Alcoholics Are Sick People by Robert V. Seliger, M.D.

Alcoholics Are Sick People — Robert V. Seliger, M.D. (1945)

Second Printing — May 1945 • Baltimore Alcoholism Publications

Author: Robert V. Seliger, M.D., Assistant Visiting Psychiatrist, Johns Hopkins Hospital
Collaborator: Victoria Cranford
Editor: Harold S. Goodwin, B.A.
Publisher: Alcoholism Publications, Baltimore
Edition: War Edition
Printing: Second Printing — May 1945
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 70 pp.

Description

Offered here is a rare Second Printing (May 1945) of Alcoholics Are Sick People by Dr. Robert V. Seliger, one of the earliest monographs dedicated entirely to understanding alcoholism as a medical and psychological illness rather than a moral failing.

Published during WWII and designated a War Edition, this work represents a pivotal moment in the shift toward modern treatment approaches. Dr. Seliger—whose professional work intersected with the same era and institutions that shaped early Alcoholics Anonymous—presents a thoughtful, clinical, and compassionate exploration of alcoholism as a chronic disease requiring specialized care, education, and personal willingness to change.

This copy carries special significance: The front endpaper bears the author’s personal name-and-address stamp, strongly suggesting that this was Dr. Seliger’s own copy. Books with direct provenance to their authors are exceptionally scarce.

The monograph includes:

Early diagnostic questions (“Are YOU an Alcoholic?”)

The Liquor Test and behavioral indicators

Discussion of emotional hurdles and core drivers of alcoholic thinking

Guidance on re-education, recovery, and life without liquor

A glossary, bibliography, and notes emphasizing a medical approach

Supporting statements by noted psychiatrist Esther Loring Richards, M.D. of Johns Hopkins underscore the importance of Dr. Seliger’s work and reinforce the evolving belief—revolutionary at the time—that the alcoholic is a sick person who must be treated as an individual, not as a moral offender.

Condition

Good overall, with notable wear consistent with age. Spine damage at both the head and tail, with areas of webbing exposed. Boards show light wear and rubbing. Endpaper includes Dr. Robert V. Seliger’s personal stamp. Interior pages remain clean, legible, and well-preserved, with mild expected age toning. Binding remains secure despite external wear.

Please review all photos for complete condition details.

Significance & Rarity

Copies of Alcoholics Are Sick People—especially War Edition printings from 1945—are seldom seen on the market. A copy originating from the author’s own library elevates this to a highly desirable artifact for Collectors of early alcoholism scholarship, AA history enthusiasts, Medical historians, Libraries and archives preserving addiction-treatment history.

This volume represents a foundational shift in understanding alcoholism, published only six years after the Big Book’s debut.