Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous - AA Pamphlet from 1946

Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous

Works Publishing Printing (ca. 1946–1949)
Reprints of papers presented to the Medical Society of the State of New York and the American Psychiatric Association

Publisher: Works Publishing, Inc., New York
Publication Date: Undated — printed between 1946 and 1949
Format: Original A.A. pamphlet
Condition: Good

Description

Offered here is an original printing of Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous, published by Works Publishing, Inc. and printed between 1946 and 1949 — an important transitional version of one of Alcoholics Anonymous’ most influential medical pamphlets.

This pamphlet gathers landmark medical papers and discussions presented to the Medical Society of the State of New York and the American Psychiatric Association, documenting how the medical community first came to understand and evaluate Alcoholics Anonymous as a legitimate recovery program.

Unlike the true first printing of 1944 (published by The Alcoholic Foundation), this copy includes the 1946 contribution by Dr. W. W. Bauer on the back page. At the same time, it does not yet include the later asterisk and 1949 notation on page 3 that appeared when membership and group statistics were updated in subsequent printings. This places the pamphlet firmly in the 1946–1949 window, making it a distinct and identifiable variant for collectors.

Contents

This pamphlet includes all of the following:

• “Basic Concepts of Alcoholics Anonymous” by one of the Originators (Bill W.)
  Presented to the Medical Society of the State of New York,
  Section on Neurology and Psychiatry,
  Annual Meeting, Hotel Pennsylvania, May 1944

• Discussion by Foster Kennedy, M.D.

• Discussion by G. Kirby Collier, M.D.

• Discussion by Harry M. Tiebout, M.D.

• “Therapeutic Mechanism of Alcoholics Anonymous”
  by Harry M. Tiebout, M.D., Greenwich, Connecticut
  Reprinted by permission from The American Journal of Psychiatry, January 1944
  Read at the 99th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association,
  Detroit, Michigan, May 10–13, 1943

• Dr. W. W. Bauer, broadcasting under the auspices of
  the American Medical Association — Bureau of Health Education
  Doctors at Home, NBC Radio, February 9, 1946
  (Included in this printing; not present in the 1944 first printing)

Printing Identification Notes

Publisher: Works Publishing, Inc. (not The Alcoholic Foundation)

Includes: Dr. W. W. Bauer’s 1946 radio address

Does NOT include: The asterisk on page 3. The 1949 membership update notation.

Estimated printing period: 1946–1949

These points clearly distinguish this copy from both the 1944 first printing and the later post-1949 Works Publishing printings.

Condition

Overall good condition. General wear consistent with age. Moderate page toning throughout. Small strip of tape on the backside of the first page. Pencil writing on the back cover. Fully intact — no missing or torn pages.

Please review all photos carefully for the most accurate representation of condition.

Collector’s Significance

Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous is among the most important early A.A. pamphlets ever produced. It represents the moment when A.A. began receiving serious attention — and validation — from leading figures in psychiatry and medicine.

This Works Publishing printing is especially desirable, as it bridges the gap between the original 1944 Foundation issue and the later revised printings, capturing A.A. at a critical stage of post-war growth and medical acceptance.

A key piece for collectors of early A.A. literature, medical history, and recovery ephemera.