Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-06
COMPARATIVE MORTALITY.
Analytical Suggestion to the
Choice of Occupations.

"a patient of mine" said a Capitol Hill
physician, recently consulted me as to
choice of occupation. He is a young man
not in robust health. and desired TO embark
in a calling which would insure him long
lease OF life
II advised him to become a clergyman,
because some recently compiled figures by
a high medical authority, on comparative
mortality, show that the men engaged in
spiritual callings live longer than other
men. and, consequently, must have an in
ferentiaIIy easier time and steadier life.
Taking clergymen as a standard in
percentages of comparative mortality,
let us begin with the outdoor occupa-
lions which are popularity considered 10
be the heaithiest. The young man thought
that preaching OF the gospel would prove
too combining and sedentary, and suggested
driving a cab, for, while cahmen may not
get rich, they certainly get plenty OF fresh
air.
.Of all the different occupations. how
ever cab and omnibus driving is among
the hardest and deadl!est. the percentage
of deaths against the clergyrnen being
267 Hucksters and licensed vendors are re-
puted be longlived because OF being al
most continually in the open air. but their
percentage is very high-33S. It's the eN-
posture and hard life in all weathers. The
Cornish miners lot is considered hard
one, but he goes the last named calling
seven numbers to the good in 33l- The
builders. mason's and bricklayer's trades
are better, the percentage being but IA.
while the naughty plumber overtops this
figure by 8.
In the northern states there are many
stone and slate quarries and the percent
age of this class of workers is POP. To
every 100 clergymen who die there are
160 coal miners in Pennsylvania who sue
cumb. Glass workers are popularity sup
posed to die quickly and often, and while
the percentage in their calling is high-2li-
it is exceeded by earthenware workers at
~ Las haff Of tha I..a.3
of the trades. New Jersey furnishes the
largest number of this class. The file cut
tiers trot a close second in 300, cutters. 229:
painters and GLACIERS, PIG; bookbinders, 2lO;
butchers. 211; brewers. 24J; tailors. lSg;
storekeepers generally. 1os, and paper
workers, 129.
I'm the big factories in New England the
operators in the cotton mills go off at the
rate of 1856 as against lS6 in the woollen
mills. Cabinet makers and upholsterers
weigh in evenly at 113. machinists and boil
er makers, 100; gunsmiths. 1S6; mllers. l12:
Shoemakers, 166; bakers, Ill, fishermen,
lab; carpenters, las: grocers. 139.
1T will surprise many people to know
that hotel or inn keeping is the most dead
ly Of the occupations. the percentage being
:9l. Liquor dealers follow with pa The
reason for this high mortality in these two
callings Is ascribed to the fact that those
engaged therein drink more or less, and in
valuable compilations Of this nature the
percentage always appears high against the
class of subjects who are known to be
drinkers.
Next to clergymen. the lowest percent
age is held by gardeners. being los Farm
ing is considered the healthiest OF all occu-
pations. but the percentage is ia, with
agricultural labOrers at f2j. The legal pro-
feSSion is a good one on the point | am dis
cussing. the percentage being comparatively
low-l52 We physicians work harder than
our legal brethren, we die at the rate of
2U2 Drummers go at about double the pace
of the clergymen in III. while the percent
age of clerks in commercial pursuits is 179.
4. 3frly Baf .ai,.
eminent clerks with them, however. No
figures complied to the percentage
of mortality among government clerks. but
as there is a saying in Washington they
never die or resign, perhaps their percent
age would be below that of clereymen.
Neither has the comparative percentage Of
newspaper men been yet computed.
These figures prove that the sedentary
occupations compare favorably with those
of the outdoor trades. and it will be We'll for
writers to bear that fact in mind