A Drink for Drunks

The ancient Romans had an imaginative treatment for alcoholics: a live eel in a cup of wine. Forced to drink this lively cocktail, the tippler would presumably be disgusted by all future potations. Modern doctors are still using a variation of this old cure. Latest results on a remarkably large number of patients were reported last week in the New England Journal of Medicine. An alcoholic is given an injection of emetine* (a nauseating drug derived from ipecac). Just before he vomits, he downs a glass of his favorite drink. After several such experiences, the patient begins to detest the taste, smell--or even sight--of liquor. Drs. Paul O'Hollaren and Frederick Lemere made their report from tests at Seattle's Shadel Sanitarium.

During a 10 1/2-year period the sanitarium treated 2,323 patients (93% were men) by the emetine method. They were of every type: business and professional men, neurotics, former inmates of state institutions. They received no other treatment, but were encouraged to stay sober by social workers. The results: 85% stayed sober for six months, 70% for a year, 60% for two years, 55% for three years, 40% for four years, more than 30% up to seven years, 25% up to 10 1/2 years or longer.

The best patients, concluded Drs. O'Hollaren and Lemere, were those who were happily married, successful, intelligent, emotionally stable, financially secure, interested in sobriety clubs (like Alcoholics Anonymous). The worst risks were patients who were heavy drinkers before they were 30, were highly nervous even when sober, had had delirium tremens, were restless in their jobs and careless about money.

* The Keeley Institute uses injections of gold chloride, which do not cause nausea, but are supposed to destroy the appetite for liquor by some secret action.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.