The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-12-30
STRICT BODILY TEST
ORDEAL UNDERGONE by APPLI-
CANTs FOR LIFE Insurance.
People Who Pass IL Not Likely to Die
soon-Occupations and Habits
That May Reject.

foreseen contingencies. their chances OF
living at least twenty years are as Ger
tain as anything in the future can be.
That they will live much longer is al
most equally certain. for a company do
ing business nationally will not insure
a person who does not come from a
long lived family. The period Of twen-
ty years is named. because at the end
Of that time the holder Of the popular
tontine policy, which the wise man will
take in preference to the ordinary
death policy. can get his money back,
plus compound interest at a higher rate
than most investments pay nowadays.
If he chooses he can ordinarily have
instead paid up policy generally about
three-fifths greater than the original.
Or he can take the three-ffths in cash
and keep the original policy, On which
nothing more need be paid. After three
years. too. he can cancel the policy and
get back nearly half Of what he has
paid in This is a doubtful advantage.
1t is on these lapsed policies that the
company makes its pront. Not much is
made out of the slayer.
The tontine policy under consideration
is the one most frequently issued by
a well-known company, and its advan-
tages are only limited at, as it would
take ND too much space to go into de-
tail. The questions asked of an appli-
cant for insurance are in a general way
alike in all, although perhaps. not in
the same order. The first asked in the
company referred to are as 20 the appli-
whether he is married or single. On
the age depends the rate OF premium,
a idle aged person having, of course,
TO pay more than a young man. The
applicant, or subject as he is termed,
must then tell whether he has
been insured before in that or any other
company. for what amount. and If any
application for insurance has ever been
rejected or modified. As to this last he
must answer in detail. He must then
give his present occupation and any
other he may have had. The next ques-
ton is: Are you now or have you ever
BEEN, either directly or indirectly, con-
cerned in either the manufacture or sale
of any kind OF alcoholic beverage? IL
the applicant be bartender or saloon
keeper his chances of getting insured
are small. A wholesale dealer. IL there
is no bar on his premises. stands a bet
ter show. He may, however, have to
pay higher premium. as must per-
son in what are considered extra
hazardous occupations or manufactures,
of which the list is quite long. A pow
der maker is naturally not a persona
grata with an insurance company. The
subject is next questioned as to his
residence. past and present. and whether
he contemplates change and for what
reason.
TEST QUESTIONS.
A question often decisive is as to
the age OF the subjects parents, grind
parents, brothers and sisters. if living,
and the age at which they died, if dead.
Should most Of them have died Young,
unless death was due 70 accid,nt or
causes to which the applicant 10 not
likely to be subject. cnis examination is
not apt to proceed ,udch further. He
must also give details as to tie exist
ence Of consumption or insanity in his
family. The subject is further asked if
he has had any of thirty ailments
among them being malaria, smallpox
or variloid, rheumatism, govt cancer or
other tumor. headaches. loss of con-
seriousness, commissions. paralysis,
nervous exhaustion. mental derange-
ment, asthma, palpitation of the heart,
chronic cough, indigestion and jaun-
dice. If he has to answer yes as to
any one of these he must give details.
If the Eyes" is in answer to the more
serious his acceptance is more than un-
likely.
One of the questions following is
whether he has gained or lost In weight
in any notable degree. A'person TWEEN
ty pounds under or twenty pounds over
what is considered a normal weight is
looked upon with suspicion. This
weight for person five feet nine inches
in height is about 145 pounds. The over
weight, IL properly distributed, that is,
IL not confined to the corporation, may
be several times twenty pounds, but a
Boston-fronted individual is not toll
Grated In the same way lack of weight
in a person of nervous temperament is
condOned.
To get an insura ce policy rerson
must show clean bill OF moral health
as well as of physical. That is, he must
be of comparatively good habits The
questions as to his habits call for
specific answers as TO what he common
ly drinks and how much: whether he
has ever been free drinker" and, if
so. when and for how long; whether he
has ever had delirium tremens or other
wise injured his health by drinking.
Even moderate drinker is scarcely
considered safe risk. and person
who habitually takes cocktail before
breakfast need answer no more ques-
tons; the examination stops with an
Affirmative answer on that point.
cocktail before dinner. il habitual, is
liable to turn down the applicant. OF
course person who is in the habit of
getting drunk more or less frequently
Is doomed IL he acknowledges il, and
IL he doesn't the physical and chemical
examination is likely to disclose his de-
ceit. A case is on record OF a rejected
applicant who insisted on having his
case reviewed by the chief examiner.
The review proceeded no further when
he acknowledged overwhelming so much
nearly every night that he had to have
at least two big doses OF liquor before
he could eat breakfast the next MORN
ing.
A conservative insurance company re-
CARDS as overindulgence in drink what
many persons who consider themselves
moderate drinkers would think very
small rations. The examiner is in
structed 10 draw the line at Anstie's
limit Of daily allowance equivalent
to one and one-ha1f ounces of pure al
cohol- such allowance" to quote from
the Insurance paper. will be repre-
scented in the case OF ardent spirits by
three ounces. OF sherry or other strong
wine by two wine glassfuls of claret
or champagne or other light wine by
one pint bottle. OF strong ale or porter
by three tumblerfuls and of light ale or
beer by four or five tumblerfuls" Most
people will think an allowance of three
ounces Of spirits more than equivalent
TO two glasses OF sherry, the pint OF
elarpf or tho fottr ~ five xxro~-1. q