Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1873-08-23
LIFE INSURANCE AND THE JEWS.

A curious and interesting article has
been published in the Medical Record
on the longevity and other biostatic ne.
culiarities of the Jewish race. by ]
stockton Hough. NJ. D., which has at.
,racted considerable attention in Jewish
circles, and will repay the perusal of in
surance men generally, in circles which
are not Jewish. DIR. Houghs purpose is
to show that according to statistical evil
dence the Jews as people possess many
peculiar advantages as to physical con.
stiution and longevity, which makes
them better risks for life insurance than
members of other races. Roughly speak.
ing, the number of Jews in the word NJ
the present moment is about seven mil
tions, the countries where they are most
numerous, ranking respectively, Austria.
Russia, Turkey, Germany, England.
France, and last (and in this connection
least), the United States. From an ex-
animation of the census statistics of these
countries, it is found that the mean aver.
age duration OF life among Jews exceeds
that of the Christians by about five wears
Mr. Pressia says there is Lei per cent.
of deaths among Jews, to 2.62 per cent
among the general population. In France
Christians live, on an average, 36 years
and II months; Jews, 4S years and 8
months. According to M. Mayer, lead
ing authority, one-half of the Christians
die before reaching 80 years of age, while,
among the Jews, one-half live to be so
years old. OF the former, only 1874 per
cent live to see their SEVENTEEN year,
while of the latter, 27.4 per cent. reach
that age. The fact. therefore, seems clear,
supported as it is by the best authorities
in France, England and Austria, that
Jews live longer, than Christians; which
naturally suggests the question, why?
There are many reasons to account for
the fact, OF which We need only mention
one or two. To begin with, there are
few or no Jewish paupers; and very few
Jewish laborers or mechanics. engaged
in mining or other hazardous occupa-
tons. Who ever heard OF, or met,
Jewish stoker or coal HEAVIER, a Jewish
stone-cutter or steel-grinder? They fight
shy OF all dangerous trades, preferring
the soft goods line, jewelry, money lend
ing, picture dealing. real estate specua-
ton, and the like. They also have more
rest than Christians, for they keep both
there own ahd the Christian Sabbath,
and all Christian and political holidays
in addition to their own, thus getting
twice the relaxation and repose that
their Christian neighbors have They
are also careful observers OF very strict
dietary, sanitary and certain we'll known
Leyitical laws for the promotion Of clean
iness and the prevention of contagious
diseases. Rarely do We find drunken
Jew, and still more rarely Jewish men,
Der of the demi-monde. Indeed, DR..
Hough has no hesitation whatever in |
the most chaste of all races. The fact |
Of women of other races having nearly |
three times as many illegitimate children
as their Jewish sisters, indicates by his
theory that the latter are three times as
chaste. This, doubtless, has something
10 do with the small mortality Of their
children, although Jewish mothers are
less prolific than Christians. But, no
doubt, the great reason why proportion.
ately fewer children die among the Jews
than in any other race is that the Jews |
marry at more favorable ages. OF 100 |
persons, 81 Jews to 30 Christians marry |
under 80 years of age, while SO Jewish
to "a Christian women marry under the |
same age. In 1000 marriages, where |
the man was over go years old and the |
woman As, the proportions were AZ Chris
tans to 3S Jews. Male births also pre-
dominate more largely among the latter
than among the former, which circum-
stance Is attributed to the better phys
ique and younger age of newly married
Jews, and particularly to the conscien-
tlous observance of certain Levitical |
laws, to which reference has already
been made. There are many other in
teresting details which we would like to
touch upon, such as the extraordinary
Immunity of this race from contagious
and acquired diseases, the comparative
rarity of suicides among them, and the |
fact that there are fewer Jews, proper
tlonately, who break the laws, than |
Christians. But we have already ex-
ceeded the limits assigned this paper,
and must refer such of our readers as
desire farther enlightenment to DR..
hough' article on this very curious, ex-
traordinary, and in most respects, most
exemplary people. II Insurance Age.