THE LONGEST LIVES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 220, 17 September 1928, Page 12

THE LONGEST LIVES

INTERESTING STATISTICS That clergymen arc exceptionally healthy, an»d that appandieitis is found largely among the well-to-do classes, especially barristers, is shown in the Registrar-General’s report for England and Wales, issued recently. Influenza is “an occupational risk for doctors,” the highest mortality rates for this disease being in occupations involving exposure to dust, such as cutlery grinders, brass foundry furnacemen and labourers, cotton strippers, and iron miners underground. Dealing with occupation mortality. the report states that farmers are below average except for diabetes, appendicitis, and suicide. Coal miners are above the average, while inetal grinders have an excess mortality of 97.7 per cent., and cutlery grinders an excess mortality of 229.3 per cent. Bakers, it is shown, are below the average, while costermongers arc in excess at all ages. The birth rate is lowest in the upper and middle classes and highest among unskilled workers. The appendicitis death-rate is nearly two and a-half times as great for the upper and middle classes as for unskilled workers. The lowest extremes in the cancer mortality list by occupations are ministers, bank officials, machine compo?itois, and leather goods makers, while the highest are waiters, cutlery grinders, tin and copper miners, cellarmen, and baj-men.