SECRET DRINKERS' STRANGE DEVICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9711, 5 January 1895, Page 2 (Supplement)

SECRET DRINKERS' STRANGE DEVICES.

None bub those who are in constant attendance upon inebriates (writes a medical man) have the slightest conception of the extraordinary devices by which dipsomaniacs manage to secure alcohol. Among the upper classes in Britain, bat more especially in the United States, secret drinking, if not increasing, is, at any rate, still fairly rampant, and it is from America that most of the secret drinkers' strange devices come. Women especially are driven to the most extraordinary devices in order to gratify the craving without exciting suspicion. One of my patients came to me provided with a muff. Instead of stuffing it contains an indiarubber flask which wraps round the hollow for the hands. Hidden away among the fur or the rosettes is a mouthpiece of a precisely similar nature to that which is given to a baby with the feedingbottle. The flask is failed with spirit, wine, or liqueur, according to taste, and when the lady wishes to refresh herself she raises her muff to her face as if to warm it with the fur; and so natural is the action, that she can repeat it as often as she wishes without fear, and sip from the mouthpiece whenever she feels disposed. The commonest method of satisfying the craving for drink among women of society is the bonbonnidre. There are certain kinds of Italian sweets made to resemble fruits, and filled each with a teaspoonful of liqueur. In Paris, special sweets are manufactured which contain each a dose of raw spirit. Other sweets which come from the East are flavoured with an appreciable amount of opium. With a box of these on the boudoir-table, another box in the carriagebasket, a small gold or silver box to carry in the pocket for occasions, the thing is done, and all the while the lady's friends can only accuse her of being too fond of sweets. The least hardened of this clas3 carry about with thorn boxes of camphor-balls, which produce a slight sense of intoxication, or good-sized bottles, of eau de Cologne, from which theyimbibe quietly ; or, if opportunity lacks for that, use wherewith to saturate a handkerchief, which they convey to their lip 3. Probably the majority of theatre-goers would nob suspect that opera-glasses can be used as secret receptacles for spirit.

Either the innocent looking binocular is itself a flask, or, if the lady's craving requires a larger supply, the entire case is a " dummy," which is only opened to admit the entrance of the spirit. And there is always this indiarubber mouthpiece carefully concealed. ■' When so much ingenuity is at work to press ordinary objects into use for this purpose, it is nob to be wondered at that the great en tout-cas, which has for some time formed a part of a lady's walking equipment, should have been thought of. Since a big handle is regarded as an ornament, ib is easy to have an extra large handle, which can be hollowed out so as to contain a tube filled with brandy. Another vehicle is a bouquet) with a flask concealed in the interior, the stopper of which is an artificial flower manufactured of indiarubber. This is really a mouthpiece. The lady pretends to inhale the odour of the bouquet, and applies her lips to the mouthpiece. Sometimes a large spray of flowers fastened to the front of the dress serves to conceal a flat flask securely lodged in . the corsage. The mouthpiece and the action are the same as described above. Fans have also been turned into accomplices of this kind, bub fans of this kind are dangerous, for they are " solid" and will nob open. Besides, their weight is considerable, and they will not bear „ a moment's examination, which is an awkward fact when so many ladies are interested in the subject of fans. Purses, bags, bracelets, card-cases, and scent-bottles have all been utilised. One lady has a dummy " Red Book" which always goes with her in the carriage. Another has a dummy " Peerage" for the same purpose. ■ A third has a carriage-clock of unusual size, which is half clock and half , bottle.