Alcoholism and its treatment / by J.E. Usher.

  • Usher, J. E.
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Alcoholism and its treatment / by J.E. Usher. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    of Heredity in Alcoholism.' The successful essayist was M. Paul Sollier. Very completely he has laid down the following classification: ' First, Dipsomaniacs (here- ditary drunkards, who are not always intoxicated); secondly, Acquired Drunkards (non-hereditary, who are always intoxicated); thirdly, Hereditary Drunk- ards (who are always intoxicated).' Alcohol, on his showing, is more baneful to the hereditary class than to those of the acquired order. He cites hosts of cases to give force to this argument. A clever thesis by Le Grain resolves itself into the formulating of two pro- positions as follow: ' 1. Cerebral inferiority — the direct cause of the excesses in strong drink—-has its origin most frequently in heredity; that is, excessive drinkers are degenerates. 2. Alcoholism is one of the most powerful causes of mental degeneration ; that is, the sons of inebriates are degenerates. The relations between alcoholism and mental degeneration are com- prised within this terribly vicious circle, which is irrefutably traced out and confirmed by innumerable most eloquent medical observations.' Heredity as a causation is estimated to be present in nearly 60 per cent, of all cases of chronic alcoholism. Injuries, railway shock, wasting diseases, are credited with producing 20 per cent, of the cases. Nervous exhaus- tion may account for another 10 per cent. Five per cent, can be laid to insanitary conditions and poor food. To unascertained causes a small percentage may be ascribed. ACQUIRED FORM. The Arabian physicians are responsible for the introduction of alcohol, but in doing so, they were 2