kidney, which was first brought under the notice of the profession by Dr. Bright,[3] is also obviously often connected with the habit of drinking spirits. The following have been enumerated among the diseases where the same habit acts powerfully as a predisposing cause—indurated pancreas,—indurated mesenteric glands,—scirrhous pylorus,—catarrh of the bladder,—inflammation, suppuration and induration of the kidneys,—incontinence of urine,—aneurism of the heart and great vessels,—apoplexy of the lungs,—varicose veins,—mania,—epilepsy,—tendency to gangrene of wounds,—spontaneous combustion.[4]
Of the Morbid Appearances.—Some doubts exist as to the morbid appearances in the bodies of those poisoned by spirituous liquors.
