The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-23
BODY AND MORALS TESTED.
the oRDEAL BEFORE A~PPLICANTs
ron IIFE INSURANCE.
People who rass ~ Not Likely 60 Bis
soon Uccupatlon snd Habits that May
Reieet-Thc phy sicaI Examination.

rropie who Pass ~ Not Likely 60 Die
Occupations and Habits that May
ReJect-The Physical Examination.
Persons who have passc,l the examination for
life insurance In a conservative company have
the satisfaction Of knowing that. barring occi-
dents and unforeseen contingencies, their
chances OF living at least twenty years are as
certain rs anything in the future can be. That
they will live much longer is almost equally
certain. for r company doing business nationally
will not insure a person who dues not come from
n long lived family. The period Of twenty yesrsis
named. because at the end OF that time the ho'5s'
Of the prpular tontine policy, which tho wise
man will take In preference to the ordinary
death policy. can get his money back, plus cOrn-
pound interest at a higher rate than most In.
vcstmcnts pay nowadays. II he chUoscs he can
ordinarily have. instead, n paid-up policy gem
orally about three-ffths greater than the ORIG
inul. Or he can take tho tlree.flfths in cash
and keep the original policy, ON which nothing
more need lie paid. After three years. too. he
can cun,cl the policy and get back nearly half
of what he has paid in. This Is q doubtful adj
VANTAGE. 1t IL on these lnpscd policies that the
company makcs its ptOut. Not much is made
ont of the slayer.
The tontinr policy under consideration is the
one most frequently issued by n well-known
company, and its advantages are only limited at.
ns IL would take up too much space to go into
detail. The questions asked OF an applicant for
Insurance are in u general way alike In all. all
though perhaps not In the same order. The
first asked In the company referred TO are as to
the applicants age, race, and nationality. and
whether he IL married or single. On the age de-
ponds the rate of premium, a mlddle-agcd per-
son having, of course, to pay more than n young
man. The applicant. or subject rs he Is termed,
paper. must then tell whether he has been in-
surcd before in that or any other company, for
what amount. and II any application for insure
anCo has ever been rejected or modified. As to
this last. he must answer in detail. lie must
then give his present occupation and any other
lac may have had. The next question is:
Are you now or have you over been, either directly
or Indirectly, concerned In either the manufacture or
sale " any kind OF alcoholic beverage?
II the applicant be n bartender or saloon
keeper his chances of getting insured are small.
A Wholesale dealer, If there is no bar on his
premises, stands a better show. He may, how
ever, have to pay n higher premium. as must .
person in what are considered extra hazardous
occupations or manufactures. OF which the list
Ia quite long. A powder maker is naturally not
q persona grdtd with an Insurance company
Tho subject is next questioned as to his resi-
dence, past and present. and whether he con-
templates q change and for what reason.
A question often decisive is as to the age of the
SUBJECTS parents, grandparents. brothers and
sisters. i~fliyiug, and the age at which they died.
IL dead. should most of them have died young.
unless death was due TO accident. or causes to
which the applicant is not likely to be subject.
his examination IL not ant to proceed much fur
Tier. lie must also give details a. to the exist
encg Of conSumption or insanity in his family.
The r ,bJcct is further asked II he has had
my ct thirty ailments, among them being
matism, gout. cancer. or other tumor. ,iend-
ysis, nervous exhaustion. mental arrangement,
asthma. unllltutluu of the lpuft. Clrbuig cough.
indigestion, and j~aUndicc. II he hus to answer
taiiiGss' Il a. tho 6S any AMOR one is 81 tn 'G nnsr ns must ,n eve more ore,
serious his acceptance is more than unlikely.
one Of the questions following Is whether he
gree. \ person twenty pounds under or twenty
pounds over what is considered a normal weight
l. looked upon with suspicion. This weight, for
n person . feet - inches in height, Is about las
pounds. The overweight, II properly distrib-
ut"d, that is, II not confined to the corporation,
may he several times twenty pounds. but \ Bos-
confronted individual is not tolerated.. In the
temperament Is COndOncd.
To get an insurance policy. a person must
physical. That is, he must bc of comparatively
good habits. The questions as to his habits call
drinks and how much: whether he has ever
been u " free drinker,' and. il so. when and for
tremens, or otherwise injured his health by
drinking. Even IA moderate drinker Is scarcely
uaIly takes a cocktail before breakfast need
answer no more questions; the examination
stops with an Affirmative answer on that point.
A cocktail before dinner, If habitual, is liable
to turn down the applicant. OF course n person
less irsauent i IS st dDom e Il he sctn"WiedSes Il,
ana II he doesn't the physical and chemical eI-
case is on record Of a rejected applicant who In:
sisted on having his case reviewed by the chief
sNaininer. The review proceeded no further
nearly every night that he had TO have Mt least
two big doses OF liquor before he could eat
breakfast the next morning.
A Conservative insurance company regards a.
oyerIndulgcnce in drink what, many persons,
who consider themselves moderate drinkers.
would think very small %rations. The examiner
t. Instructed to draw the line at Anstie's limit
Of q taiiy allowance equivalent To one and one
half ounces Of pure alcohol. such allowance"
t"!u"tr IRON the Insurance PAPER will DO
ounces, at sherry or other strong wine, by two
Wlncg!assfuls; OF claret, or champagne or other
light wine, 10y one pint bottle; Of strong ale or
porter, by three tuinblerfuls. aud Of light ale or
beer. by four or five tumhlerfuls.' Most. people
more than equivalent totwOg !asses of sherry the
pint ot Clarrt, or the four or tive glasses of beer.
brlukcrs Of beer are looked upon with especial
di,iavUr by Insurance companies, and "A large
proportion Of applicants are rcicct,i ca that ac-
tended 10y most Insurance examiners; were 1t
not, the average moderate driuAer cuuidnt get
insured AZ all The ~aliGwh1c" as 70 liquor.
wlL,s, md beer is probably exceeded by the Or
binary @ liver. T. Il because of the tempta-
tirns Ihrn"t. their way 10y their calling that
MOI Impossible, 10 get Insured.
Toba",o is tolerated by insurance companies,
diligence II lac would pass ~ Insurance exam
iHttlun. Cigarettes are apparently not Cnnsid-
cred especially uhn"althful unlcs. the smoke II
Inhaled, An applicant Tor insurance must tell
whether hc ha~ ever been In the habit OF using
opium, morphine, Chlural, coca, or other s-
called narcotic drug. ~llahitual users Of most Of
tlr-c drugs need not apply for Insurance, and a
person who hts al any time used opium ar kim
dFrh narcotics Is more u an Insurance par.ah
than n hard dTiukCr.
A.'rr the applicant has answered these and
H. other i~gc~lluI, On the long list, his physical
examination tuiluw-. His weight, height, chest,
Eir'u. and wgI-t gIrth are ta.'u, RUd The con-
dl.iuu II his OrEHnr IL I tested Ia tRC various ways
u-"i 10y WU.4.Jyl science. II any ~ the tests
rirw uHfLyurahlr SYMPTOMS the applicant Is
IL re dian likely 10 hr rejected. SOMETIMES the
symptums are attributed TO temporary causes.
and another nance i, allowed linn, A small
Ctn-t manite-ily hardlCaVs an applicant, aud
one that is OF les giTth Than the wHlst j. almost
fH'al 10 his chances, On the other hand persons
Of gpui physique. who would apparently makes
good record ia u ~ muasium, are found wanting
because heir organs cannot stand the chemical
AMI other tets,