The diagnosis of drunkenness from excretion of alcohol and the general distribution of alcohol in tissues

It is recognised "by all medico-legal •authorities that the ordinary tests for drunkenness are very unsatisfactory. No two men behave in the same way under the influence of alcohol, and the result often is, that many cases charged with drunkenness, where motor accidents have occurred, are dismissed for want of convincing evidence. The very fact of the shock of arrest sometimes produces an apparent and astonishing sobriety in people who, a short time before, have been quite evidently drunk. These persons generally acquit themselves well in routine tests. If, however, an analysis be made of the blood or urine of accused persons, and a high concentration of alcohol be found, it useless for them to protest that they have had no alcoholic liquor or only a very small amount. From this point of view at least the examination of urine supplies indubitable evidence of the imbibition of alcohol, and also to some extent, of the amount taken. In cases of gross intoxication the state if:--obvious and analysis hardly necessary, although advisable, as even in these cases it is often contested that the condition was not brought about by alcohol.

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Edinburgh

Year dc:date.issued

1932

Author dc:creator

• Robertson, Jean D.

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1842/33731

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:era.ed.ac.uk:1842/33731