Always in search of the latest cutting edge medical knowledge, we happened across a fascinating research article in the December 2013 British Medical Journal that asks the question –
“Were James Bond’s drinks shaken because of alcohol induced tremor?”
Before going any further and looking at the research methods and conclusions, we have to warn readers that this may be tough stuff to read if you were ever a James Bond fan. In other words, it is not for the squeamish…
The authors, three eminent physicians with appropriate specialty interests in emergency medicine and liver disease, undertook to quantify the amount of alcohol that James Bond drank per week, according to his amanuensis Ian Fleming, as chronicled in the James Bond books.
Using a conservative methodology, and noting the times when he could not drink because he was incarcerated, or for other reasons,
They summarize the results –
Across 12 of the 14 books, 123.5 days were described, though Bond was unable to consume alcohol for 36 days because of external pressures (admission to hospital, incarceration, rehabilitation). During this time he was documented as consuming 1150.15 units of alcohol (table 2)⇓. Taking into account days when he was unable to drink, his average alcohol consumption was 92 units a week (1150 units over 87.5 days). Inclusion of the days incarcerated brings his consumption down to 65.2 units a week. His maximum daily consumption was 49.8 units (From Russia with Loveday 3). He had 12.5 alcohol free days out of the 87.5 days on which he was able to drink.
As if this is not bad enough, and assuming that he didn’t occasionally dispose of his drinks in nearby potted 
plants, it raises the question about the state of his liver. Their analysis shows a clear pattern of high use at the beginning of his career, then a decline, and finally, near the end of his career, even higher levels of intoxication. The authors note that this pattern is often seen in people with terminal alcoholic hepatitis.
They also note several incidents of high speed and reckless driving associated with excessive intake of alcohol. They note that in Casino Royale, “he drinks over 39 units before engaging in a high speed car chase, losing control, and spending 14 days in hospital. We hope that this was a salutatory lesson.”
Caveat emptor… we were a bit shocked to read this at the end of the article, raising questions about the ethics of the authors…
Ethical approval: The impact of this study on fictional British spies was thought to be minimal and therefore ethical approval was not sought for this study.No consent has been sought from the Commander Bond chronicled in the original Ian Fleming novels. The barrier to this chiefly being his fictional nature meaning he is unable to give valid consent.
For the record, this study had significant impact on this author, who read too much James Bond as a child, and it seems heartless of the authors to imagine that it didn’t have a significant impact on fictional British spies, and their fans…