ABSTRACT
Alcoholismshowsatendencytoruninfamiliesthoughitdoesnotgenerallyfollow simpleMendelianrulesoftransmission.In1979,Cottonreviewedstudiesinvolving thefamiliesof6,251alcoholicsand4,083non-alcoholics.Relativesofalcoholics consistentlyhadhigherratesofalcoholismthanrelativesofcontrols,andalmost one-thirdofthealcoholicshadatleastoneparentwhowasalsoalcoholic.Thisdoes notnecessarilyimplygenetictransmission,sincespeakingFrenchalsorunsin familiesbutisnot,ofcourse,genetic.Systematicattemptstoteaseouttherelative importanceofheredityandintra-familialenvironmentalinfluencesstartedonlyin the1940s,andinthemainhaveconsistedoftwinandadoptionstudies.
