Citation

Achenbaum WA, Howell JD, Parker M. Bull. N. Y. Acad. Med. 1993; 69(1): 69-85.

Affiliation

Institute of Gerontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, New York Academy of Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8472039

PMCID

PMC1810146

Abstract

Given the extent of alcoholism among elderly people, it is remarkable how little is known about the biomedical and social dimensions of alcohol use and abuse in late life. In the absence of compelling longitudinal data drawn from contemporary sources, a historical perspective may help to illuminate the incidence and consequences of alcohol abuse among the elderly. Based on a study of 370 case histories drawn from the National Military Home in Dayton, Ohio, which around the turn of the century was the nation's largest old-age home, it appears that alcohol's social ramifications were more important than its pathological or physiological manifestations in late 19th-century America. Drinking habits among aging Civil War veterans varied considerably: moderate consumption was acceptable; too much of a good thing caused problems.

Language: en