TELL-TALE ALCOHOL.

Waipa Post, Volume XXI, Issue 1280, 12 August 1922, Page 6

TELL-TALE ALCOHOL.

SHOWS UP THE REAL MEN.

DOCTORS DISCUSS WHY MEN DRINK.

LONDON August 4.

Why some men take to drink was the popular subject discussed at the conference of the British Medical Association at Glasgow.

Dr. McCurdy, of New York, said that some individuals were normally social and good-tempered, but after they took drink they imagineo Slights and insults, became quarrelsome, and frequently turned women-haters. They had difficulty in adapting themselves to any kind of discipline, and rebelled against authority. Anti-social tendencies were latently strong in s'uch persons, and drink brought them to th surface. Marriage mlade persistent demands on ■social adaptation, and this explained why many took to drink only after marriage.

First, they became ciuerulous, and beat and abused their wives every Saturday night. Later, delusions of unfaithfulness appeared. Only then was cognisance taken of what was really 'a mental disease from the first. Only forced detention in well-or-ganisled industrial colonies could solve the problem of control of these drunkards. A certain proportion of moderate drinkers craved excitement. They were not, however, likely to resort to flagrantly anti-social activities.

Sir James Barr (Liverpool) said that the present -social unresit was caused partly by the high cost of alcohol. He noticed that the cut throats in Ireland and Russia were largely teetotalers. (Laughter.)