200 



RESULTS OF AN ENQUIRY RESPECTING THE 



At Bombay a Table* has been received from England, prepared by 

 an eminent Actuary on data furnished from that presidency, which would 

 have been valuable, but that throughout the document the Actuary, in the 

 absence of more correct data, has erroneously assumed, that the probability 

 of living any one year up to the age of 58 is correct!}^ expressed by the 

 fraction |-f ; or in other words, that from the age of 18 to 58, one person 

 uniformly and regularly dies per annum from every twenty-seven members 

 of the service. This error, which it appears the Actuary had no means of 

 rectifying, has vitiated the Table and calculations throughout, as it is at 

 variance with the positive fact of the increasing danger of every five or ten 

 years' residence in India. The progressive ratio of age holds good here 

 as in Europe, with an increased impetus from the effect of climate. The 

 result of this error has made the expectation of life in the Bombay 

 Table nearly 20 per cent, too favourable for all ages above 30 or 35, 

 diminishing the probable value of life for all ages below it. The fraction 

 ■ff it is believed may accurately represent the average annual decrement 

 at Bombay for the entire service, but it varies necessarily with the age and 

 rank of the individual, much in the same manner we presume as has been 

 actually experienced in the last twenty years in the Bengal Army ; where 2.34 

 percent, has been the ratio of yearly mortality for Ensigns, 2.75 for Lieute- 

 nants, 3.45 for Captains, 4.10 for Majors, 4.84 for Lieutenant-Colonels and 

 5.94 for Colonels. We may assume the general ages of the Ensigns to have 

 been under 22, the Lieutenants under 33, the Captains and Majors 45, 

 the Lieutenant-Colonels 55, &c. 



In the last twenty years (as recently ascertainedf) there have died one 

 thousand one hundred and eighty-four Officers of the Bengal Army, or 

 59.2 per annum, out of an average number of one thousand eight hundred 



* Vide Table No. 10. 



t Vide Table No. 11. 



