Kentucky Gazette And General Advertiser

An Awful Warning to Drunkenness!

Among the numerous misfortunes arising from immoderate drinking, the following is a late and melancholy instance:

On Tuesday last, about 4 o'clock in the evening, a young man, 22 years of age, (eight miles from Baltimore, and near the Hartford road) took his departure from one house intending to go to another; being over charged with liquor, he fell into the snow, where he lay till day break the next morning, when he awoke, and with great difficulty made his way to a house, at which time, his hands (being froze) would rattle together like flint-stones; and being unable to use them, he picked up his hat in his teeth and carried it to the house. I have traversed his track about half a mile, and found his miserable bed, where it plainly appears, that he lay the whole time on his right side, without any appearance of movement, except a very little of his feet, having thawed the snow to the earth, under his body; likewise a hole opposite his mouth, by his breath, about the size of his hat crown; his hat being off, some of his hair remained frozen to the snow. He is now one of the most miserable objects that eyes ever beheld! with his hands, feet and legs nearly double their usual size, and mostly of a deep purple, with large watery blisters; his limbs at least are, and think his life, may justly be despaired of—and thus by an act of intemperance, Baltimore county may be deprived of one of the most active, stout and sprightly young men (as a laborer) it ever produced.—But how human nature could survive 13 or 14 hours on so cold a night without movement, without a great-coat, mittens, or even comfortable body-clothes, bare headed in snow 15 inches deep, is a subject of enquiry, contemplation, and wonder, for abler minds than that of

An Actual Spectator.

P. S. Since writing the above, I have attended at the dressing of this poor man; when the skin came off both hands, and all the nails of the right, except the thumb; his ancles, feet and nails, entirely black; after which they assumed the appearance of the crimson garden beet. when boiled and peeled.—Dreadful was the sight!