The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-10-11
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF lNTEMPERANcE:

Does Moderate Drinking Shorten Lifee-
Statistics Which Show That the Total
Abstainers Win in the Longevity Race
Evidence Gathered by Actuaries.
Drunkenness is universally con-
demned, and all concede that the
drunkards health suffers and his life
is shortened by his eXcesses. But
when seeking to persuade men to alb
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 scientific
men as to the ultimate baneful effects
even of moderate drinking on the va
rious vital organs, an answer is often
made which to many, at first view,
seems quite conclusive. 1t is to this
effect: "Whatever the doctors may say,
we can.point you to q man over eighty
years of age who has always taken his
daily dram" Of course, to thoughtful
minds the fallacy in this answer will
be manifest. A generalization that
shall have any value must be made
from premises much more extensive.
Could reliable statistics be produced
showing the comparative longevity OF
q great number Of total abstainers and
of moderate drinkers, the conclusion
from such statistics would be incon-
testable. But whence shall such vital
statistics be secured? The committee
Of investigation which we have been
long but vainly asking from the United
States Congress might have done such
work. Were any temperance agency to
attempt the task effort would, OF
course, be made to discount their re-
port on the ground of alleged partiality.
Most heartily, therefore, will the
friends of temperance welcome the an
nouncement that this important inyes-
tigation 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 .Provident SaV-
ings Life Assurance Society, of'NeW
York, and DR.. Geo. P. Donehoo, super
intendent, for booklet entitled, How
Abstinence Pays: The Latest Word OF
Science" which presents some OF the
results of the investigation Of Mr.. 4.
M. Moore, actuary, as reported to tne
British Institute Of Actuaries, to De
published in the official journal OF tnat
body. The United Kingdom General
Provident Institute, of which MI.
Moore is actuary, supplies in its con-
tinuous records, which cover slxty.one
years, all the required data for each Oh
about 1250GO individual cases, the ap-
stainers having been kept separate
from non-abstairfers. In the latter
class no drunkards have been included,
hut only moderate drinkers, and not
the general run of moderate drinkers.
but selected "equal to the best accept
ed standard of assured life" After
eighteen months of special WORK, Wild
a corps of clerks canyassing these rec
ords. Mr.. Moore has presented his elap-
crate tables, diagrams, etc, which
prove that the entire working years OF
life together, from the age OF twenty
TO seventy. there are among abstainers
1O,935 deaths, while among moderate
drinkers the deaths numbered 46,9oo.
When the fifty working years are d.
yided into decades and the compara-
tive mortality in the two classes re-
spcctively for each decade computed.
the resultant figures should startle
middle-aged non-abstainers, for it is
shown that between the ages OF forty
and fifty the death rate among them
lacks only twenty-six per cent. OF be-
inc double the death rate of abstainers.
The investigation which produced
these most valuable statistics was un-
lertaken solely in the interests OF an
insurance company. The service rem
lered to the cause Of temperance IS
quite incidental but not on that ac-
count less valuable, but rather more
50. = The question as to the effect OF
moderate drinking OIL the duration OF
life is a question no lrore.-PresDyter-
ian Banner.