"cold turkey" (of drug addiction) antedated (?) to 1920

Sat Jul 7 14:19:45 UTC 2012

OED has 1921.

Monthly Bulletin,  By New York (N.Y.) Dept. of Health. Volume 10 no. 2, Feb. 1920, p. 42

A plan called by the addicts "cold turkey"--abrupt withdrawal (practiced in Kings County Hospital, and without a death)-- is not only possible but practical.

http://books.google.com/books?id=vngXAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA42&lpg=RA1-PA42&dq=%22cold+turkey%22+druds+OR+addiction+OR+stop&source=bl&ots=egOLzfV0oQ&sig=P6pboxw2PvAferxS1Tchg35eyss&hl=en&sa=X&ei=7UP4T9ubLIyk8ASJrNX0Bg&ved=0CE8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22cold%20turkey%22%20druds%20OR%20addiction%20OR%20stop&f=false

Stephen Goranson
www.duke.edu/~goranson

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