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Thomas Trotter's 'Essay on Drunkenness' appraised.
1National Addiction Centre, London, UK. jean@addictionjournal.org
Addiction (Abingdon, England)
|May 9, 2012
Summary
Thomas Trotter's 1804 "Essay on Drunkenness" pioneered the concept of alcohol dependence as a disease. Despite its prescient ideas, the work had limited impact compared to Benjamin Rush's influential pamphlet.
Area of Science:
- Medical History
- History of Psychiatry
- Addiction Studies
Background:
- Thomas Trotter's 1804 "Essay on Drunkenness" was the first book-length work on alcohol dependence and its treatment.
- The essay marked a significant early attempt to address the phenomenon of habitual drunkenness.
Observation:
- This paper analyzes Trotter's "Essay on Drunkenness" and its subsequent reception.
- It examines appraisals of the work's significance over time.
Findings:
- Trotter's assertion that "the habit of drunkenness is a disease of the mind" was prescient, anticipating modern views.
- However, the literature suggests Trotter's essay had minimal impact on professional opinion or the temperance movement.
- Benjamin Rush's 1785 pamphlet "An Inquiry into the Effects of Ardent Spirits" achieved greater recognition.
Implications:
- Trotter's work, while conceptually advanced, was overshadowed by Rush's, highlighting the complex factors influencing the historical trajectory of addiction concepts.
- The study underscores the importance of considering the reception and broader historical context when evaluating seminal works in medical history.
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