Historical Perspective of Alcoholism - 2104 Words

Introduction Alcohol is the oldest and still probably the most widely used drug today. Some consider alcohol as an opponent but many consider it as an ally. Moderate amounts stimulate the mind and relax the muscles, but larger amounts impair coordination and judgment, finally producing coma and death. It is an addictive drug leading to alcoholism. Alcohol is known since antiquity to have some therapeutic value. Opium and alcohol had long been used as analgesics. Greek medicine had employed wine and vinegar in wound care. Now we know that alcohol is a good antiseptic. Alcohol has other values in modern medicine such as pain relief, delay labor, raising HDL level, etc. Pure ethanol is a colorless, flammable liquid (boiling point 78.5 º C).†¦show more content†¦They were the most important scientists in the history of chemistry and chemical technology in Islam. Their works exerted a dominating influence on later generations of Muslims and Europeans. The most important of the great chemica l discoveries in the Middle Ages were alcohol and mineral acids, and the key to finding them was through the process of distillation, which the Arabs developed and mastered. Distillation was one of the most important processes in Islamic chemical technology and was employed for both medicinal preparations and a variety of other technological and industrial uses, including the preparation of acids and the distillation of perfumes, rosewater and essential oils. Several great Muslim chemists clearly described the distillation of wine using specialized distillation equipment. Al-Rahzi, in his book Kitab al-Asrar (The Book of Secrets) described the process of distillation and the apparatus used. He used distillation to concentrate alcohol, which was then taken as an anesthetic. Al-Kindi (9th century AD), describes distillation and the apparatus in his book, Kitab Kimya’ al-‘itr wa al-Tas-idat (Book of Perfume Chemistry and Distillation). Al-Kindi says: â€Å"In the same way , one can distill wine using a water-bath, and it comes out the same color as rosewater.† In Spain, the Arab surgeon Aub al-Qasim al-Zahrawi, (d.1013 AD), known to the West asShow MoreRelatedAlcoholism a Social Problem?1593 Words   |  7 Pages and participating in activities that previously involved alcohol or drug use. Relapse, as a social problem, would be a debatable if people drank alcohol in a responsible manner, however according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2002), more than half of the adult U.S. population drank alcohol in the past 30 days. Interestingly, approximately 5% of the total population drank heavily, while 15% of the population binge drank. From 2001–2005, there were nearly 80,000 deathsRead MoreThe Effects Of Drug Addiction On Children1506 Words   |  7 Pagesin the context that we do today. Brown and colleuges wrote about the historical perspective of alcohol and substance abuse along with other historical facts found throughout history. The 1800’s was a notable year for the birth of substance abuse. Before the 1800’s, alcoholism and drug addiction was not considered a disease or a major issue to be looked towards. Benjamin Rush was the first person to believe that alcoholism was not a matter of personal willpower but due to alcohol itself. BenjaminRead MoreFamily Systems Theory, By Van Wyck Brooks1208 Words   |  5 Pagesinteracting is the most fundamental influence in family functioning (Curtis, 1999). The MTP, as applied to addiction, assumes that chemical dependency of one individual in the system is a symptom of an historical and multigenerational familial pattern of dysfunctionality. According to BFST, alcoholism and other addictive disorders are transmitted through generations of the family system, precisely because chemical dependency affects the organization, functioning, and communication patterns of entireRead MoreThe Story Of The Lost Generation1661 Words   |  7 Pagesa new historicist critical perspective exposes the underlying truth and an uglier reality that is normally suppressed presents itself. New historicist criticism in a nutshell is arguing that the literature is directly influenced by the time period and place in which it occurs, but The Sun Also Rises also reflects the attitudes and feelings of the author in the time period. In the case of The Sun Also Rises written by Ernest Hemingway it is evident that the historical event that is influencing theRead MoreThe Question in the Origins of Psychology is What Drives Us and Why722 Words   |  3 Pages The understanding of ourselves and the humans around us has been studied by many great histo rical scholars such as Aristotle and Descartes. Scholars like these would ask psychological questions about what drives us and why. It was not until the late nineteenth century that psychological research was considered as its own scientific discipline. Psychology began in 1879 when a man named Wilhelm Wundt set up a psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany. This laboratory would be considered the birthRead MoreAmerican Reformers, By Ronald G. Walters1087 Words   |  5 Pages1815-1860 goes into the social and political issues surrounding the Jackson Presidency. Ronald G. Walters effectively chronicalizes the reformation and radicalization of the main issues prevalent in early 19th century. These issues included slavery, alcoholism, women’s rights, religion and science. He explains how these issues led to the transformation of our country into what it is today and explains the reformers responsible for such radical change. He emphasizes the idea that every individual during Read MoreExplaining Beer Street and Gin Lane/Explaining Dersu the Trapper Quotation699 Words   |  3 PagesBeer Street and Gin Lane. The intended meaning of this art evaluates two forms of alcohol: beer and gin. A biased undertone outlines the beliefs from this era. Though, alternative ideas transcend the basic message of the work and reveal important historical facts. Beer Street portrays the perceived goodness of the product, and it’s ability to â€Å"cheer each manly Heart† (16, Hogarth). The poem praises beer, and rejects the malevolence of gin. Gin existed as a medicine since the mid-17th century, but itRead MoreA Society Must Be Based On Peace Essay1256 Words   |  6 Pagesfuture without any limitations to communal progression and growth. Individuals achieve peace by healing. However, Native Americans carry the grievance of their ancestors as historical trauma, thus experiencing difficulty in finding peace to heal. Historical trauma has infiltrated communitie s through high suicide rates, alcoholism, diabetes, and even biological changes to DNA. Said diseases plague Native people because trauma has forced DNA replication into a cycle where mutations are regularly copiedRead MoreMaus And Eden Robinsons Monkey Beach Post Memory1399 Words   |  6 Pageshardships due to Residential Schools. Through the use of historical references, relationships and evoking emotion in the reader, Eden Robinson’s narrative better exemplifies how individuals of second generation trauma use the experience of post memory to connect with the reader when compared to Spiegelman’s Maus. Throughout Monkey Beach the disturbing reality of the oppression of Haisla people is confronted. At the heart of the historical background is the issue of the residential school systemRead MoreEssay on Some Like It Hot622 Words   |  3 Pagesmates are really men masquerading as women. Like most popular gender-bending films, Some Like It Hot calls us to critique constructions of sexuality and gender both within the context of historicized moment of the films production and from the perspective of later generations. Every time the two men presented themselves as women several assumptions were made as to how women look, of their intelligence, and of how they act. This was the female image at the time; the high heels, the dress, and even