National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-11-10
The Effects OF Strong Drink.

|
About fifteen wears ago Mr. T. q. r.
Nelson, distinguished actuary OF Lon
don, investigated the rate OF mor"i'y
prevalent among persons addicted 10 ,he
immodcrnte use Of intoxicating drinks
He confined his attention solely to Well
marked eases OF incompetence, ana IN
serted In the circular which he dis'r'pn-
ted to Trustworthy persons directions to
enter no case in the schedule unless
the person alluded to WAS decidedly
addicted to drinking habits during n
considerable period of life, The facts
collected by him were carefully analysed
and tabulated, and the mortality ex-
hibited was compared with that OF the
general population Of England and Wales.
Out of the six thousand one hundred
and eleven such persons under observe
ton, three hundred and fifty-seven died,
whereas il the general rate OF mortality
had been observed the deaths would have
been but one hundred and ten.
Throughout the whole range of the
table" the author observes, the rate
of mortality is frightfully high, and I'M
equalled by the results OF any other series
of observations made on any class OF
the population of this country. If there
he anything" he goes on to say, lin
the usages of society calculated to de-
stroy life, the most powerful is certainly
the inordinate use of strong drink. y
The schedule sent out by Mr.. Nelson
required also an enumeration OF the
peculiar features OF the intemperance in
respect to the favorite beverage; and
the following curious and significant
facts were observed as to the influence
OF the different kinds of drink on the
average duration of life. Such duration
after the commencement of the intem-
perate habits was found to be-
Among beer drinkers .........,.... Ill years
Among spirit drinkers. .,.:.,..,.' lb.' years
Among those who drink both spirits
| and beer Unfortunately .......' l6'i years
and The rate of mortality
Among beer drinkers. 4.597 per cent yearly
Among spirit drinkers 1886 Per cent. yearly
Among mixed drinkers. 6.l9i per cent yearly
It is well to remark here that the " in
temperate habit is usually acquired at
a comparatively early period, say ut age
1890, for which age the average expec-
tation of life i'll the general community
is nearly double that given above for the
| Incorporate drinkers of the least hurtful
| beverage. The different effects produced
upon several enumerated classes of per
sons he found to be very singular The
average duration OF life after the com
mencement of Incorporate habits was
Among mechanics, working and labor
Ing men, .......,.. .,..-. ....' 0Nears
/ Among trades dealers and merchants II years
Among professional men and gentle
men .,....... ,..,..-s.' 10 Years
Among females ........., ..,........ IA years
/ In subsequent part of his work the
author investigates the relative mortality
in the sexes from immoderate drinking
From the table which he gives it APP
pears that the mortality of the female
sex is, on All average, about one-fifth of
that of the male, varying from 20 per
cent. at age 2l-30 to II per cent. at age
| 71-S0. But the most curious circum-
stances disclosed by the figures, he
says, is the remarkable similarity be-
tween the proportion of crime III the
sexes to the proportion OF deaths from
assigned causes of intemperance. BY
referring to subsequent contribution
showing the influence of age ON the
development of crime, it will be found
that the tendency to crime in the male
sex is nearly five times as great as i'll the
male sex, or, more strictly, in the relation
of 1856 to !, 5Sl while the ratio of deaths
to the population from assigned intern
perate causes, at age 20 and upward, Is
in the exact relation of SOL to Sc, 769-
a most remarkable agreement, the differ
ence being under 2.5 per cent; 1874
substituted for COL would give the
precise relation of the figures showing
the tendency of crime IN the sexes.
This is rather strange coincidence,
and may be probably viewed by most
careful observers ms proving that crime
legally considered, and intemperance
in its ordinary acceptation, are the
concomitants of each other" If the
agreement noticed is more than n
'strange coincidence" and subsequent
analyses of criminal statistics tend 10
strengthen the belief that it is, the moral
and social havoc caused by the excessive
use of strong drink is as appalling as the
physical. 1t will be borne in mind that
the results detailed here were obtained
after laborious collection and collation.
of facts by an experienced and able man,
whose chief object was to frame a safe
basis for business for life assurance ope-
rations in which he was interested. He
had no theory of morals to urge, no SER
mon to preach save an incidental one,
which the facts preached for him. This
would add, if anything could, to the i'm
pressiveness of the lesson taught.