In seeking for solution I began to realize that the narcotic addict of average individual characteristics obtained no enjoyment from the use of his opiate, and that he co-operated as a rule to the extent of his ability and endurance in efforts to relieve him of his condition, so long as he had any hope of possible ultimate success. I learned, trained and experienced physician though I was, that I was far more ignorant of the clinical manifestations and physical reactions of narcotic drug addiction than many of the patients I was trying to treat. It was soon evident to me, moreover, that the man who recognized my ignorance above all others was my patient. I came to see that what I had interpreted as lack of co-operation was largely due; first to his memory of previous experience, second to recognition of my ignorance, and third to his anticipation of useless and harmful suffering which he expected from my care and treatment of his case. Looking back over that period, I am free to confess that my efforts, though honestly made, amply realized his expectations. I began to see that I knew nothing of this disease or how to treat it as a problem of clinical disease. I saw that addict after addict sneezed and trembled, jerked and sweated, vomited and purged, became pallid and collapsed, that his heart and circulation were profoundly and alarmingly disturbed, that he had the unquestionable facies or expression of intense physical suffering, and the many constant and obvious signs which attend physical need for opiate drug. I could not escape the conclusion that here were tangible, material, incontrovertible physical facts for which I had no physical explanation. It seemed unreasonable to be satisfied with any explanation of them that did not have a physical basis; and it seemed a logical conclusion that the establishment of a basis of physical disease mechanism could offer the only hope of remedy. I therefore ignored for the time being my past teachings and ideas of the drug addict, and I looked to the patient himself, questioning him as to his experiences and studying the symptomatology and physical phenomena he presented. In short, I adopted the attitude which must be widely adopted before the medical problem of the clinical handling of drug addiction will be solved--in my attitude towards these cases I became the clinical student and practitioner of internal medicine, treating my patient to the best of my ability as I would a sufferer from any other disease, and studying his case. Struck by clinical facts which did not accord with past teaching, I tried to seek out from my personal study and observation of the individual case data upon which to form theories which would accord with clinical facts and with verified histories and, if possible, give a basis of help to these unfortunates.