168 THE PROTEIN ELEMENT IN NUTRITION 



as the Mussulmans, as a body, are often included in the poorer 

 sections of the community. In the Native Army, during the 

 five years 1895-1899, the mean death-rate of Hindus was 8-8 per 

 1,000, while that of the Mohammedans was only 3-6. 



Also, the available records of mortality from plague afford 

 testimony to the greater power of resistance which Mussulmans 

 enjoy. As already stated, Eurasians and native Christians have 

 invariably a lower death-rate than the general native popula- 

 tion ; these results are ascribed by the author of the article as 

 largely due to differences in the nature and variety of food.* 

 The Mohammedans, Eurasians, and native Christians are all 

 meat - eaters to a much greater extent than the Hindu, and 

 animal food in almost any form raises the level of nitrog- 

 enous metabolism in a way even the best of cereals fails 

 to do. 



Further evidence of the inferiority of the Indian, and 

 more particularly of the Bengali, as regards the expectation 

 of life, is afforded by information collected from insurance 

 companies. 



The greatest precautions are taken in the selection of Indian 

 lives ; even then, those accepted are rated up 33 per cent, higher 

 than Europeans in Europe. 



Compared with Europeans in India, some companies add 

 five years to the Bengali's age i.e., a Bengali of thirty 

 years pays the premium of a European of thirty-five years 

 of age. 



Some companies only accept Bengali lives when insured for 

 a limited number of years ; the fewer, and therefore the higher 

 the premiums, the more welcome the policy. An endowment 

 policy is rarely granted which matures above the age of fifty 

 to fifty-five years. The explanation of this condition is that 

 policies beyond these ages were found not to pay, death occurring 

 before sufficient premiums had been paid to cover the amount of 

 the policy. 



Mr. A. T. Winter, F.I.A., states : " The most eligible class of 

 natives are assurable at the same rates as Europeans in India, 

 provided their age at entry does not exceed forty." 



An important paper on life insurance in India by Dr. Adrian 

 Caddyf gives some information on the physique and general 



* "Imperial Gazetteer of India," vol. i., p. 515. 



f " Life Assurance in India," Life Assurance Medical Officers' Association. 



