The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1936-09-10
WHEN IS A DRINKER DRUNK?

WHEN rs A DRINKER DRUNK?
In many instances on record dia-
betes patients suffering with acute
hypoglycenia lowering Of the
sugar in the blood below the nor
NAL levei) from the effect Of a dose
Of insulin without food shortly
afterward, have been accused or
actually arrested on the charge Of
being drunk.
A neighborhood bum suffering
with delirium tremens was treated
successfully In hospital and sent
home sober and determined to keep
sober. Exactly year later he was
picked up by the police, again de-
lirious and brought to the hospital
But this time he didn't fare so
well. The delirium was not mania
potu but the delirium Of ad-
vanced pneumonia, and Of course
pneumonia makes short work Of q
hard drinker. The poor fellow
would never again become a dag
nostic problem for the police.
Persons who have been drinking
more than they can handle, mean
more alcohol than they can burn
or oxidize--as the odor Of alcohol
or aldehyde on the breath proves
sometimes suffer some head injury
which causes stupor or complete
loss Of consciousness. Likely there
is no external wound or evidence
Of injury, and such victims have
been dragged TO cells In police sta
tions and left there to die without
proper treatment In O good many
instances.
There ought to be strict regu-
lation against drawing differences
from the odor Of alcohol on the
breath. A man or woman subject
to chronic Bright's disease, for ex-
ample, may be overtaken with ILL
ness or with o strange" feeling,
stop In somewhere for q "stimu-
liant" and proceed on the way, to
collapse on the street and sink into
complete stupor or coma from
uremia.-the odor Of alcohol on the
breath Of such o victim may easily
mislead the bystander, the police or
even the doctor summoned In the
emergency.
Anyway alcoholism In any stage
or degree Is disease and should be
so dealt with In every case. The
man or woman with the horrors
should not be held responsible for
attempting to kill his or her best
friend who In the hallucination APP
pears to be the devil or O serpent
or O 1nonstrous spider with obvi-
Gus intent. Rather the penalty for
possessing or carrying concealed
weapons (including alcoholic liq-
uor) should be so severe that sane
persons will hesitate about taking
any aboard.
In the Jour. ANA. Sept. 8, "a,
DR.. Herman A. Heise, Of Milwau-
kee, presents observations and
figures to show that there Is O
measurable loss Of efficiency and
judgment when even small amounts
Of alcohol are present In the blood
He shows that the ordinary sobri-
ETY. tests are Of small value In
these days of dangerous combina-
ton Of alcohol and gasoline. A
driver or O pedestrian may be able
to walk and talk well, yet be under
the influence Of alcohol. DR.. Heise
urges thea doption In place Of these
unreliable tests commonly used by
the police or police surgeons. In
the Am. Jour. Of Clinical Pathology
for March, 1884, this same author
ity described the chemical test
for alcohol In body fluids and
showed that II is specific and prac-
teal for confirming a diagnosis Of
drunkenness, intoxication or being
under the influence Of alcohol,
as you prefer-an aid in convictine
or acquitting persons charged with
responsibility for accidents.