Family studies of alcoholism.

Alcoholism runs in families: this observation dates back to Biblical times and has persisted in the medical literature to the present (!). Studies in the 20th century uniformly report a higher prevalence of alcoholism in families of alcoholics than in families of nonalcoholics (2). Many conditions run in families which are probably not hereditary; speaking French is an example. However, recent studies (8-5) indicate that heredity may contribute to alcoholism. Since nature-nurture studies are a subspecies of family studies with their own particular problems, they will be discussed in closing. FAMILY STUDmS