The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-09 00:00:00

AUDITORS.

John Pursord, Esq., 7, York. J. Stirling Taylor, Esq ,
terrace, Regent's-park. 14, Upper Gloucester-place,
Joseph Radford, Esq., 27,
Cambridge. terrace, Hyde- Martial L. Welch, Esq.. Wynd-
park. J ham place Bryanston-square.
STANDING Cot ssut,—John Shapter, Esq., Lincoln's Inn.
BANEERS—Messrs. C.Hopkinson and Co., Regent-street.
SOLICITORS—Messrs. Richardson and Smith, 28, Golden-square.
DEPARTMENT OP MEDICAL STATISTICS—WiIIiam Farr, Esq.,
General Register Office.
ACTUARY—F. G. P. Neison, Esq.

This Office Is provided with very accurately constructed tables,
by which it can assure unsound lives on equitable terms.
Similar tables enable the Society to grant increased annuities on
unsound lives, the amount varying with the particular disease.
Members of conseimptive families assured at equitable rates.
Healthy lives are assured on lower terns than at most other
offices.

The first Life Assurance Society commenced business in 1708,
and the principles of life contingencies, understood at that time to
a very limited extent only, have repeatedly undergone important
changes and improvements; but till the establishment of this So
ciety in 1841 no attempt had ever been made to assure the lives of
persons who suffer from disease.
The science of statistics has only within a recent period been
successfully applied to the duration and mortality of disease, and
hence tables on the probability of these results could not have been
formed ; and it would evidently have been unsafe and hazardous
for any society to have undertaken the risk of assuring the lives of
persons afflicted with any particular malady. The statistical in-
formation, however, now collected, and in possession of this office,
is of so great an extent as fully to warrant the extension of life
assurance to such cases, and, in fact, to place the application of life
assurance on diseased lives on a more secure basis than even that
on healthy lives.

It is hoped that while kept clearly in view that this Society, in
common with other offices, will assure the lives of healthy persons,
it is as yet the only one established to assure the lives of persons
labouring under disease; and to this latter feature particular atten-
tion is directed.

In the first place, because it opens a larger field for business than
all other offices can have unitedly; and in the
Second place, because that branch of assurance must, from its
own nature, be less hazardous, and its principles rest on a more
permanent foundation.

These are two highly important facts, and we shall enter into an
explanation of each ; and first, as to the prevalenct of disease.
The period of life most important to an assurance office is that be-
tween 15-60 years of age, and in the following remarks we refer
exclusively to this period of life.
It will be found that the deaths in the metropolis for the two
years preceding 1842 were, from all causes, 30,518 ; and from
consumption alone, 10,688 ; showing that more than one-third of
the total deaths in that period of life takes place from tie preva-
lence of a single disease; and if the same inquiry were instituted
with respect to other diseases, such as asthma, dropsy, diseases o f
the head, heart, &c., it would be found that more than one-half
of the whole population would, on medical examination, be refused
admission into an assurance office. If the inquiry be carried to
the principal towns in England, like facts are elicited-1n Bir-
mingham, Liverpool and Manchester, the deaths from all causes,
per annum, are about 5,023, while those from consumption are
1,988, forming considerably more than one.third of the whole. The
same thing will be found to hold good in the large towns in Scot-
land, in six of which the deaths in a given period, from all causes,
amounted to 23,078, those from consumption alone to 6,359, and
from six important diseases, 9,754; in the latter case forming more
than 42 per cent, of the deaths from all causes. On reference to
the returns from the city of Glasgow for 1836-1840 it will be
found that the deaths in that period, from all causes, were 14,107,
from consumption 4,087, and a list of five diseases, 6,423, being
more than 45 per cent, of the deaths from all causes.
The diseases here alluded to are such as exist in general in a
chronic form, frequently for many years prior to death, but which,
en a strict medical examination, would effectually exclude the
persons so affected from the benefits of life assurance ; and since
it thus appears that a majority of the population is included in this
class, tie value and importance of the new feature of this society
cannot fail to be justly appreciated.
The second point to be explained Is the fact that there is
much less risk in assuring diseased lives. This is a feiture of
paramount and vital importance to the interests of this society, and
deserves to be carefully considered.
The real risk incurred in all assurance transactions consists in
the chance to which an office is liable of experiencing a different
degree of mortality from that expected by the tabjes on which its
caculations are founded. This difference is termed the fluctuation
of mortality, and will be found to be much less among diseased
lives than over the general population, and among selected lives.
The deaths from consumption in the metropolis per annum are
sufficiently near the annual number which takes place in Glasgow,
from all causes, to admit of a comparison, and by reducing the
matter to figures it is found that while the fluctuation per annum
in the latter case is as high as 45 per cent., in the former it is only
9 per cent., or, in other words, the fluctuation of mortalitl in
consumption was only one-fifth of the other ; and in Manchester,
Liverpool, and Birmingham, even with the disadvantage of
smaller numbers, the fluctuation does not exceed 3 per cent.,
showing a remarkable uniformity in the law which determines the
mortality of this disease, and that it is more positive and absolute
in its results than that which regulates the general population.
Consumption has here been selected, not because it was consi.
dered more favourable in its results, but simply on account of the
larger numbers affording a more satisfactory proof of the question
under consideration; hut the same test has been applied to a great
number of other diseases, and like results obtained. Among nine
diseases in the metropolis, including asthma, dropsy, rheumatism,
disease of the liver, of the heart, of the nervous system, &c.. the
fluctuation was only 7} per cei.t., and in five diseases in a different
district the fluctuation was about 7 per cent., while among eleven
in another locality, and even with small numbers, the fluctuation
did not exceed 6.2 per cent.; and taking the principal towns in
England, including Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds,
Sheffield, &c., the fluctuation over eleven of the more important
diseases was 6'4 per cent.
The remarkable uniformity in these results cannot fail to pro.
duce a conviction of the positive character of the law of mortality
in disease; indeed, there seems to be nothing within the whole
range of the doctrine of probabilities so well defined as the mor-
tality of diseased lives. The mortality of the general population
has frequently been referred to by writers as an example of the cer=
tainty of common events, but the preceding remarks must show with
how much greater certainty the mortality of diseased lives can be
depended on.
It is perhaps right to state, that, in applying the test of
fluctuation to disease, it has not been confined to one place or
class of lives, but has been extended to the principal towns in

England and Scotland, as well as to many rural districts in Eng.

land, and included the experience of one or two large societies of
select lives. This has afforded an opportuwity of judging of the
effects of locality and its sanatory condition en the duraticn of
life, and a remarkable fact has thus been developed, viz.,
that the value of life generally is much greater in the coun-
try districts than in large cities; but that of those persons
who suffer from disease the value of life is nearly the same. As
aw example of this--the expectation at the age of 30 in the country
districts is 36.7 years; in cities (viz., Glasgow) 27.6 years—diffe-
rence 33 per cent. nearly ; but take the case of persons of that
age in whom the consumptive tendency is developed, and who will
ultimately die of consumption, and their expectati,,n of life in the
counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk, will be found to be 14'5,
in cities (Glasgow) 14'4, and be the metropolis, Manchester, Bir-
mingham, 13'9 ; difference 017 per cent. (or 1.57 per cent.) It
therefore appears that while the difference between country and
town life in the former can is about 33 per cent., that in the latter
instance (consumption) the difference is almost nothing, and the
results nearly uniform. The same thing ho!ds good with some
other diseases, which have been ir.vestigated in this manner. This
fact, although not generally understood, is only what might have
been expected by a careful consideration of the conclusion formerly
arrived at—that the fluctuation of the law of mortality in disease
is confined within a very narrow limit, and consequently little In.
fluenced by external circumstances.
Ithence appears that the fluctuation in the mortality of diseased
lives is much less than among select lives and the population gene-
rally, and therefore the risk of assuring diseased lives must also be
less.
To apply this conclusion to the affairs of an assurance office, it
may be stated, that supposing the number of lives in a society,
taking only select lives, was such that the table of mortality would
indicate 100 deaths per annum, it would be necessary to have
always sufficient funds at immediate command to meet 145 deaths;
on the other hand, an office assuring only diseased lives need not.
Provide for more than 109 deaths per annum; that is to say, the
risk of assuring diseased lives is to that of average lives as 9 to 45,
This fact is highly important to the interests of
or only one fifth.
this Society, and establishes beyond doubt the safety and correctness
of the principles on which it is founded.
For further information, reference is made to the prospectuses.
and other published docum.ints of the Society, which may be ob-
i tattled, on application at the Societyle's, ouffi. r
ee!.
tipsox,
Actuary.