The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-06-27
PUTS MANS VALUE
INTO COLD CASH
Determination in Dollars of Brain
and Brawn's Economic Worth.
HAVE YOURSELF APPRAISED
Forty Years the Limit DIR. Erastus
Holt Declares Professional Mans
Value at That Age is $2e, ,34A.-
g.. .Septuaqenarians, $17.13.


Boston, MISUNDERSTANDING the the
ory Of DR.. Osler regarding mans value
according to his age, DR.. Erastus Holt,
of Portland, Me-, at the ophthalmology
session Of the American Medical Asso-
citation, in an elaborate paper on "Phy-
sical Economics" contended that the
economic value of laboring man de-
creases after his twent--ffth year and
that the value of a professional man
wanes after the fortieth year. DR..
Holt presented elaborate tables show
ing that a mans value in money can
actually be determined by taking into
consideration his occupation and age.
DR.. Holt is an authority on the topic,
having worked out theory which
changed the methods used in the Pen
sion Bureau for determining the amount
of a mans pension according to his
disability. He was j.. an accident one
time himself, and says that he had
nothing to do but think for six months,
and that he worked on this theory dur
, luS Ill Ol luul llluS, tlho oIhPiidSN
it great deal since.
In his table showing the value of in
dividuals of the American laboring
class he states that at ten years OF age,
on 31a per cent. discount basis, boy
is worth $2OG1.62; at fifteen years OF
age he is worth $4263.66; at twenty-five
he is worth S54SS.03, and from that
time on his value decreases, until at
seventy he is worth but $17.13, and at
eighty years of age ne is a drawback
on the community to the extent OF
SS72S4
The professional man at twenty-five
years of age has an economic value OF
S25, 5,S9S.94, ard his highest value is at
forty years o. age, when he is worth
$29,
DR.. Holt says that all damages to a
person through accident should be as
sessed by a jury in a systematic man
ner, and not in haphazard way, as it is
done at present. The tables which he
has used in determining the value OF
man are taken from those of the IA
nous DR.. Farr. but he has amplifed
these tables in such way that he can
determine the percentage Of loss due to
specific accident, such as the loss or
an eye, leg or an arm, or any diminu-
ton of the persons value short of total
disability. He advocates the plan OF
having every man and woman procure
for himself or herself an economic rat
ing, which he explains as follows:
There is nothing of more impor'
tance to be instituted in the science
and practice of medicine than the care
fully made records Of physical and la
boratory examinations of every person.
They should be instituted when the
child enters school and be repeated at
stated times during the whole period
of school life. A new school officer
would be necessary, who would ana
lyze q child, detect all abn4Tmalities
and aid in correcting them during
school life, and thus have the body
improved with the mind. From these
records data could be obtained which
would give the rating of the child, tax.
ing into consideration his functional
ability, on which his technical ability
so largely depends. With this work
carried out during school life it would
soon demonstrate its own Importance
by making these records of the highest
value in the training of the mind and
body. the promotion Of health, the pre-
vention of disease and the advance
ment of the race"