An analysis of the 14 James Bond novels reveals that the international spy consumed six or seven cocktails a day, on average, Michaeleen Doucleff of NPR reports.
A team led by liver specialist Dr. Indra Neil Guha at Nottingham University Hospital in England spent a year studying all of Ian Flemming's Bond novels.
The results are published in the Christmas edition of BMJ.
From NPR:
It wasn't just chronic drinking that roughed up Bond's liver. He also went on some mean benders. In Casino Royale, Bond knocked back nearly 20 drinks before going on a high-speed car chase, getting in a wreck and then spending two weeks in the hospital.
The authors conclude that "the level of functioning as displayed in the books is inconsistent with the physical, mental, and indeed sexual functioning expected from someone drinking this much alcohol," noting wryly that they suspect "the famous catchphrase 'shaken, not stirred' could be because of alcohol induced tremor affecting his hands."
