^6 Mr W. Fraser oil the History/ and Constituiiori of 



swers, " I do, most decidedly ; if there is any authenticity in the returns at- 

 tached to the Report of the Scotch Highland Committee, these will confirm 

 it — You think that as a man advances in life, he is more liable to sickness ? 

 Undoubtedly he is, both in its frequency and in its duration Are you ac- 

 quainted with that table C The table of the Law of Sickness, framed by the Highland 

 Society, given at p. 283. of this Journal p I am acquainted with the Scotch ta- 

 bles ; and here the Committee will see that their progression of sickness be- 

 gins at 21, and goes on increasing until the age of 70." Report, pp. 28, 29. 



March 10. — Mr George Glenny, actuary to the Royal Union Association or 

 Friendly Society, London — " Are you acquainted with the Report on Friend- 

 ly or Benefit Societies, lately published by a Committee of the Highland So- 

 ciety of Scotland ? Yes — Have you examined the tables annexed to that 

 Report ? Yes. — State your opinion of them ? My opinion is, that the data 

 are too low. — You mean by too low, too low for the districts with which you 

 are acquainted ? Yes. — Do you apprehend that the data upon which the ta- 

 bles were foniied were incorrect ? 1 must give a qualified answer. I think 

 the tables, as produced from the returns which were made, correct ; but there 

 are many reasons which I could give why the returns should not be correct. 

 I apprehend, that if any societies did not send their returns, they would be 

 the societies whose aflTairs were the most desperate, and who would naturally 

 have the greatest reluctance to an exposL I do not know that any society 

 did so refuse, but the great variety of the returns, the great variety of the 

 data to be taken from each of these returns, induced me to think, that al- 

 though it will be highly useful, in every stage of Friendly Societies, to con- 

 sult these, yet they are not sufficiently high to use for tables of contribution. 

 — Does not that very much depend on the payment for management ? Great- 

 ly ; I provide the table first for the benefits, and then I put on every month- 

 ly payment a certain sum for management, which I think adequate." — " Ha- 

 ving the book there, refer to Table III. (supra p. 283.) have you constructed 

 any table upon a similar principle ? Not exactly. I have obtained results 

 upon a similar principle, upon which I have calculated my tables — You mean 

 you have obtained results from a variety of Friendly Societies ? From a va- 

 riety of Friendly Societies, and from a variety of bodies of men, and manufac- 

 turers. I have also obtained the opinion of a vast number of medical men, 

 on the average sickness of population — Could you easily construct a table 

 upon a similar principle ? I am now occupied in such an undertaking, but it 

 is an undertaking of such magnitude, that I do not consider myself in a state 

 to give up the results at present. I do not think them sufficiently correct. 

 I have formed my sickness tables in the Royal Union from very closely exa- 

 mining those of Dr Price, and making very little alteratioa for actual obser- 

 vation ; and I am confirmed in an opinion now, that notwithstanding what 

 may have been done, at present Dr Price's sickness tables are the nearest cor- 

 rect of any thing yet published — You consider them a trifle too high ? I do." 

 Mr Glenny then states, that, in many professions, such as gilders, painters, 

 watchmakers, and workers in lead, he had found the sickness or inability for 

 labour very great, although the mortality was by no means greater than 

 among other professions. — Pages 39, 40. 



March ll.—John Finlaison, Esq. actuary of the National Debt Office 



" Have you attended at all to the average prevalence of sickness at different 

 ages ? I have not ; because I conceive it is totally impossible to obtain au- 

 thentic materials, sufficient to reduce that subject to any certain law." 



" When you say that sickness is incapable of valuation, you mean that there 

 are no data whereon any calculation can be made ? I mean that life and 

 death are subject to a known law of nature, but that sickness is not ; so that 

 the occurrence of one event may be foreseen and ascertained, but not so the 

 other." — " Do you apprehend that the same law, that is to say, the same ha- 

 bit and frequency of occurrence, exists as to sickness as with respect to 



death ? I apprehend there is no certainty of this conclusion Not in the 



same climate, and among the same class of people ? I should apprehend not ; 

 at any rate, no observations have been hitherto published that would shew 

 that sickness follows any general law — Are you acquainted with Dr Price's 



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