Abstract:A survey of inpatient alcoholics was conducted in Okayama and Kochi prefectures in 1977 and 1979. The total number of inpatient alcoholics was 230 in Okayama and 401 in Kochi, corresponding to 5.5% and 10.7% of the total number of inpatients in psychiatric hospitals, respectively. The percentage of female alcoholics was 6.6% in Okayama and 6.5% in Kochi. By age distribution, the percentage of elderly alcoholics was high, but young alcoholics in their 20's were extremely few. As for the marital state, the spouseless situation showed a high percentage. Regarding the defrayment of medical expenses, half of the patients were on relief. Alcoholics staying in hospital for a year or longer accounted for nearly one‐half of the cases. Classification of the subtypes of alcoholism revealed that the problem drinking group accounted for the majority with over 60%, indicating that many cases of social problems were brought to the hospita