DRINK AND MORTALITY.

Evening Star, Issue 11895, 25 May 1903, Page 3

DRINK AND MORTALITY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—During the controversy which preceded the recent Local Option poll strenuousendeavors were made to discredit the evidence produced as to the effect of alcohol on health and vitality This is an important factor in the discussion of the liquor question, and all reliable evidence bearing upon it is of value Will you, then, kindly publish the following; During nineteen years’ experience of the Abstainers’ and General Insurance Company, Limited, the mortality among abstainers in the ordinary department had not. exceeded 48 per cent, of the number anticipated by the healthy male table issued by the Institute of Actuaries, the recognised standard of comparison. The mortality returns for last year issued by the Sceptre Life Association show that in the general section 81.94 per cent, of the expected deaths occurred, but in the abstaining section only 45.79 per cent, occurred. The experience of nineteen years (1884 to 1902) shows that the percentages in the two sections wore 79.55 and 54 57 respectively.

The annual report of the U.K. Temperance and General Provident Institute gives the mortality on whole-life policies for the year as follows:—Temperance section—expected deaths 398, actual deaths 325; general section—expected 439, actual 413; the percentages being 81.66 in the temperance as against 94.08 in the general. A report recently issued to the policyholders of the Scottish Temperance Life Office gives the experience of the last twenty years, which show that only 46 per cent, of expected deaths among abstainers occurred, while in the non-ab-stainers’ the deaths were 71 per cent, of the expectancy. The above figures require no comment. They speak for themselves.—l am, etc., St Mungo. May 25.