REPORT OF DEATHS FROM ALCOHOL

The official report for 1929, showing total deaths in Wisconsin due to alcohol, is not available at the present time. We will probably not have official figures before the end of March or April. The following is a tabulation showing deaths from alcoholism in Wisconsin during the period from 1920 through 1928:

It is evident from this study that there has been a gradual increase in the death date from alcoholism from 1920 through 1927. There was a marked decline in the rate for 1928. The figures for Wisconsin show practically the same situation as those for the other States in the Union. Various studies have been made to throw light on the question of whether intemperance is increasing or not. One of these studies related to the arrests for drunkenness in various representative cities throughout the country. We have a preliminary report on this study, and the figures indicate that for the country as a whole there has been decrease in the number of arrests due to drunken

ness.

The State board of control has furnished us with figures for the two State hospitals, showing total first admissions and the number of admissions due to alcoholic psychosis during the 2-year period 1927 and 1928. For the State hospital at Mendota the admissions for alcoholic psychosis in 1927 were 26, and for 1928 there were 35 admissions. For the Northern Hospital the admissions for alcoholic psychosis numbered 41 in 1927 and 33 in 1928. We do not have the figures available to show admissions for a series of years, so are unable to state whether there has been an increase or not.

Our 1929 mortality report is still incomplete, but to date we have not received reports of any deaths for that year where the cause of death was given as moonshine poisoning or wood-alcohol poisoning. It is our belief that there has been an actual decline in the number of cases of this type during recent years. This is probably due to a more refined product and the withdrawal from the market of wood alcohol or denatured alcohol for beverage purposes. Of course, we occasionally hear of cases of wholesale poisoning due to the drinking of this type of liquor, but they are not nearly so common as a few years ago. Many of our deaths from alcoholism are reported as being due to acute alcoholism. This probably results from the fact that much of the liquor now consumed has a very high alcohol content as compared with whisky and similar products used during the preprohibition period. Until quite recently a great deal of the illicit alcohol sold was from 90 to 95 per cent pure. When we consider that good whisky does not contain over 50 per cent alcohol, we can easily account for some of the deaths at least due to acute alcoholism. It might not be out of place to warn the public that if they must drink the alcohol now handled by the bootleggers they should dilute the product with water or some other nonalcoholic liquid at least 50 per

cent.

ENFORCEMENT OF THE PROHIBITION LAWS

We do not anticipate any increase in the death rate from alcoholism in 1929. The difficulty, of course, in determining to what extent alcoholism is the cause of death lies in the fact that the attending physician or other person who fills out the medical certificate does not give all the facts in the case, and many times purposely omits mentioning that alcohol was a factor in causing the death on account of the standing of the deceased and his family in the community. As an example, I will cite the case of a prominent professional man in one of our cities who died from alcoholism last year. The death occurred at a hospital, and the attending physician gave alcoholism as the primary cause of death. Later relatives and friends, through the filing of affidavits, asked to have the cause of death changed, and the physician who gave the cause of death was finally prevailed upon to change his diagnosis.

I hope these few suggestions will be of some service to you and regret we can not give you the official reports for the last calendar year at the present time.

EN

ENFORCEMENT OF THE PROHIBITION LAWS

OFFICIAL RECORDS

OF

THE NATIONAL COMMISSION
ON LAW OBSERVANCE
AND ENFORCEMENT

A PROHIBITION SURVEY

OF THE

STATE OF WYOMING

No. 21 in the letter of transmittal.