Were the scale of excitability a circle: Tracing the roots of the disease theory of alcoholism through Brunonian stimulus dependence.

The disease theory of alcoholism, and by extension, of addiction, forms the theoretical basis of an expansive scientific industry, one which musters tremendous resources in the service of research, rehab clinics, and government programs. Revisiting the early work on the disease theory of alcoholism, this paper analyzes the apperance of the disease theory of alcoholism in the eighteenth/nineteenth century works of Rush, Trotter, and Brühl-Cramer as emergent of a theoretical tension within the Brunonian system of medicine, that of stimulus dependence. Establishing both the shared Brunonianism of these figures and the concept of stimulus dependence, I argue it is here that one finds the nascent formulation of the modern dependence model of addiction, pushing out alternative models, such as Hufeland's toxin theory.

Supporting the Patient on LSD Day.

Editor's note: From its first issue in 1900 through to the present day, AJN has unparalleled archives detailing nurses' work and lives over more than a century. These articles not only chronicle nursing's growth as a profession within the context of the events of the day, but also reveal prevailing societal attitudes about women, health care, and human rights. Today's nursing school curricula rarely include nursing's history, but it's a history worth knowing. To this end, From the AJN Archives highlights articles selected to fit today's topics and times. During the 1960s, the therapeutic effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) were studied in psychiatric clinical settings. In this February 1964 article, nurse Kay Parley writes enthusiastically about this work at one such research hospital. She describes the benefits of LSD therapy for patients with alcoholism, as well as the richness of the experience for the nurse who guides the patient through treatment. "No role is so welcomed on our psychiatric unit than that of 'sitting' with a patient during LSD therapy." Parley vividly describes the nurse's role in these treatments. Her own long hospitalization for "manic-depressive psychosis" and treatment with LSD undoubtedly framed her approach to this therapy. Today there is renewed interest in the therapeutic use of psychoactive substances such as LSD. Penn and colleagues provide an update in "Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy" in this issue.-Betsy Todd, MPH, RN.

Historical Persistence of Alcohol-Induced Mortality in the Russian Federations: Legacy of Early Industrialization.

AIMS: The study aims to investigate insofar regional differences in alcohol-induced mortality in Russia, which emerged during the early industrialization of the country, persisted over a prolonged period of time (from late nineteenth to early twenty-first century), surviving fundamental political and social changes Russia experienced. METHODS: Multivariate regression models with historical and contemporary data on alcohol-induced mortality in Russian regions were estimated to document the persistence of spatial patterns of mortality, as well as to identify the possible mediating variables. Numerous robustness checks were used to corroborate the results. RESULTS: Alcohol-induced male mortality in Russian regions in 1880s-1890s is significantly and strongly correlated with male mortality due to accidental alcohol poisoning in Russian regions in 2010-2012. For female mortality, no robust correlation was established. The results for male mortality do not change if one controls for a variety of other determinants of alcohol-induced mortality and are not driven by outlier regions. Consumption of strong alcohol (in particular vodka) appears to be the mediator variable explaining this persistence. CONCLUSIONS: Hazardous drinking behavioral patterns, once they emerge and crystalize during the periods of fragmentation of the traditional society and the early onsets of modernization and urbanization, can be extremely persistent. Even highly intrusive policy interventions at a later stage (like those of the Soviet government) may turn out to be insufficient to change the path-dependent outcomes.

[The trajectory of mental health policies and alcoholand other drugs in the twentieth century]. / A trajetória das políticas de saúde mental e de álcool e outras drogas no século XX.

The scope of this article is to analyze the temporal evolution of the rules that comprise the legal framework of public policies on mental health and on alcohol and other drugs between the years 1900 to 2000. The study seeks to analyze the trajectory of the rules to make it possible to understand a little more about the context and the way in which the issues related to these two themes were addressed prior to the Psychiatric Reform in Brazil, in 2001. For this purpose, documentary and bibliographical research was conducted, with the intention of enhancing the understanding of these two policies from a more normative angle. In the skein of legislation, 33 norms were cataloged which, after analysis, reveal the process of construction of the public policies related to the use of alcohol and other drugs, changing the repressive logic of justice and the "pathologization" of drug use and enabling the transition of the discussion from the field of security to that of public health, more specifically of mental health.

Este artigo tem por objetivo analisar a evolução temporal das regras que compõem o arcabouço legal das políticas públicas de saúde mental e de álcool e outras drogas entre os anos de 1900 até 2000. O estudo busca analisar a trajetória das regras, de modo que se possa compreender um pouco mais sobre o contexto e a forma no qual as questões relacionadas a estes dois temas foram tratados, até a Reforma Psiquiátrica no Brasil, em 2001. Para isso realizou-se uma pesquisa documental e bibliográfica, com o intuito de avançar no entendimento destas duas políticas sobre um ângulo mais normativo. Em um emaranhado de legislações, foram catalogadas 33 normas que, após análise, demonstram o processo de construção das políticas públicas relacionadas ao uso de álcool e outras drogas, alterando a lógica repressiva da justiça e da patologização do uso de drogas e possibilitando a transição da discussão do terreno da segurança para o da saúde pública, mais especificamente de saúde mental.

A trajetória das políticas de saúde mental e de álcool e outras drogas no século XX / The trajectory of mental health policies and alcoholand other drugs in the twentieth century

Resumo Este artigo tem por objetivo analisar a evolução temporal das regras que compõem o arcabouço legal das políticas públicas de saúde mental e de álcool e outras drogas entre os anos de 1900 até 2000. O estudo busca analisar a trajetória das regras, de modo que se possa compreender um pouco mais sobre o contexto e a forma no qual as questões relacionadas a estes dois temas foram tratados, até a Reforma Psiquiátrica no Brasil, em 2001. Para isso realizou-se uma pesquisa documental e bibliográfica, com o intuito de avançar no entendimento destas duas políticas sobre um ângulo mais normativo. Em um emaranhado de legislações, foram catalogadas 33 normas que, após análise, demonstram o processo de construção das políticas públicas relacionadas ao uso de álcool e outras drogas, alterando a lógica repressiva da justiça e da patologização do uso de drogas e possibilitando a transição da discussão do terreno da segurança para o da saúde pública, mais especificamente de saúde mental.

Abstract The scope of this article is to analyze the temporal evolution of the rules that comprise the legal framework of public policies on mental health and on alcohol and other drugs between the years 1900 to 2000. The study seeks to analyze the trajectory of the rules to make it possible to understand a little more about the context and the way in which the issues related to these two themes were addressed prior to the Psychiatric Reform in Brazil, in 2001. For this purpose, documentary and bibliographical research was conducted, with the intention of enhancing the understanding of these two policies from a more normative angle. In the skein of legislation, 33 norms were cataloged which, after analysis, reveal the process of construction of the public policies related to the use of alcohol and other drugs, changing the repressive logic of justice and the "pathologization" of drug use and enabling the transition of the discussion from the field of security to that of public health, more specifically of mental health.

Introduction: Alcohol and Alcoholism.

This article discusses alcohol use throughout history. The discovery and cultivation of wine and beer and distillation of spirits are explored. The article spans prehistory, Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Europe, and the Americas; and the religions Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Also explored are the history and distillation of rum, gin, and champagne. Effects of alcohol use on society are discussed.

Licence to swill: James Bond's drinking over six decades.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the patterns of alcohol use in James Bond movies over six decades. DESIGN: Film content analysis. SETTING: Wide range of international locations in 24 James Bond movies (Eon Productions series, 1962-2015). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Drinking episodes for Bond and major female characters; alcohol product placement in films; peak estimated blood alcohol concentrations; features relevant to DSM-5 criteria for alcohol use disorder. RESULTS: Bond has drunk heavily and consistently across six decades (109 drinking events; mean, 4.5 events per movie). His peak blood alcohol level was estimated to have been 0.36 g/dL, sufficient to kill some people. We classified him as having severe alcohol use disorder, as he satisfied six of 11 DSM-5 criteria for this condition. Chronic risks for Bond include frequently drinking prior to fights, driving vehicles (including in chases), high stakes gambling, operating complex machinery or devices, contact with dangerous animals, extreme athletic performance, and sex with enemies, sometimes with guns or knives in the bed. Notable trends during the study period included a decline in using alcohol as a weapon (P = 0.023) and an increase in the number of alcohol products in his environment (for alcohol-related product placement: P < 0.001), but his martini consumption has been steady. Drinking by lead female characters and a random selection of 30 of his sexual partners was fairly stable over time, but also occasionally involved binges. CONCLUSIONS: James Bond has a severe chronic alcohol problem. He should consider seeking professional help and find other strategies for managing on-the-job stress.

Valentin Magnan and Sergey Korsakov: French and Russian pioneers in the study of alcohol abuse.

This study focuses on two outstanding psychiatrists: the Frenchman Valentin Magnan (1835-1916) and the Russian Sergey Korsakov (1854-1900). Their international renown is primarily associated with their investigations into health consequences of alcohol consumption; they were pioneers in this field, and happened to know each other well. The similarities and differences are shown in social and scientific approaches adopted by these two scientists. In his work, Magnan focused mainly on absinthe and epilepsy; he considered alcoholism to be a hereditary mental disorder. Korsakov, after a period of work in Paris under Magnan's guidance, represented a more modern generation and was advancing fundamental ideas on the nature of psychoses and merging clinical features, somatic, psychological, and social factors. Although Magnan has practically disappeared from the current literature on alcoholism, Korsakov is still clearly present today.

Advancing alcohol research and treatment: contentions and debates about treatment intensity, goals and outcomes in the 1970s and 1980s.

AIMS: This narrative exploration of alcohol treatment research focuses on key contentions and advances in alcohol treatment during the critical 1970s and 1980s. METHODS: Papers and books which signal some of the major debates and advances in alcohol treatment research were selected from the 1970s and 1980s. The selection process was based on significant debate during this period, and included those that influenced the field in general and this author in particular. RESULTS: This was a period where challenges to traditional models and concepts, and the perceived universal need for long-term treatment, were accompanied by contention but also advances in research and treatment approaches. The debates and advances resonate today. These include the recognition that: intensive and long-term treatment is not always required; for dependent drinkers, relapse is a common treatment outcome meriting specific treatment approaches to prevent and reduce this risk; controlled drinking is a treatment option, especially for younger and less dependent drinkers; and an important contributor to enduring change is access to, and realization of, improvements in the quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Pioneering research and publications in the 1970s and 1980s, sometimes conducted and produced in contentious contexts, influenced significantly conceptualizations of alcohol-related problems, and laid the foundations for treatment hypotheses and research, improving access to a broader range of evidence-based treatment. These underpinning works influenced the development of stepped-up care from brief to intensive interventions, relapse prevention and treatment options not limited to abstinence, and they identified the need to include a stronger focus on quality of life.

Contributions to Understanding the Neuropsychology of Alcoholism: An INS Legacy.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been a major cause of family, social, and personal strife for centuries, with current prevalence estimates of 14% for 12-month and 29% lifetime AUD. Neuropsychological testing of selective cognitive, sensory, and motor functions complemented with in vivo brain imaging has enabled tracking the consequences of AUD, which follows a dynamic course of development, maintenance, and recovery or relapse. Controlled studies of alcoholism reviewed herein provide evidence for disruption of selective functions involving executive, visuospatial, mnemonic, emotional, and attentional processes, response inhibition, prosody, and postural stability and brain systems supporting these functions. On a hopeful front, longitudinal study provides convincing evidence for improvement in brain structure and function following sustained sobriety. These discoveries have a strong legacy in the International Neuropsychological Society (INS), starting from its early days when assumptions regarding which brain regions were disrupted relied solely on patterns of functional sparing and impairment deduced from testing. This review is based on the symposium presentation delivered at the 2017 annual North American meeting of the INS in celebration of the 50th anniversary since its institution in 1967. In the spirit of the meeting's theme, "Binding the Past and Present," the lecture and this review recognized the past by focusing on early, rigorous neuropsychological studies of alcoholism and their influence on research currently conducted using imaging methods enabling hypothesis testing of brain substrates of observed functional deficits. (JINS, 2017, 23, 843-859).

Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions: Lara A. Ray.

The APA Awards for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology recognize psychologists who have demonstrated excellence early in their careers and have held a doctoral degree for no more than 9 years. One of the 2017 award winners is Lara A. Ray, for "her substantive and innovative research on mechanisms that underlie alcohol and tobacco use disorders and for leveraging that knowledge to develop new, personalized treatment approaches for these disorders." Ray's award citation, biography, and a selected bibliography are presented here. (PsycINFO Database Record

Did King Herod suffer from a rheumatic disease?

Herod the Great was appointed "king of Jews," to govern Judea, by the Roman Emperor and Senate. He lived from 73/74 BCE to 4 CE. He died with an illness and symptoms that have been the source of considerable speculation. Richard Strauss depicted Herod in his classic opera, "Salome." That opera was derived from a play of the same name by Oscar Wilde, which was based on an 1876 painting, "Salome Dancing Before Herod," by Gustave Moreau. The operatic Herod was afflicted with an illness characterized by dementia, hallucinations, paranoia, alcoholism (from drinking the Emperor's wine), violence, twitches, and sterility; different interpretations showed him also with falls, chills, shaking, thirst, forgetfulness, and sleepiness, for which we suggest the novel diagnosis of chronic lead intoxication (which can manifest to rheumatologists as saturnine gout). He had compatible symptoms (encephalopathy and neuromuscular abnormalities) and consumed excessive quantities of imperial wine, known to be highly contaminated with lead and likely associated with similar symptoms among Roman aristocracy. Herod's demented cruelties-an oppressive reign which including the beheading of John the Baptist-exacerbated the political climate and may have contributed to the subsequent violent 7-year revolt culminating in the destruction of the second temple. How different might history have been if Herod the Great had been abstemious?

Howard Wilcox Haggard and the Institutionalization of Modern Alcohol Studies.

OBJECTIVE: This biographical sketch and accompanying bibliography provide a new look at Howard Wilcox Haggard, M.D., Ph.D., whose career highlights the consolidation of alcohol studies as a field in twentieth-century America. METHOD: The article relies in large part on the works of Haggard assembled for the bibliography project, supplemented by published and unpublished documents and records from collections at Rutgers University. RESULTS: Haggard began his career in respiratory physiology, influenced by his work on chemical weapons for the Army during the First World War. As his reputation grew, he moved into anesthesiology and supplemented his research with textbooks and popular science bestsellers. Haggard moved into the burgeoning field of alcohol studies after the repeal of National Prohibition and, in 1940, became the inaugural editor and president of the corporation of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, now the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Under the aegis of the Yale Laboratory for Applied Physiology, he also assembled and oversaw what would become the Center of Alcohol Studies. Haggard died in 1959, his legacy established as a central figure in the 20th-century transformation of alcohol studies in the United States. CONCLUSIONS: A prolific researcher with a talent for tapping into the public zeitgeist, Haggard helped provide the institutional infrastructure, academic credibility, and broad audience that made the renaissance of alcohol studies in post-Prohibition America possible.

Scott Fitzgerald: famous writer, alcoholism and probable epilepsy.

Scott Fitzgerald, a world-renowned American writer, suffered from various health problems, particularly alcohol dependence, and died suddenly at the age of 44. According to descriptions in A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway, Fitzgerald had episodes resembling complex partial seizures, raising the possibility of temporal lobe epilepsy.