Drunk-O-Meter Test Fizzles
A great moment in the history of science. Arkansas, 1956.
Corsicana Daily Sun - June 8, 1956
'Drunk-O-Meter' Test Is Fizzle: Man Passes Out
HOT SPRINGS, Ark., June 8 — An attempt to test the accuracy of the "Drunk-O-Meter," a device used to measure the degree of intoxication of a person, ended in failure at Hot Springs.
The reason—the man engaged to get drunk for science passed out before he could be measured.
The experiment was conducted by police at the request of the judges' council, an official unit of the Arkansas Bar Association.
The man drank over a 20-hour period. In that time he consumed four half pints of wine, two half pints of whiskey, four half pints of "moonshine" liquor, and a half pint of vodka.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark., June 8 — An attempt to test the accuracy of the "Drunk-O-Meter," a device used to measure the degree of intoxication of a person, ended in failure at Hot Springs.
The reason—the man engaged to get drunk for science passed out before he could be measured.
The experiment was conducted by police at the request of the judges' council, an official unit of the Arkansas Bar Association.
The man drank over a 20-hour period. In that time he consumed four half pints of wine, two half pints of whiskey, four half pints of "moonshine" liquor, and a half pint of vodka.
Comments
Last time we were in Arkansas we couldn't buy a beer on a hot afternoon because I wasn't in a suit & tie.
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 08/19/15 at 10:27 AM
Either our idea of what constitutes drunkenness has changed a little, or our devices have become much more sensitive. Nowadays, he'd only have to have two or three drinks to register "drunk" on the machine.
Posted by sudon't on 08/19/15 at 02:41 PM
Wasn't there a report about portable analyzers being donated to some college? The upshot was that the kids would drink (a lot) in order to peg out the meter, making a sport of it, quite the opposite of the intent in which they were donated.
Posted by KDP on 08/19/15 at 03:54 PM
Testing for drunkenness or how much booze it takes to tox out??
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 08/20/15 at 08:05 AM
On average the body burns off roughly one ounce of alcohol per hour. So the subject was very drunk.
BAC meters at least the kind I carried had a low end of .00% BAC or cold sober. I had a coupe of people go up to .24% very drunk. Most stated set being drunk at .08% BAC. Had one guy blow .38% that's considered dead, he went to the detox ward but was walking on his own.
BAC meters at least the kind I carried had a low end of .00% BAC or cold sober. I had a coupe of people go up to .24% very drunk. Most stated set being drunk at .08% BAC. Had one guy blow .38% that's considered dead, he went to the detox ward but was walking on his own.
Posted by Gator Guy on 08/22/15 at 08:29 AM
I guess some people just can't hold their liquor.
Should have gotten a more experienced drinker.
Should have gotten a more experienced drinker.
Posted by Gary Foster on 08/24/15 at 01:42 PM
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Category: Inebriation and Intoxicants | Science | Experiments | 1950s