You know - some overly romantic girl writer from days gone past tried to off herself by going to sleep surrounded by lilacs, expecting to be over come by their scent, and instead just woke up with a mild headache?
Does anyone either a) have a link (I tried searching to no avail) or b) remember who the girl in question was?
Are you sure you read it on the Dope? The only column that even turns up a mention of lilac is “Do you toot more at high altitude?” in which Cecil poetically states, “You think your own toots smell like lilacs in May?”.
Surely it would turn up from a search. But in any case, death by lilac is a great & peculiar notion, as well as a… I can’t stop myself… BAND NAME!
I didn’t read it ON the dope - I read it IN the dope in about 1985 or some shit.
Just a quick bump.
Ignoring for a minute Cecil’s colum, does anyone recall who the lady author who attempted this was? Jane Austen? Elizabeth Barret Browining? Anyone? Anyone?
This rings some vague & distant bells about a book on the folklore of flowers, but I cannot pin it down.
I was pretty heavily into Unka Cecil in the early 80’s (via the book, of course) but that reference doesn’t ring any bells with me.
I have all the books, but I can’t recall the column.
Well, ignoring the colum for a moment, does anyone recall a literary figure trying to off herself in the manner described?
That is, going to sleep surrounded by lilacs in the hopes that the fumes would overcome her in her sleep and instead waking up with a headache?
Maybe Louie the Lilac?
Yah, no not at all. But thanks for the bump, anyway.
Sounds like something Terry Pratchett would write.
It definitely rings a bell so you aren’t just hallucinating. I can’t recall any specific name of the person or character that the attempt is attributed to though. But now it’s going to bug me until it’s answered so at least the thread got another bump.
Either that or we shared the bottle that said “Drink Me”.
Since this one hasn’t found an answer in General Questions, let’s let the Cafe Society people try to help.
samclem
Not death-by-lilacs, exactly, but here is something about getting high off of lilacs.
Probably not in the way you’re thinking. 
