DRUNKENNESS TESTS

Evening Star, Issue 22271, 24 February 1936, Page 13

DRUNKENNESS TESTS

TO CEASE IN ENGLAND' Drunkenness tests will be stopped in England because even some teetotallers cannot pass them. The testing of men and women for intoxication became almost automatic during the last few years, and in many cases considerable annoyance was caused the victim. In some cases, it is contended, the tests were so severe that the “ suspect, could never hope to pass them even under normal conditions, much less when nervous and worried at a station. The legal position is complicated. A motorist is under no compulsion to submit to tests by the police surgeon, but refusal would probably count against him in court. There/are dozens of tests used by police surgeons. They range from extremely simple ones to the solving of problems which might easily beat the man who had no head for figures. But over and above the minor ones there are five important “ standard ” tests. They are:— 1. The eye test. The suspect’s eyes are subjected to a bright light. If his pupils do not contract, the suspicion of intoxication is increased.

2. The suspect puts his feet together and closes his eyes; then he is asked to touch the point of his nose with the index finger of his left hand. Missing his nose or swaying on the feet suggests drunkenness. 3. Walking. The suspect is asked to walk along a chalk line, or along a floor board, heel to toe. In the middle of his “ walk ” he is asked to turn around by pivoting on his feet, and continue walking in the opposite direction. Swaying as he turns or the inability to keep on the line indicates that the suspect has had too much to drink.

4. The pulse test. The pulse Is taken. Normal pulse is between 76 and 84 beats a minute for an adult. Under the influence of alcohol it may rise to 140 a minute.

5. The knee reflex. The suspect sits down and crosses his knees and undergoes the ordinary knee reflex test, which consists of tapping the leg sharply just below or above the knee and watching whether the foot jerks.

Serious criticism has been made of the five major tests. For example, it is pointed out that the eye_ test is often tried on neurasthenic patients. As a result a person suffering from nervous disorder would fail to react and consequently would be suspected of intoxication. Some of the minor tests also have been criticised. Among those mentioned in recent cases were:—

Writing from dictation, the surgeon watching for bad handwriting, lack of control, or enlarge handwriting. Reading from a newspaper or closely-typed script, the suspect is “ found guilty ” if he misses a line, slurs or mispronounces words.

A frequent test is-to ask the suspect what time it is. If he is a long way off his g*ess —he must not look at his watch—there is a suspicion that his mind has not been working properly.

At Bristol a man was asked to recite the alphabet backwards, and, as if that were not enough, to work out a tax problem.