THE ALCOHOLIC

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25214, 1 May 1943, Page 6

THE ALCOHOLIC

REALLY A SICK MAN DOCTOR ON TREATMENT A plea for consideration of the alcoholic, whom he termed “the forgotten man in medicine,” as essentially a sick man was made by Major Merrill Moore, of a United States Army hospital, during an address to the postgraduate medical conference at Auckland. . * L, Although in the main perfectly serious Major Moore’s address contained a great deal of humour. He explained that he had had a very interesting experience for 10 years in Boston, “running a hospital for drunks,” but he felt that some apology was due for bringing up the subject in a country like New Zealand, “where, in order to an alcoholic, one has to be a genius.”— (Laughter.) He added that American servicemen in Auckland had found so much hospitality and general friendliness and had so much entertainment in other ways, that provision made for dealing with alcoholics had proved superfluous. Recommending that alcoholism should be regarded, not as a moral problem, but as a disease or symptom of a disease, Major Moore said that as little was known about it to-day as had been known about diabetes 40 years ago. The alcoholic was a sick man, whether he was suffering from some physiological deficiency, was emotionally sick prior to his drinking, or was socially maladjusted. He was a person with real difficulties, personal or in his environment, who was trying to solve them by excessive drinking—a solution which always failed. • Dismissing hereditary predisposition as unproved, Major Moore discussed possible psychological causes of alcoholism, which, he said, had its roots in childhood or adolescence, and usually began during the period of emotional stress at the beginning of manhood. Among early contributory causes might be harshness or spoiling, or both, on the part of the parents. The habitual alcoholic could not be satisfactorily dealt with outside an institution and required much patience. It was necessary to win his confidence, get his story, and try to find what had troubled him in the past. Then his will to live had to be and he should be kept busy and amused. All this was often a thankless and difficult task. Wives and relatives could assist by not blaming or nagging, and friends should help the patient to stop drinking completely; to let him think that he could become a moderate drinker was a complete mistake.