The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1905-10-05
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF INTEMPERANCE:

Does Moderate Drinking Shorten Life!-
Statistics Which Show That tho Total
Abstainers Win in the Longevity Race
Evidence Gathered by Actuaries.
Drunkenness is universally con-
demned, and all concede that the
drunkard's health suffers and his NE
is shortened by his excuses. But
when seeking to persuade men 10 an
stain entirely from alcoholic beverages,
we urge their habitual use is injurious
even in quantities so small as not to
produce intoxication, our position IS
questioned by many. When We quote
the testimony of eminent scientlhc
men as to the ultimate baneful eHects
even of moderate drinking on the va
rious vital organs, an answer is oiteh
made which to many. at nrst view,
seems quite conclusive. 1t is TO THIS
effect: 'Whateyer the doctors may say.
we can point you to a man over elgnty
years of age who has always taken ms
daily dram.' OF course. to thOugntlui
minds the fallacy in this answer VIII
be manifest. A generalization that
shall have any value must be mace
from premises much more extensive.
Could reliable statistics be produceu
showing the comparative longevity OF
a great number of total abStalners anu
of moderate drinkers, the conclusion
from such statistics would be 1ncoI',
testable. But whence shall such VIVA
statistics be secured? The com1hittee
of investigation which we nave neen
long but vainly asking from the Ohlteu
States Congress might have zone sutn
work. Were any temperance agency ~
attempt the task effort would, OF
Z. RI discount their It"
mort on the ground of alleged partlality.
Most heartily. therefore, will the
friends of temperance welcome the an
nouncement that this important 1nVes-
tipation has been made, and the re-
suits published by one Of the great lie
assurance societies of Great Britain;
We are indebted to Mr.. Chas. w.
Scovel manager of the Western Penn
sylvania agency of the Provldent saw
;nps Life Assurance Society, OF New
York and DR.. Geo. p. Donehoo, super
intendent, for a booklet entitled, How
Abstinence Pays: The Latest WORD OF
Science" which presents some OF the
results of the investigation OF MI. 4.
NJ Moore. actuary, as reported to the
british Institute of Actuaries. TO De
nnhlished in the official journal OF tnat
hodv The United Kingdom General
Provident Institute, of which MT.
Moore is actuary, supplies in it's con-
tinnous records. which cover slxty-ohe
years all the required data for each oA
about 125, 900 individual cases. the az
stainers having been Kept sepaIa.e
from non-abstainers. In the latte,
class no drunkards have been lnciuueu,
but only moderate drinkers, ana Hoe
the general run of moderate drlhAers'
but selected equal to the pest accep..
ed standard of assured lie. Az. eL
eighteen months of special WORK WIN
a CORPS of clerks canvasslnS tnese .ec
ords. Mr.. Moore has presented his eiap-
crate tables, diagrams, etc., Wnicn
prove that the entire working years -.
life together, from the age OF twenty
"a souentv there are among abstainers
1O.935 deaths. while among moaera'e
dr;nters the deaths numbered 46, 900.
When the fifty working years are o'-
vided into decades and the compafa-
five mortality in the two classes re-
snectiyely for each decade computed
the resultant figures should startle
middle-aged non-abstainers, for 1t -
shown that between the ages or forty
and fifty the death rate among them
lacks only twenty-siX per cent. OF De-
ing double the death rate of abstalners.
The investigation which produced
these most valuable statistics was I'M
dertaken solely in the interests OF an
insurance company. The service rem
dered to the cause of temperance Is
quite incidental, but not on that &C.
count less valuable, but rather more
so. The question as to the effect OF
moderate drinking on the duration OF
life is a question no more.-PresbZter-
ian Banner.