THE DEATH-RATE FROM ALCOHOL 67 



the General Section, 96.66 per cent. — a difference in favour of the 

 former of 25.17 per cent. There were 1433 fewer deaths than 

 expected in the former section, and 243 fewer in the latter, both 

 being calculated by the same life tables. If the members of the 

 General (non-abstaining) Section had lived on the average as long 

 as the abstainers, there would have been only 5130 deaths instead 

 of 7034 — a saving of 1904 lives. Similarly, if the abstainers had 

 used alcohol at the same rate as they, the deaths would have been 

 4693 instead of 3423, a loss af 1270 lives. Again, if all had been 

 non-abstainers, the deaths would have been 11,727; if all had 

 been abstainers, they would have been 8553 — a difference of 3174 

 deaths. This represents the true measure of the injury done to a 

 number of picked lives by the use of alcohol. . . . 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 the members of one religious denomination. The 

 majority of them are good steady 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 per cent. In the Temperance Section the expected claims 

 were 306, and the actual claims 174=56.86 per cent." 



A mass of other statistics is given by Dr Ridge. 

 Thus he shows that Rechabites and Sons of 

 Temperance, who are members of total abstinence 

 societies, have a death-rate considerably lower than 

 Foresters and Oddfellows, who, as a body, are non- 

 abstainers. Again, before i860, grocers were not 

 allowed to sell wines and spirits. In that year an 

 Act was passed which permitted them to do so. 

 The effect of this increased facility for obtaining 

 drink on their own mortality is shown by the follow- 

 ing table which Dr Ridge quotes from the Appendix 

 to the Registrar- General's Annual Report : — 



