Evening star., 1940-12-28
Association Hears
I Kinds Of Alcoholic
Insanity Described
Some Are Quite Weird;
Vitomin B Helps at
Least One Variety
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Star STAFF Correspondent.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 28.-Seven
kinds of insanity, some extremely
weird, arise from excessive alcohol.
They were described before the
American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science here today
by DR.. Nolan D. c. Lewis. director
of the New York State Psychiatric
Institute.
The first condition is alcoholic
amnesia," especially likely to follow
head injuries or sunstrokes. 1t is
the sudden or gradual development
of waking dream state which may
last from few minutes to several
days The person has no memory
of what happens in such period.
Many alcoholic crimes are COM
mitted in this condition. These
states, DR.. Lewis said, usually end
in prolonged sleep.
I'D. rs" Horrible Experience.
The best known alcoholic psy-
Ghosts is delirium tremens-popu-
larly seeing snakes" 1t is a hor-
rible experience for the victims,
said DR.. Lewis, with a gradually
developed "fluctuating delirium with
clouding of consciousness and dis
orientation as to time and space.
Hallucinations are ever changing
and usually terrifying. They are
usually in the nature of small ami
mails, reptiles, insects and grotesque
scenes. Hallucinations Of hearing
and smell also are encountered.
THE mood is one of extreme ir-
ritability and apprehensive terror.
The course extends from a few
hours to three or four days. Ten
to Is per cent of the cases hos
pitalized end in death. OF those
who recover some pass into a more
or less permanent schizophrenia.
and still others show change of
character and become lazy and dull
minded"
Some cases have been cleared up,
DR.. Lewis said, by vitamin B-1.
Lack of this vitamin must be in
some way connected with the cause
Of the condition.
Other Cases Hear Voices.
Quite different and even more
terrible to the victim is "acute al
coholic hallucinosis. Insted of see
ing snakes a person hears voices
usually threatening. There is no
clouding of consciousness.
Said Dr.. Lewis: THE patient may
recognize the voices as imaglnations
or be convinced that they are reali-
ties. The memory and orientation
are usually intact. One spoke of
having had a transformation of
personality with an increase in his
powers following dream, so that
he was able to look directly at the
sun without any painful sensation
in his eyes.
"The duration of this disorder is
from a few days to few months.
Acute cases may 60 on into schiZo-
phrenia Others appear Scared
after the toxic effects of the alcohol
have worn off, like those who have
suffered from severe dementia pre-
cox reactions"
Even more serious, DR.. Lewis said,
is chronic alcoholic hallucinosis.
The victims are individuals who,
after years of drinking, develop hall
lucinations, practically always audi
tory, to which they become accus-
toned in about the same way as
some people become adjusted to
external aparasites-a bit unpleas-
ant at times but tolerated and
sometimes even enjoyed. These
patients are talkative in a circum-
stantial, rationalistic way. Many
claim to have heard voices more or
less continuously over many years.
In some of the older men it is
sort of lifelong reaction. These in
dividuals can see nothing abnormal
in the voices"
A fifth mental disease of alco-
holics described by DR.. Lewis has
been know to psychiatrists for the
past half century-Korsahoff's psy-
Ghosts. It is characterized by an al
most complete loss of memory ex-
cept for the immediate present and
continuous lying to cover up this
forgetfulness.
Chronic Deterioration.
The sixth brain malady is chronic
alcoholic deterioration. The picture
is like that of premature old age.
There is an increasing poverty of
ideas, dullness in comprehension
and distortion of judgment. Ambi-
ton wanes, and the patient tends
to blame others for his failures.
Sometimes this condition resembles
involutional melancholia, mental
disease which afflictS middle-aged
women. Victims are extremely de-
pressed. fearful and agitated. They
are likely to kill themselves.
The seventh is alcoholic paYanota.