Age and Ageing (1978), 7, Supplement ALCOHOLIC PROBLEMS IN THE ELDERLY

Hundreds of years ago, among the Aztecs of Mexico, apparently only the old were per-mitted to take alcoholic drink (Sehlegel 1977). In our time, however, much attention is rightly given to the increasing misuse of alcohol by the young whereas the possibility of alcohol problems among the elderly is generally overlooked (Glatt 1976)—although the existence of old age alcoholism has been described in publications in Europe and the USA (Rosin & Glatt 1971). The present paper briefly reports and discusses the findings of two studies carried out in the Greater London area by A.J.R. and M.M.G. (Rosin & Glatt 1971) and byM.M.G. and PJ. respectively. The earlier study concerned 103 patients observed,in the early and mid-1960s: 36 of them were observed in a geriatric unit (A.J.R.), 67 during psychiatric domiciliary consultations or at the St Bernard's Hospital Alcoholic Unit (M.M.G.). The second, more recent study concerns 92 patients referred because of drinking problems and seen during domiciliary visits, at the St Bernard's Hospital Alcoholic Unit or in a private nursing home between 1967 and 1976 (M.M.G. and P.J.). In all these cases drinking was regarded as presenting a problem when it affected the individual's menta