While this theory is undoubtedly true as applied to many of those who have developed opiate addiction, it is true of them as individuals whose personal characteristics are such that they require forcible control for the accomplishment of desirable ends in general. It is not true of them simply because of narcotic addiction. It is equally true of these same people afflicted with other diseases. Their successful handling for tuberculosis, venereal disease, cardiac conditions, or anything else requires for its successful issue constant oversight and what practically amounts to custodial care. I shall refer to them later. They are fundamentally custodial or correctional cases and success in their handling will never be accomplished in any other way, whether they are being treated for narcotic addiction or for anything else, mental, moral or physical. What appears in this chapter does not solve the problem of the handling of the narcotic addict of this type. There are many factors and elements in their mental and physical make-up other than drug addiction which should be considered, and these factors and elements lie at the bottom of their irresponsibility and the real difficulty of their handling. Experience and the analysis of unsuccessful effort and results showed that, however necessary forcible control might be in the handling of some narcotic addicts, it was not successful nor sufficient nor even the most important factor in the treatment of most cases of addiction-disease. I soon came to see that I had an erroneous conception of my medical and clinical problems and an unjust attitude towards many if not most of my addiction patients. Studying them--not as drug addicts, but as individual human beings--I found them in their personal, mental, moral and other characteristics, as various as people suffering from any other disease condition. There were no narcotic laws at that time and opiates were easily and cheaply obtainable. Very many, perhaps most of those who came to my wards were not forced in either by fear of the law or by scarcity of opiate supply. They did not have to come for treatment, but voluntarily presented themselves in the hope of cure. Something was wrong with my theories.