The Washington herald., 1907-09-29
BEER DRINKING AND
INSURANCE RISKS

Washington Correspondence indianapolis Telegraph
(Germanl
How far does the consumption Of ar
dent spirits and malt beverages affect a
mans acceptance as a risk by the great
life insurance companies Of the United
StatesG
To a large extent this most interesting
question has been answered by the com
panies themselves. Twenty Of the largest
and most noted companies Of the country
have written answers 10 questions asked
them on this point
The correspondence with the life in
| surance companies was brought out by
the frequent statements W prohibition
orators that the life insurance companies
considered a beer drinker a worse risk
than a whisky drinker. The Telegraph
resented this. and asked It's Washington
correspondent 90 secure the facts Cor
respondence with twenty Of the largest
companies brought answers from their
medical directors. Some Of the companies
answer that they have no settled policy;
some Of them request that their answers
be not printed. but number OF them
are frank and outspoken. and do not OBJ
ject 20 the publication of their informa-
ton.
In a general way all Of them object 10
excessive drinking. either directly or b.
saying that they have no objection 70
moderate drinking, emphasizing moder-
ate. Some Of them say that they con-
slider, IN every Individual case. what mod
crate drinking IS; but three OF them, the
Massachusetts Mutual. the Equitable. OF
New York. and the Prudential. adhere 20
Ansties limit, which IS one and a half
ounces Of absolute alcohol daily. or
about as much as there is in three or
four pints Of lager beer. Prof. Francis
L. Austie, the correspondent explains, IS
an English authority. well known IN the
medical world, especially through his ex-
tensive Investigations on the subject OF
toXicoiogy. and his work on "Sumulants
and Narcotics" He considers alcohol. II
taken IN small divided doses. and diluted.
so as not 70 be greater than 10 per cent
IN strength, as a food. and that one and
one-half ounses taken daily in this way.
disappear entirely In the body: that Is.
are consumed by II, as other food Is.
He shows that II will prolong life beyond
the period at which Il must cease. II no
nourishment or water only had been
given, and that It has repeatedly sup
ported life in acute diseases. when no
other food could be given to. or was
taken by, the patient.
Among the companies that answer
frankly and without reserve Is the Pru-
dental. Its medical director. DR.. Edward
H. Hammill, says; That a moderate IN
dulgence Of lager beer is in no way HARM
ful 10 a healthy individual. BY the term
moderate We mean a glass at meals. or.
perhaps, four or five. possibly six, glasses
within twenty-four hours.
"Anstle's limit Of safe Indulgence In al
cohOlic beverages is one and one-half
ounces Of absolute alcohol This is repre-
sented, IN the case Of lager beer. by pos
sibly three pints or two quarts per diem.
A life insurance company is not a temper
ance orga ganization. The average life is ac-
ceptable. and the average man uses lager
beer daily. If the writer mistakes not,
the German families serve at the table.
to the children. q glass Of beer as a daily
beverage They regard it as We regard
tea or coffee A moderate drinking OF
beer does not interfere with the ae-
ceptance of applicants for life insurance.
Il is only the immoderate use that preju-
dices the applicants chances"
One Of the large Western life insurance
companies makes this statement: we
have taken the records Of the company
in a general way concerning the use of
stimulants, and find that the difference
between the mortality Of the abstainers
and those who use beer and light wines
moderately tine class we insured is small.
while the mortality in the class of per
sons insured who used ardent liquors was
1874 per cent greater than the total alb
stainers."
The Equitable Life, Of New York. has
this to say: I am directed to say that this
society does not discriminate against a
person who uses beer moderately II he
is all right In every other respect, We
would consider such a man a first-class
risk. We draw the line at a daily al
lOwance OF one and One-half ounces of
absolute alcohol. which is about the
amount contained in five tumblers Of
beer. Our experience shows that where
policy holders. after receiving their pol
icies have become addicted to the use
Of beer and alcoholic drinks in exces-
sive quantities, the death rate was much
greater than normal"
The Phoenix Mutual Of Hartford.
Conn. says: THE drinking of beer. ex-
cept intemperateIy, does not interfere
with our acceptance OF the application
of man for a policy"
The Mutual Benefit, of New Jersey,
says: I'VE have not considered the mod
crate use OF beer as prejudicing risk.
and in deciding upon what is moderation
we are influenced by the applicants build.
occupation, environment"
The Germania Life, of New York, says:
we, Of course. propose to write only on
risks who indulge moderately in these
beverages. and do not think that our
favorable mortality experience has been
less favorable than 1t would have been
had we confined our writing entirely to
total abstinence"
The tenor OF these latter answers is
almost typical for all Of the twenty.
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