Conscience and alcohol

Posted by S. on April 02, 2003

In Reply to: Conscience and alcohol posted by ESC on April 02, 2003

: : I have been asked about a saying attributed to a Thomas Blackburn to the effect that: We do not know much about concscience except that it is soluble in alchol.

: : Does anyone know the origin of this and who was Blackburn?

: I couldn't find the saying in Bartlett's Quotations. I googled "Thomas Blackburn" "conscience" and "alcohol" and found the quote. But it doesn't say who Blackburn is/was:

: "A psychologist once said that we know little about the conscience except that it is soluble in alcohol."
: - Thomas Blackburn

I think the Thomas Blackburn in question is a poet, whose work includes "The Adjacent Kingdom: Collected Last Poems". I can't say for sure, however, as the name seems to be a relatively popular one.