by Winthrop H. Ware, M.D.

    Few diseases are as ill-defined and as difficult to treat as alcoholism.  Even nowadays there is still a question in the minds of some whether it is a disease or a moral issue.  Edgar Cayce called it a disease, and most serious workers in the field today also call it a disease.  Noyes and Kolb say that "Alcoholism should be looked upon as a psychic illness rooted in a personality disorder or immaturity." Calling it a disease has the advantage of making it easier for an alcoholic to accept treatment.

    Basically, the disease has two phases.  First, the susceptible individual is exposed to alcohol and finds that it satisfies his special needs for coping with his environment.  Then, when he has imbibed enough alcohol for a sufficient period of time, he becomes addicted, much as one becomes addicted to any other drug.  Some would argue that this is an oversimplification, and perhaps it is, as it leaves out all the "other types" of alcoholics, but it will do for the consideration at hand.

    If it were possible to determine ahead of time which person had the so-called "fertile soil of addiction" in his nature, then it would perhaps be possible to condition this person against alcohol until he could receive psychiatric aid in eliminating his propensity toward the disease.  Studies seem to indicate, however, that it is almost impossible to determine who will become an alcoholic.  Thus, prevention from this standpoint must be considered unlikely.

    In the book, Understanding the Alcoholic, by Howard Clinebell, the author says that danger arises because an individual having heard that "emotionally healthy people don’t become alcoholics" will assume that he is not a potential candidate for the illness, and consequently is overconfident.  Clinebell further states that there are two points to emphasize in the prevention of alcoholism.  One is that an individual doesn't have to be aware of neurosis or emotional instability to become an alcoholic, because many deep psychological problems are hidden from ourselves.  In fact, the emotional damage often occurred at a very early age and he says this damage has been overlaid by many layers of a comparatively normal personality adjustment. The people who become alcoholics rarely, if ever, are aware that they are neurotic or susceptible to the disease; thus, the way is open for alcohol to reactivate their buried problems.  The second point Clinebell emphasizes is that it is impossible to predict with accuracy just which six people out of any 100 drinkers are potential alcoholics.  He says that until such a prediction is possible, we should accept the warning, "You too can be an alcoholic."

    Once one becomes an alcoholic, either by habit or addiction, the first thing to do is to stop the use of alcohol.  The patient can do this himself, if he has the will power.  This is the basis of the AA approach.  Or, the patient can receive the aid of a "chemical fence" such as Antabuse (disulfiram).  Once an alcoholic ceases to drink, half of his problem is solved.  The other half of the problem is the reeducation concerning problem approach and solving, as well as the eventual treatment of the underlying psychological problems.

    As anyone who has worked with alcoholics knows, getting them to accept a substitute for alcohol is almost impossible until the alcoholic is willing to "try anything." Usually this means that the alcoholic is so desperate that he gives up trying to manipulate people to continue his habit and surrenders to any help he can find.  This is called "hitting bottom," and the main work of the professional therapist is in "raising the bottom" of the alcoholic unwilling to seek aid and thus making his desperation come sooner.  This must often be done by withdrawing all help and aid from the alcoholic and making him suffer the consequences of his own foolishness.

    The difficulty of this task can be realized in the addicted alcoholic who considers alcohol as essential as he once considered food.  Added to this problem is the fact that alcohol does possess food value - but no vitamins.  An advanced alcoholic consuming nothing more than alcohol suffers concomitant avitaminosis which leads to cirrhosis of the liver, heart muscle degeneration, destruction of the higher centers of the brain, et cetera.

    In Cayce's work with alcoholics, we note that he had a very shrewd assay of the alcoholic situation.  In the case of a young man aged 31 (4386-1), we find a beginning alcoholic who is just at the threshold of becoming addicted.  Mr. Cayce finds that the effects of alcohol are just becoming evident in his organs.  This is what he recommends:

    In meeting the needs of the conditions physically, we find - while there must be physical applications for the body to right itself - the greater portion must come through that of self's own will in making for the environs and for the effect that is being produced in body.

He then goes on to prescribe a "chemical fence" to be given once a week to the young man:

    We would, then, find that - were these properties combined in this manner, and given at least one each week, and this as a dose, this will assist and enable the body to exercise its own prerogative in the application of self's desires.  Prepare in a capsule, this:

    Eucalyptol...................... 1 minim,
    Rectified Oil of Turp..........1/2 minim,
    Benzosol.........................1 minim,
    Codeine.....................1/60th grain.

    This must be given under physician's instructions or directions, one each week, until there will be found that there is ail alternation in the desires of the body as related to the physical forces, as related to the mental application of self . . . for this will produce nausea to the extent that the body when over-stimulating self, will refrain from stimulating same.  Should this become, under the physician's reactions, such as has been in cases past with the body. . they, themselves, refrain . . . or change to such an extent as to increase rather than diminish. . . take of the parings of the scrapings of the fingernail of the body, on the left little finger . . . these prepared in coffee or tea will prevent a recurrence.  Not injurious, but helpful.

    Another time, Mr. Cayce prescribed another "chemical fence' No. 845:

Q: Is there anything I can do to help break my husband from drinking?
A: Give him this, and he'll never want to drink any more... it'll make him very sick if he does:
    Put into capsule:

    Oil of Eucalyptus.................   1 minim
    Oil of Turp...................1/2 minim
    Compound Tincture of Benzoin.....1/2 minim

    Give him this.
Q: How may it be given?
A: In a capsule.
Q: Just one?
A: Just one.  And then he'll vomit his boots up if he takes a drink!  The smell of liquor will be abhorrent even!  Of course, he can overcome it - but it'll make him sick for the first year anyway.

    These chemical fences of Mr. Cayce would seem to act longer than Antabuse, which has an action of only four days.  The fingernail parings would seem to work as does Flagyl (metronidrazole) in dampening desire for alcohol, and perhaps in the management of a hangover taking "some of the hair of the dog that bit him."

    In the case of a 56-year-old male (28-1), we find a more advanced alcoholic, undoubtedly in the range of the addiction to alcohol.  It is interesting to note that Mr. Cayce found the heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, and pancreas involved.  This merits him a good grade in modern pathology.  He is also quite correct when he says:

    Digestion impaired, on account of condition created in spleen, pancreas and liver.  Hence the deterioration, as it were, of the whole system and the lack of assimilation and of the digestive system functioning normal.

    In this man, Mr. Cayce recommended both a "chemical fence" and a certain substitute for alcohol:

    Podophyllin..............1 grain
    Cascara Sagrada...............1 grain
    Leptandrin...................1 grain
    Licorice Compound.................1/2 grain

    Make these in this quantity in each capsule, making five (5) capsules.  One to be taken every other day.
    Give this as the stimulant and preventative from using over-stimulants:

    Tincture Valerian.................2 ounces
    Bromide of Potash................2 drams
    Iodide of Potash.................10 grains with
    Elixir Catisaya..................4 ounces and
    Elixir Celerina.................1 ounce with
    Extract of Verbena....................15 minims

    The carrier for this should be sufficient Peptotol [in another place he says this is any sweet syrup] to make sixteen (16) ounces.  The dose would be a teaspoonful twice each day, morning and evening.  By the time the whole quantity is taken, we will find the body will be rid of much of the desire for the properties that over-balance the system.
    Should the body take the over-stimulus while using this and become sick and nauseated, use the enema, also the stomach pump or wash to cleanse the stomach of same, though this would not be a poison in itself, unless there was certain combinations of properties taken in diet.  Hence, while these are being taken, the diet should consist chiefly of meats or game, or the juices of same, with only vegetables that grow above ground, and no form or combination of any nightshade variety of vegetable.

    Then, Mr. Cayce gives this advice to the drunkard that almost sounds as if it comes from the AA's Big Book.

    Then for the mental, we find the body very capable, would it only guide itself in the manner in which it understands the knowledge of self.  Spiritual understanding only comes from the understanding of the divine within self, and the attempt to correlate same will always bring the development of self mentally and spiritually.  For those who call upon the God will not find Him afar off, but ever present, and ready to answer the self as it is found in the inner man.

    Just as important as helping the alcoholic directly is the helping of the spouse of the alcoholic to change her attitude toward him.  It is here that Cayce gives some excellent advice.  Here is what he says to one woman (1183-2):

Q: Just what should I do about my husband and home?
A: As just indicated, live right yourself.  Never so act, in any manner in any inclination, that there may ever be an experience of regret within self.  Let the moves and the discourteousness, the unkindness all come from the other person. Better to be abased yourself and have the peace within.  For unless changes arise some great disturbance will come.  But if ye so act that these appear to arise from thy neglect, or from thy not caring, then the regret would always be with thee. Then act ever in the way you would like to be acted toward.  No matter what others say, or even do.  Do as you would be done by; and then the peace that has been promised is indeed thine own.
Q: Is there any Chance of his ever overcoming the drinking habit?
A: Not if there's given the least excuse for his continuation in same.  But kindness, gentleness, and prayer has saved many a soul!

    What Mr. Cayce is advocating in the above is now known as "surrender."  This is when a wife leaves her husband alone and surrenders all concern for him but doing the best she can for herself and her family.  Thus by not nagging or berating him, she gives him no excuse for his drinking, and he must bear the consequences himself.  Very modern advice indeed!

    In another place, Mr. Cayce makes a rather unique suggestion (1439-2)

(Q)  Can those assisting do anything to prevent the body from indulging in stimulants?
(A)  They can pray like the devil!
    And this is not a blasphemous statement, as it may appear - to some.  For if there is any busier body, with those influences that have to do with the spirit of indulgence of any nature, than that ye call satan or the devil, who is it?
    Then it behooves those who have the interest of such a body at heart to not only pray for him but WITH him; and in just as earnest, just as sincere, just as continuous a manner as the spirit of ANY indulgence works upon those who have become subject to such influences either through physical, mental or material conditions!
    For the POWER of prayer is NOT met even by satan or the devil himself.  Hence with that attitude of being as persistent as the desire for indulgence, or as persistent as the devil, ye will find ye will bring a strength.  But if ye do so doubting, ye are already half lost.
    For the DESIRES of the body are to do RIGHT!  Then aid those desires in the right direction; for the power of right EXCEEDS - ever and always.
    Do that, then.
    Like the devil himself - PRAY!

    In summary, it would seem that what Edgar Cayce advocated some 30 years ago is what the foremost workers in the field of alcoholism Care just now advocating.

1. The cycle of addiction must be broken by ceasing the intake of alcohol.  This may be done by building the "chemical fence" with the patient's consent, or the cycle may be broken by placing the patient in an institution. (Mr.  Cayce recommended this for some, too.) The patient may find the will to stop, but unless he has a sincere desire, nothing will work.

2. The persons closest to the patient must surrender their concern for him and let him be responsible for his own deeds.  It is "cruel kindness" to support and lie for an alcoholic if this prevents him from "hitting bottom" and seeking aid.

3. The efficacy of real and genuine prayer for a person should not be discounted and should be vigorously indulged in.  This not only has a telepathic effect on the usually very sensitive alcoholic, but it has a salutory effect on the suffering spouse.

    What Mr. Cayce did not mention, as it was too new, was the importance of using such organizations as the AA.  The AA advocates, very much as Mr. Cayce did, a two-fold idea of:

1. Stopping the drinking, and

2. Strengthening the will.

    The further advantage of the AA is that it helps the alcoholic get rid of his guilt feelings by putting him to work helping other alcoholics, thus performing autotherapy and spreading the good work.

    Left unsaid in all this is the possible use of psychotherapy in correcting the basic flaws in the character that make for the "seed bed" of alcoholism.  Perhaps in this new decade more and important work will be done in this respect.  New centers for alcoholism are needed, and many cities and towns need to revamp their present alcoholic treatment facilities.  In the meantime, we must do the most we can to reach those in the grip of this most difficult illness.  What Edgar Cayce said about having faith is really most important when one deals with alcoholism.
 

References

1. MODERN CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY, Arthur P. Noyles, M.D. and Lawrence C. Kolb, M.D. W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, 1967.  P. 178.

2. UNDERSTANDING AND COUNSELING THE ALCOHOLIC, Howard J. Clinebell, Jr. Abingdon Press, New York, P. 301.