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nevertheless, America ranks alcoholism as its fourth most serious
illness. In this country even less is known about alcoholism and
its effects upon society since researches into the problem are
remarkable for their paucity. Moreover, the community seems to
care very little about its prevention but will, on occasions, see fit
to complain of the visible deterioration which alcoholism wreaks
upon some of its members and environment.
It is 200 years since Trotter and Rush first propounded the
theory that alcoholism was an illness but only in recent times have
we seen its general acceptance by the medical profession as a whole.
Alcohol is doubly indictable in that it not only masquerades as
man's ally and staunch friend but adds over confidence to the
deception. However, it is undeniable that, at times, alcohol can be
therapeutic and, again, it may act as a catalyst to social progress
on the big occasions; but to equate its consumption with manly
virtues, as is so often the case, is a serious misalliance.
Alcoholism defies accurate description and it follows that,
because of the lack of official definition, no organised system for
certification and collation of information exists. Prevention, which
depends upon such data, if attempted at all, becomes haphazard.
It is understandable, therefore, that local schemes for prevention
and treatment are minimal. Cases come to light as a result of
police proceedings, recourse to hospital or applications to voluntary
organisations and local authorities for assistance but, again, no
agency exists for such data to be consolidated. Doctors rarely
seem to be consulted perhaps because alcoholism is widely regarded
as a socially accepted custom.
How widespread is alcoholism in this country? If judgement
be made on the basis of resources allocated, then we have little or
no problem—a situation which experience tells us is not so. It is
unfortunate but true that alcoholism has a low priority rating and,
in most instances, its cause is thereby lost. Statistics are hardly
copious and the late Professor Jellinek's formula remains the most
reliable method of assessing the problem. This postulates that
1.1% of the adult population are alcoholics and one quarter of
these suffer from complications. Translated into terms of Greenwich
residents one could anticipate approximately 1,700 to be
alcoholics of whom nearly 400 would be of the chronic type but,
as yet, we have no means of verifying this assumption. Such
evidence as is available suggests that problem drinking is increasing,
particularly in the young adult, who would appear to be deserting
drugs for alcohol. Even here information tends to be restricted
owing to the desire of friends and colleagues to shield the drinker
from the resultant feeling of disgrace or shame or loss of employment.