Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous - AA Pamphlet from 1944

Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous

True First Printing — 1944
Published by The Alcoholic Foundation, Inc.
Early Medical Recognition of A.A.

Description

Offered here is a true first printing (1944) of Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous, one of the most important early pamphlets in Alcoholics Anonymous history and among the earliest formal presentations of A.A. to the medical and psychiatric professions.

This pamphlet was first issued in 1944 by The Alcoholic Foundation, prior to later reprints by Works Publishing, Inc. It documents the moment when Alcoholics Anonymous began gaining serious attention and validation within organized medicine—years before A.A. was widely understood or accepted.

This first printing is distinctly identifiable by what it does not include:

• No Dr. W. W. Bauer essay on the back page (added in 1946 printings)

• No asterisk of 1949 membership notation on page 3 (added to later editions)

• Original Alcoholic Foundation imprint on the cover

Contents

This pamphlet includes foundational presentations and discussions that shaped early medical understanding of A.A.:

• “Basic Concepts of Alcoholics Anonymous”
  By one of the Originators (Bill Wilson)
  Presented to the Medical Society of the State of New York
  Section on Neurology and Psychiatry
  Annual Meeting, Hotel Pennsylvania — May 1944
  (Author unnamed in print to preserve anonymity)

• 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”
  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

Together, these papers represent one of the earliest professional examinations of A.A. as a therapeutic method, blending psychiatry, medicine, and lived recovery experience.

Historical Significance

This pamphlet marks a turning point in A.A. history—the moment when Alcoholics Anonymous stepped out of obscurity and into serious medical discourse. Figures such as Harry Tiebout, who would become one of A.A.’s most important psychiatric advocates, play a central role here.

For collectors of early A.A. literature, recovery history, or medical-social history, this pamphlet is a cornerstone artifact documenting how A.A. gained legitimacy beyond the fellowship itself.

Condition

Good condition, consistent with age and use. Edge wear and spine wear present. Spine reinforced with a strip of tape. Several small stains throughout. “Hartford A.A.” stamp on the front cover. Moderate, even page toning. Complete with no missing pages.

Despite wear, this pamphlet remains solid, readable, and historically intact.

Summary

A scarce true first printing (1944) of Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous, published by The Alcoholic Foundation and documenting the earliest medical engagement with A.A.’s program. A vital piece for collectors of Alcoholics Anonymous history, early recovery movements, or the medical understanding of alcoholism.

Please review all photos carefully to assess condition details.