The Historical Roots of Ledermann's Theory of the Distribution of Alcohol Consumption

Abstract

Ledermann's theory of the distribution of alcohol consumption in populations, which was published in 1956, is reviewed and discussed. The theory is based on some rather peculiar hypotheses, and an attempt is made to make sense of these hypotheses in light of Ledermann's research prior to 1956. The central question posed in this paper is what made Ledermann believe that strong regularities were to be expected. Furthermore, Ledermann's empirical data are scrutinized, and it is concluded that most of the data were inadequate for testing a distribution model which should be applied to the general population in different drinking cultures.