Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-12-11
ALCOHOL AND LONG LIFE

~ LID JOHN BARLEYCORN is cer-
tainly beset on all sides these
~ days. The insurance companies,
which have been after him for
years, have set sail for his scalp with
new vigor. For long time the men
who underwrite policies have looked
with suspicion on the drinker. Now
they are positive that their fears are
well grounded. Yesterday Arthur Hun
ter, an authority on the subject, who
has been making a careful investiga-
ton with the insured men of the en-
tire country as the basis of his OBJ
servations reported to the Association
of Life Insurance Presidents, in session
at New York, that the use of alcohol
in any form positively shortens the
life of the victim. His is not snap
ed after a survey of the past twenty
five years.
Forty-three leading life insurance
companies in the United States and
Canada contributed their detailed rec
ords on the two million lives in ques-
ton, which represented their collective
experiences on many different classes
of insured likely to have higher death
rates than normal.
OF Mr.. Hunters report the follow
ing ought to be read by every man;
Among the men who admitted
that they had taken alcohol occa-
sionally to excess in the past, but
whose habits were considered salts
R,, NnY.r NI,axv
there were 2S9 deaths, while there
would have been only 100 had this
group been made up of insured
lives in general. The extra NOR
cent, which was equivalent to q
reduction in the average life OF
these men of over four years. IL
this meant that four years would
be cut off the end of the average
normal lifetime of each man, there
are many who would consider that
The game was worth the candle.
But it means that in each year a
number of men will die at an earlier
age than they should. For example,
at age 30, the expectation OF llte is
thirty-two years; in the first year
after that age. instead of say, nine
persons dying, there would be
three men would each lose thirty
two years of life; in the next year
probably four men would each lose
thirty-one years of life, etc. AS
drinkers would live longer than
thirty-two years, but not nearly
so many as would live If they had
been moderate drinkers, and far
fewer if they had been total alb
stainers from alcohol. The Com
mittee of the Medico Actuarial
Mortality Investigation dld not
make a report on the mortality
among total abstainers, but sufttci-
ent statistics have been published
by individual companies to JUSTIFY
VINO
have always been total abstain
ers have a mortality during the
working. years of life Of about one
half of that among those who use
alcohol to the extent of one or two
glasses of whiskey- per day. In
view of this, the effect of prohibit
tion of the manufacture and sale of
alcoholic beverages in Russia
must be very great. If the Govern
ment of Russia carry out their
| present intention to abolish per
manently all forms of alcoholic
beverages, the saving in human
life will be enormous. 1t is not too
much to say that the loss of 5OO,-
600 men as the result of the pres
ent warfare could be made good in
less than ten years through com
pete abstinence from alcoholic
beverages by all the inhabitants OF
Russia.
This is preaching temperance in
language any man can understand. 1t
| is reaching out after the man who
sees no wrong in drinking, the man
who does not look upon the practice
as immoral and who feels that mode
rate indulgence does not injure him
because he feels no immediate i'll ef-
fects. Slowly but surely John Barley
corn is being forced to the wall, and
when finally he breathes his last it will
have been modern business as much
~. 4Lo fnrcos of rafnrnn that will he