The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-01-15

tients were treated in this manner and the cure expectancy was placed at 64.3 per cent-based on criterion of four years of total abstinence as constituting a permanent cure.
 To make the "cure" more effec- tive, the doctors have resorted to reinforcing the original treatment by successive periodic injections of the nausea producing drug at in- tervals of 30 and 60 days following the original therapy, and then at intervals of 90 days for year.
 The results reported today by the four doctors show that of 197 patients who received one or more reinforce ments" during the year there were only 28 relapses-an abstinence rec , ord of 857 per cent Medical officers of the Shadel Sanitarium in Seattle, Wash, who describe this treatment, include: Dr. Walter l.. Voegtlin, re- search director; Dr. Frederick Le- mere, consulting psychiatrist; pr. William R. Broz, medical director, and Dr. Paul O'Hallaren, associate medical director.
 The principle on which the method | Is based is that of the conditioned reflex-a scientific method which has been known for great many i years, The critical period of absti hence is the year immediately fol- lowing the original treatment and for this reason the conditioned re- flex established by the injections must be reinforced periodically. It is during this year that the reflex may die out and the patient may lapse into his old habits.
 Patients who returned to the san- itarium for treatment were given single injections and kept overnight for observation. There were four categories of patients, as follows: 1. | those accepting the program of treatment for @ year, 130 in number; 2. those who refused to participate in the program, believing 1t to be un- necessary, 75; 3. those whom circum- stances prevented from cooperating, although they felt that reinforce ment would be advantageous, 25; and 4. a control group of patients who were not offered the opportuni- ty of receiving reinforcement, 57.
 Patients who had originally ac- cepted the program remained 90 per cent abstinent; those who refused to participate in the reinforcement of the cure were 71.2 pr cent absti- nent; patients who approved rein forcement but could not participate were 100 per cent abstinent; and the last control group, comprising those who were not offered the pro- gram, were 70 per cent abstinent. Patients who had received four or more treatments of endorsements were 100 per cent abstinent while thos who received three such treat mnts were 90 per cent-an indica- ton of the value of repetition.
 The pysicians report that of the g patients who approved of the re- inforcement plan, but who were pre- vented from cooperating because of distant residence, there has not been single relapse as yet.
 This" they state, lends weight to an earlier observation that the best prognosis is found in those pa tients arriving from distant points, probably for the simple reason that the effort to secure treatment under such conditions indicates an un- usual sincerity and desire for aid"
 AS result Of this research they claim that "it would appear reason able to postulate total abstinence for at least one year in approximately 85 per cent of the patients who accept and cooperate with the reinforce ment program"