THE PRESENT EVOLUTION OF MAN — MENTAL 311 



It is one of the risks to which every moderate drinker 

 renders himself liable, 



"63. It has been alleged that the difference arises 

 from the fact that when members of the Temperance 

 Section cease to abstain they are transferred to the 

 General Section, and that this alteration would be 

 brought about by the failure of health among the more 

 delicate, and hence that these would die earlier and 

 swell the number of the General claims. The actuary 

 of the office has stated that during the ten years 

 1881-90 the number so transferred was 470, while 725 

 were transferred the other way. But of the 470 only 

 44 have died, equal to about 0'94 per cent, per annum ; 

 while of the 725, 84 have died, or about 1'16 per cent, 

 per annum. It is clear, therefore, that the transference 

 of members will not account for the great difference in 

 favour of the abstainers. 



" 64. The same fact comes out in the experience of 

 the Sceptre Life Office. This is a much younger and 

 smaller office, and draws a large number of its lives from 

 members of one religious denomination. The majority 

 of them are steady, good lives. The abstainers are 

 kept distinct. In the seven years, 1884-90, the expected 

 claims in the General Section were 679, and the actual 

 claims 527 = 77*61 percent. In the Temperance Sec- 

 tion the expected claims were 306, and the actual claims 

 174 = 56"86 per cent. Here, again, some transfers from 

 the Temperance Section took place, namely, 397 in seven 

 years, but of this number only seven died = 0"25 per 

 cent, per annum. These transfers are made if infor- 

 mation is not sent every year of continued abstinence, 

 and as a fact many are transferred who still remain 

 abstainers. Others cease to be abstainers for social 

 reasons, and quite apart from the question of health. 



"65. It may be taken as proved, that if a number of 

 people are insured as abstainers, and an equal number 

 are insured as non-abstainers, the total years of life of 

 the former will considerably exceed those of the latter. 

 The expectation of life, or mean after-lifetime, will be 

 shortened by the use of alcohol. The materials which 

 would enable us to construct a Temperance Life Table 



