Alcoholics Are Sick People by Robert V. Seliger, M.D.
Alcoholics Are Sick People — Robert V. Seliger, M.D. (1945)
First Printing — February 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: Baltimore Alcoholism Publications
Edition: War Edition
Printing: First Printing — February 1945
Binding: Hardcover
Dust Jacket: Original
Description
Offered here is a rare First Printing (February 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.
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
Fair overall, with notable wear to the cover and original dust jacket. Boards show wear and stains. Endpaper includes hand written name and address. 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.
This volume represents a foundational shift in understanding alcoholism, published only six years after the Big Book’s debut.
