The Doctor’s Opinion

The document

The document sets out a physician’s observations of alcoholism and the changes he had witnessed among people involved in the developing recovery fellowship.

Date

July 27, 1938

Form

Unsigned typescript

Author

Attributed to William D. Silkworth

Addressed to

To whom it may concern

Why it matters

Silkworth’s clinical perspective gave the early fellowship a medical voice. His statement was incorporated into Alcoholics Anonymous, where “The Doctor’s Opinion” became a familiar point of introduction for readers.

Collection documentation identifies this sheet as the unsigned copy used for the published medical statement. Its authorship, custody, and precise relationship to the published text are collection-source assertions subject to independent verification.