Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-10-16
SUGGESTIVE STATISTICS.

From series Of letters from England the state of
the Order of Odd Fellows in that country and Scotland
published in g The Golden Rule" gather nte-
resting facts connected with sickness and mortality The
facts furnished by the friendly and charitable societies of
gland form the basis of the science of vital statistics
and these facts should be generally understood by those
who undertake their formation management.
In 1926 committee of the House of Commons made
report founded on Dr. Prices tables, which
confirmed by actual experience and the tables WHOLE
merely hypothetical and valueless The Highland
Socieys report published in the year, gives much
lower average of annual sickness in the early portion Of
life than the tables of DR.. Price, and Souhwes tables
preferred by the House committee in 1925 In 1885
Mr. Anses tables appeared prepared at the request of
g The Society for the Diffusion of Useful knowledge
from data furnished from five years experience of
y five thousand members of friendly societies in Eng
than the Hgnlana oocivsy .s discrepancies being nc
counted for by the fact that the members Of the Scotch
societies did claim their benefits except
| extreme poverty.
In 1916 Mr. Nelson published his contributions to vi
tai Statistics This work bases its calculations upon OBJ
servations made in IA, ,143 years of life. Mr..
Nelson gives the annual average sickness at the age of
20, at rather more than eght-tenths of a week Mr.
Ansel gives it at about and Cloths per cent less
Mr. Nelson likewise made calculations, showing the
difference of liability to sickness, &c., among many of the
principal trades and occupations The variations induc
ed by particular localities is also noticed in his work
In 1850 Mr. Henry Ratc, the corresponding secreta-
ry of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Manche
ter Unity furnished the result of his observations upon
the data furnished by the experience of that Order
These give less amount of average sickness than either
Of the others.
From the different tables the following facts are ad
duced:
According the experience Of Mr.. Nelson the total
age amount of between the age of 20 and that so
Ia period Of 40 years. is so weeks days. and Ii hours
while between 60 and 70 IA period of only 10 years. it y
weeks days. and hours In other words there is the
average nearly weeks less sickness experienced during the
years after manhood than in the 10 years after the
age Of go.
According TO the experience Of the Manchester Unity not
whstandng slight variation in the precise results, the
principle Of increased liability is equally clearly exhibited
The average sickness from 20 years to so 81 weeks
hours and between so and TO- 81 weeks days, and
hours weeks-5 days and haur sickness in the
latter 10 yesrs than during the preceding 40.
From 20 so the total average sickness is So weeks days.
20 hours and from so to 40 is So weeks and days
showing weeks, day. and hours sickness in the
latter period Of years than the preceding 40
Notwithstanding this rate Of increase the whole
combined is still less than that Of the following 10 years
From 20 70 Mr. Nelson gives aggregate average sick
ness at 1877 weeks days. and 13 hours and from 20 So
at 2O5 weeks days, and ii hours increase during the
latter 10 over the preceding so Of 81 weeks days
and 22 hours
The Manchester Unity data tell similar important truth
20 and 20 the aggregate sickness member lis
weeks days, and 15 hours; between 20 and so il is 4l
weeks days. and II hours increase during the latter 10
years % weeks days. and ii hours the preceding So
At so years of age according to Mr. Nelson's experience
the sickness has reached the nearly q
each member in the average during that year. Tmu,t not
be forgotten that sickness in the nomenclature Of friendly So
cees means inability to follow employment in consequence
Of Illness At the latter periods of life the members may be
regarded rather superannuated than sick but the liability
to the funds of the society remains the same.
These facts of great Importance showing the i'm
portance of making calculations in accordance with the
increasing liabilities in the later years Of their existence
for society which may be perfectly solvent in the
earlier years of its existence may without the necessary
provisions are made be entirely unable meet its obi
cations when the average of sickness and
quent benefits shall become greaterNew York Express