Yet Another New Habit.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 482, 21 June 1890, Page 6

Yet Another New Habit.

‘Dip you notice that lady who just went out ?’ asked the assistant in a London chemist’s shop of a reporter recently. ‘ Yes,’ was the reply, * and a very pretty woman, she was, too.’ ‘Oh, as for that,’ said the assistant, ‘she’s pretty enough, but did you notice whao she bought ?’ ‘ Nob particularly,’ was the reply of the reporter, ‘ bub I bhought ib was eau-de-cologne or perfume of some kind.’ ‘So ib was,’said bhe assistanb, ‘but she does nob buy the scent for perfuming purposes, although she buys much more of ib than any other half-dozen persons who deal ab this shop.’ ‘What, then, does she do with it if she does not use ib for perfuming purposes?’ ventured tho reporter. ‘To get drunk on,’ was the laconic answer.

‘To get drunk on !’ ‘Yes, that’s what I said. You never have heard of eau-de-cologne drunkards, then ? Well, that woman is an eau-de-cologne drunkard, and one of the worst of them, too. She buys from one to two dozen of those long, slim bottles of 4711 eau-de-cologne every week, and she takes it entirely herself.’ ‘ How does she take ib ?’

‘ As a rule, on lumps of sugar ; at least, I suppose she does, for that is the usual custom of eau-de-cologne takers. They saturate a number of lumps of sugar with the fluid and carry them about with them. When (as is the case with a spirit drinker) they feel as if they needed a drink they will take one or two lumps of sugar, and letting it dissolve in the mouth, they will get a sort of imitation of perfumed whisky and sugar and water. You know, of course, that the base of eau-de-cologno is alcohol, and for most people alcohol is altogebhe" too strong to be taken raw, and this is on of the reasons why the sugar is used. ‘ Another reason, I suppose, is because it is easier to carry about, and can be taken without detection when on the sugar. Some of the eau-de-cologne users and there are a great many—can drink their liquid neat, and those who have arrived at that stage can drink pure alcohol or almost anything else except, perhaps, sulphuric or some kindred acid.’ ‘ Are many men addicted to the habit ?’ was asked. ‘ No. I have never heard of*a single case of a man taking scent, bub there are many women who make a regular practice of it, and a great many of the chemists’ shops have regular customers whom they supply with different brands of eau-de-cologne and perfume. By far the greater portion of them, however, use this 4711, which is made in Germany, and has a very fragrant, refreshing, and lasting odour. Ib is a terrible habit, and you ought to warn the public against it.'