Alcohol
from Grapevine, February 1958. That article has been printed in pamphlet
form as
well with the same title.
It's part of the meeting format of the Three Legacies group in New Orleans.
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++++Message 6556. . . . . . . . . . . . RE: Bill W. quote on purpose of an
AA meeting
From: Jenny or Laurie Andrews . . . . . . . . . . . . 5/26/2010 4:31:00 AM
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"An AA group, as such, cannot take on all the personal problems of its
members,
let alone those of nonalcoholics in the world around us. The AA group is
not,
for example, a mediator of domestic relations, nor does it furnish personal
financial aid to anyone. Though a member may sometimes be helped in such
matters
by his friends in AA, the primary responsibility for the solutions of all
his
problems of living and growing rests squarely upon the individual himself.
Should the AA group attempt this sort of help, its effectiveness and
energies
would be hopelessly dissipated. This is why sobriety - freedom from alcohol
-
through the teaching and practice of AA's 12 Steps, is the sole purpose of
the
group. If we don't stick to this cardinal principle, we shall almost
certainly
collapse. And if we collapse we cannot help anyone."
(Letter from Bill W dated 1966 and quoted in "As Bill Sees It", page 79)
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++++Message 6557. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Bill W. quote on purpose of an
AA meeting
From: Tom Hickcox . . . . . . . . . . . . 5/26/2010 9:37:00 AM
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At 20:10 5/25/2010, James Bliss wrote:
With 1 minute of additional research, iT is
attributed to Bill W. in a Grapevine article in
1958. I do not know which Grapevine issue.
Jim
- - - -
Thanks, Jim. That would be the February 1958, Vol. 14, No. 9, issue
of the Grapevine, which you can find on their Digital Archive. The
article is titled "Problems other than Alcohol: What can be done
about them?" by Wilson. It is also in the pamphlet Jim referenced in
his earlier post.
This raises a of question in my mind. As Bill Sees It/The A.A. Way
of Life attributes it to a "Letter 1966". The pamphlet is
copyrighted 1958, so I wonder why it wasn't attributed to the
pamphlet rather than to a letter from almost a decade later? Maybe
to give us something to worry about.
The issues Wilson addresses in the GV article are as alive and well
today as they were fifty-two years ago.
Tommy H in Baton Rouge
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++++Message 6558. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: The AA version of moral
psychology
From: jax760 . . . . . . . . . . . . 5/26/2010 6:53:00 PM
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I posted part of this previously in Message #6493,
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AAHistoryLovers/message/6493
But I want to add some additional information
and, because of its importance, discuss it in
more detail.
Cliff and Roy's take appear correct. Silkworth wrote about "moral
psychology"
fully two years before the Big Book was published. He first mentions it in a
March 1937 paper and then elaborates in an April 1937 paper. (excerpt below)
Reclamation of the Alcoholic
By William D. Silkworth, M.D., New York, N.Y.
Medical Record, April 21, 1937
MORAL PSYCHOLOGY
We believe that this decision is in the nature of an inspiration. The
patient
knows he has reached a lasting conclusion, and experiences a sense of great
relief. These individuals, introverts for the most part, whose interests
center
entirely in themselves, once they have made their decision, frequently ask
how
they can help others.
Case III (Hospital No. 993). - A man of thirty-eight, who had been drinking
heavily for five years, had lost all of his property and was practically
disowned by his family, was brought to the hospital with a gastric
hemorrhage.
His general condition was typical of allergic alcoholism and apparently he
was
mentally beyond hope. Following through elimination and medical
rehabilitation,
he made a satisfactory physical return. He then took up moral psychology
and, in
two years' time has entirely recovered his lost fortune and has been elected
to
a prominent public position. On meeting this patient recently, we
experienced a
strange sensation; while we recognized the features, a different man seemed
to
be speaking, as if a self-confident stranger had stepped into this man's
body.
Case IV (Hospital No. 1152). - A broker, who had earned as much as $25,000 a
year, and had come, through alcohol, to a position where he was being
supported
by his wife, presented himself for treatment carrying with him two books on
philosophy from which he hoped to get a new inspiration: His desire to
discontinue alcohol was intense, and he certainly made every effort within
his
own capabilities do to so. Following the course of treatment in which the
alcohol and toxic products were eliminated and his craving counteracted, he
took
up moral psychology. At first, he found it difficult to rehabilitate himself
financially, as his old friends had no confidence in his future conduct.
Later
he was given an opportunity, and is now a director in a large corporation.
He
gives part of his income to help others in his former condition, and he has
gathered about him a group of over fifty men, all free from their former
alcoholism through the application of this method of treatment and "moral
psychology."
To such patients we recommend "moral psychology," and in those of our
patients
who have joined or initiated such groups the change has been spectacular.
The use of quotes around the term "moral psychology" would indicate a
euphemism
by Silkworth. My studies have shown that Silkworth was on the same page as
William James and knew all about the many case histories of religious
"conversion" saving drunks. James recognized many in the professional field
would prefer to substitute the word moral or morality for "personal"
religion
(i.e. "spirituality")
"To some of you personal religion, thus nakedly considered, will no doubt
seem
too incomplete a thing to wear the general name. "It is a part of religion,"
you will say, "but only its unorganized rudiment; if we are to name it by
itself, we had better call it man's conscience or morality than his
religion."
... "Rather than prolong such a dispute, I am willing to accept almost any
name
for the personal religion of which I propose to treat. Call it conscience or
morality, if you yourselves prefer, and not religion--under either name it
will
be equally worthy of our study." VRE - Lecture II
Moral Pyschology - "We had to find a 'spiritual basis' for life or
else"........"though we work out our solution on the spiritual as well as
altruistic planes..."
God Bless
John B
--- In AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com, CBBB164@... wrote:
>
> From Cliff Bishop and Roy Levin
>
> - - - -
>
> From: "Cliff Bishop" CBBB164@... (CBBB164 at AOL.COM)
>
> It seems to me Dr. Silkworth provided his own definition of "Moral
> Psychology" in offering his opinion. In the same paragraph where that term
is
> used, he referred to the "powers of good that lie outside our synthetic
> knowledge."
>
> Two paragraphs later, he states, "They believe in themselves, and still
> more in the Power which pulls chronic alcoholics back from the gates of
> death." This is what our Program of Recovery is about. Plugging into that
> Power; our Higher Power
>
> Makes sense to me.
>
> In God's love and service,
>
> Cliff Bishop
> 214-350-1190
> http://www.ppgaadallas.org/
>
> - - - -
>
> From: Roy Levin (royslev at yahoo.com)
>
> My take on it was that he was using a euphemism for what we call in AA
today
> the "spiritual" program, or what Silkworth must have considered a
"religious"
> approach. Such approaches were beyond "the synthetic knowledge" BB pg xxv
of
> "modern" (1930s) scientists like medical doctors. In other words,
occasionally
> a drunk sobered up through the Salvation Army or Oxford Group whereas the
docs
> couldn't reach them. The one line in the Big Book which I believe is a
> complete exageration (for which I forgive WD Silkworth) is the line on
page
> xxvii (4th ed.) :" Though the aggregate of recoveries resulting from
psychiatric
> effort is considerable, we physicians must admit we have made little
impression
> upon the problem as a while.. Many types do not respond to the ordinary
> psychological approach."
>
> Poor Doc Silkworth, he had to give some credit to his profession. But even
> today I doubt if there is an considerable aggregate of recoveries to
alcoholism
> with just head shrinking. Every AA knows that a good psychiatrist, the
minute
> he suspects a patient to be an alkie, will insist he go to AA meetings or
refuse
> to treat the man further.
>
> Remember Silkworth withheld his name from the first edition/first
printing,
> because he thought the other docs might consdier him a crackpot for
allowing
> Bill W. to come into Town's Hospital and talk God to the drunks. But to
his
> credit as a sincere healer rather than an "M-Diety" he cared for what got
his
> patients well, rather than who came up with the therapy. Bill's
"altruistic
> movement" worked and the croakers' cures didn't, so he encouraged the AAs
and
> let his name be used in future printings.
>
> In short, "moral psychology" were the words Silkworth used because he
didn't
> want to come right out and say "the only thing that seems to help these
drunks
> is some 'Good Ol' Time Religion." But he knew that was the only thing that
> worked, and he could see that Bill and his boys could package it and pitch
it
to
> their fellow alkies better than any professional preachers.
>
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++++Message 6559. . . . . . . . . . . . bit in our teeth
From: Chuck Parkhurst . . . . . . . . . . . . 5/27/2010 3:47:00 PM
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Members,
When referring to a person we do not like, on
p. 77 of the Big Book, the authors suggest that
we take the "bit in our teeth." Can someone
offer me clarity on what that expression means
and where it originated? A source reference for
the information would be good as well. I have
conducted a step 8 and 9 workshop and that
expression comes up as a question.
In Service with Gratitude,
Chuck Parkhurst
- - - -
From the moderator:
There is a big space between a horse's front
teeth and back teeth, where the bit of the bridle
is placed, so the horse cannot spit it out of
his mouth. The reins are attached to the bit,
so the rider can pull the horse's head to the
left or the right, and direct the way the horse
is going.
For full description and pictures, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_teeth
If the horse is able to work the bit out of
that notch, and get the bit where he can
clench it between his teeth, the rider will
lose control of the horse, and the horse
will be able to go wherever he wishes to go,
not in the direction the rider wants him to
go.
Hence the metaphor "to get the bit in your
teeth" means to seize control and take
aggressive action.
Glenn C. (South Bend, Indiana, U.S.)
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++++Message 6560. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: bit in our teeth
From: bsdds@comcast.net . . . . . . . . . . . . 5/28/2010 2:20:00 PM
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As a retired dentist from Texas, I know what it means and suspect the origin
is
to control "intolerant" behavior. Bits are devices placed in a horse's mouth
to
communicate directions from the rider and generally attached to a bridle .
It
does not restrict movement necessarily and the reference champing (not
chomping)
at the bit is a description of a horse that is impatient and "ready for
action."
Since the Big Book was written in Yankee territory, I suppose is is an
English
bit!!! Professionally speaking, I do not suggest this literally! :)
Bobb Schultz
101A Melbourne Park Circle
Charlottesville, Virginia 22901-3924
- - - -
From the moderator:
There is a big space between a horse's front
teeth and back teeth, where the bit of the bridle
is placed, so the horse cannot bite down on it or
spit it out of his mouth. The reins are attached to
the bit, so the rider can pull the horse's head to
the left or the right, and direct the way the horse
is going.
If properly placed, the bit pulls at the horse's
soft lips when the rider pulls on the reins,
and because (just like our lips) the horse's
lips are sensitive, the horse moves his head
to the left or the right, to keep the bit from
hurting him.
For full description and pictures, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_teeth
If the horse is able to work the bit out of
that notch, and get the bit where he can
clench it between his teeth, the rider will
lose control of the horse, and the horse
will be able to go wherever he wishes to go,
not in the direction the rider wants him to
go.
Hence the metaphor "to get the bit in your
teeth" means to seize control and take
aggressive action.
Glenn C. (South Bend, Indiana, U.S.)
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++++Message 6561. . . . . . . . . . . . Shakey Mike in India and Dr.
Strecker
From: Jim Myers . . . . . . . . . . . . 5/26/2010 2:32:00 AM
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From Shakey Mike and Jim Myers
- - - -
From: Shakey1aa@aol.com (Shakey1aa at aol.com)
This post is on 2 subjects
1. New Information about another Philadelphian "carrying our message" in
this
case to India
2 Dr Edward A Strecker- Alcohol-One Man's Meat
I am leaving next week to go to India to speak at "The Convention
in The Clouds Shimla ,India. 6600 feet up in the Himalayas. I have been
honored
to be asked to be the speaker there at the 75th Anniversary of AA. Our
Founders
day. I will be speaking about "Our AA History"; Working the steps as they
did
before the Big Book was written and showing slides of AA interest that were
sent
to me by AAHL members as well as other sources. ( silkworth.net and
hindsfoot.org etc)
Michelle, our GSO Archivist, has sent me information that a man
from Philadelphia,PA in 1941 contacted New York about AA and corresponded
with
Ruth Hock after reading about AA in the Saturday Evening Post Jack Alexander
article that was spearheaded by Jimmy Burwell and the members of the
Philadelphia Mother Group. This AA Group included Members(alcoholics) as
well as
associate members (non Alcoholics) who were doctors, and members of the
clergy.
The interesting part of this correspondence from a man referred to L.B.E. is
that he got sober with the help of Dr. S. Naturally, any one familiar with
AA in
Philadelphia would think that Dr. S would be Dr. Dudley Saul of the Saul
Clinic
and a Associate Member of the Philadelphia Mother Group but this is not so.
L.B.E. writes"The last time I was in the USA I saw quite a lot of Dr. S and
talked with him quite a bit on the subject. Buddie W and Francis C who works
with him, were compatriots of mine in Philadelphia many years ago." I
recognized
Francis C as Francis Chambers who co authored a significant book about
alcoholism called "Alcoholism-One Man's Meat" The Dr S. is therefor Dr.
Edward
Strecker . A man famous in medicine. A friend to the alcoholic.Some may have
heard of the Strecker Institute.
The following is the biography of Dr Strecker from the University
Of Pennsylvania ;
Edward A. Strecker (1886-1959)
Clinician, teacher, researcher, author and gentlemen - Edward Adam
Strecker lived each role fully during his active and inspiring career that
spanned nearly half a century.
After graduating from Jefferson Medical College in 1911, Dr. Strecker
joined Pennsylvania Hospital in 1913, serving as chief medical officer at
The
Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital from 1920 to 1928, He continued his
association with the hospital until his death in 1959. Dr. Strecker served
as
professor and head of nervous and mental diseases at Jefferson Medical
College;
professor and head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of
Pennsylvania School of Medicine and later professor and emeritus professor
and
chair of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of
Medicine. In addition, he was clinical professor of psychiatry and mental
diseases at Yale University and was the first professor of psychiatry at
Seton
Hall College of Medicine. He was president of the American Psychiatric
Association in 1943.
He possessed an outstanding ability to examine patients, investigate
etiologic and dynamic factors and make accurate diagnoses and constructive
recommendations for treatment. A skilled psychotherapist, Dr, Strecker was
also
a superb teacher, whose colorful language created an unforgettable clinical
picture. He made psychiatry comprehensible and exciting to medical students,
psychiatric nurses and other mental health professionals, producing a
profound
effect on psychiatric teaching in Philadelphia.
Dr. Strecker's main interest in the early 1920's was to develop the
psychiatric outpatient department of The Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital.
Under his direction, psychotherapy in that department flourished, and many
young
psychiatrists sought to have the privilege of studying therapeutic
approaches
from such a highly skilled and innovative clinician. He also sought to
relate
psychiatry to the general practice of medicine.
A prolific writer, he authored ten books and more than 200 papers, on
such diverse subjects as alcoholism, childhood behaviors, encephalitis, head
trauma, sex offenders, war neuroses, and civilization and culture. he
authored
five editions of the best-known standard textbook at that time, Fundamentals
of
Psychiatry.
Many honors were bestowed on Dr. Strecker, including four honorary
doctoral degrees. He served the nation in both World War I and World War II,
was named a consultant to President Roosevelt and received a presidential
citation from President Truman.
This outstanding physician and human being serves as a model for
psychiatrists and a continuing source of pride for Pennsylvania Hospital."
The Institute introduced thousands to A.A. I remember as a 5th
year pharmacy student visiting the Institute as one of my rotations.
Strecker
believed in vitamin therapy and reconditioning the alcoholic physically and
nutritionally. The book Alcohol One Man's meat is an excellent book on our
disease. It was published in 1939.
India Archives is unaware of this 1st contact to AA. Ruth Hock
wrote back July 25,1941 and "expressed her surprise and encouragement that
the
message of A.A. has been carried as far as India." This put A.A. in India
prior
to the established year 1956. The 5 pages of information from GSO on AA in
India
will be presented to them on June 10th ; The 75th anniversary of AA.
Any AAHL who would want copies of this information will find it
available online on Silkworth.net after my return. Jim M, Mitchell K and
myself
will attempt to list the history of AA in every country of the world on
silkworth.net. Any help by AAHL members on the histories of each country
would
be greatly appreciated.
Yours in Service,
Shakey Mike Gwirtz
Philadelphia, PA USA
- - - -
From: jim.myers56@yahoo.com (jim.myers56 at yahoo.com)
I would like to thank Mike for this posting. As Mike has shown, he
has come
up with a piece of AA history that corrects that which was previously
know -
namely that of communication about Alcoholics Anonymous in the Country of
India
prior to the established year of 1956. I'm sure you can see the
significance
of this piece of AA history - accuaracy! I'm sure I would be speeking for
both,
Mitchell and Mike as well as many others who has an interest in AA's
history,
that it is very important to document AA's history, where ever it may be
in the
world, as accuarte as possible. It has been my intention to document AA
history
on silkworth.net as accuarately as I possibly can, regardless of where or
what
that AA history may be, and along the way, I have had to update/correct some
AA
history on the site, and I'm sure there will be more updating of such
information.
Â
I would like to touch on the subject that Mike has brought up - that of
documenting Global Localized Alcoholics Anonymous History. There is no
doubt
about it. This will be quite an undertaking - to document Alcoholics
Anonymous
history from Country's around the Globe.
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