The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-02-15
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF lNTEMPERANcE.

The Latest News I'm Life Insurance Circles
is Astonishing the Tipplers - Death
Rate Among Moderate Drinkers Much
Larger han Among Abstainers.
The Boston Herald, under the editorial
head "Favoring Total Abstainers:" says:
III the insurance companies decide to
favor the total abstainer, it will be pretty
strong proof that their investigations have
led them to the conclusion that even the
moderate use of alcohol is not conducive
to long life. If this step is aiken by the
insurance companies 1t will unquestionabiy
prove a very strong temperance, or rather
total abstinence, argument. In many lines
Of industry the total abstainer is now
given special advantages. , = There
will be few temperance arguments more
. eloquent to the average man than the as.
surance that he may receive a better rat.
ing from the insurance companies If he is
a total abstainer than if he is an occasional
user Of alcohol. !
The New York Tribune states that a
number of actuaries and medical directors
have been working en- the statistics for
some years. and have come to the concln
sion that those who refrain entirely from
the use Of alcohol I've longer by from
twenty to fifty per cent. than do moderate
drinkers as 4 class. Even II the
| minimum u1uleu was lEG IlGNllQulu III ISuf
ity it would justify the companies in taxi
ton. > ~ IF total abstainers live
twenty per cent. longer on the average
than 90 those who indulge in a moderate
use of alcohol, that fact should be taken
into consideration in figuring the risk OF
insurance ON either ~c,ass."
The Kansas City Journal, under the cap
ton alcohol as Food" says:
Medical science has reached the conciu!
sion that it is useless If not injurious to
ments. And this scientific view has been
received with approval in the business
world. The big life insurance companies
are about to give special low rates for life
f! insurance to those who are total abstain
ers in the matter Of spirituous and malt
liquors. The companies have approached
this matter without prejudice, as it is
merely a matter OF dollars and cents with
them"
The New York American, in comment
ing on these latest bulletins of the life in;
surance societies notes the following testi
mony of DR.. Shrady, the famous practi
toner who was General Grants physician
throughout his last illness:
DIR. George +. Shrady voiced the senti,
ment of a score of prominent physicians
when he said in speaking of the new insur~
ance policy: BE-,
az think it is a good and just plan, and
! the liberaiity of insurance companies tc
non-drinkers will be a profitable arrange
ment. That reduced rates should be given
on the lives of total abstainefs can be am.
ply shown. No figures are necessary to
tell of the higher percentage of deaths
among people addicted to the use OF
liquors. 1t is simply a matter of daily OBJ
servatioD. +
1.-The extent to which drink shortens
life will be a matter for delicate adjust.
ment. 1t must, of course, depend upon the
amount of liquor taken into the system.
The moderate drinker of to-day may be.
come the immoderate drinker of to-mor.
row. There are all sorts of things which
must enter into the calculations of the in.
surance companies and to arrive at a pro-
per reduction will require some very deft
figuring -.
1.-THE proposed new policy, it is said, will
contain many. safeguards to protect the
company against fraud on the part of the
policy holder and against any fall from
grace after the policy is issued. These de-.
tails are still under consideration