An investigation into the effects of family and personal history upon the rates of mortality experienced in various classes of life assurance risks : with special reference to tuberculosis / by Edward A. Rusher and Charles William Kenchington.

  • Rusher, Edward A.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: An investigation into the effects of family and personal history upon the rates of mortality experienced in various classes of life assurance risks : with special reference to tuberculosis / by Edward A. Rusher and Charles William Kenchington. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    In the hope that this long-felt want might, to some investigation, extent, be met, an investigation was projected into the experience of a large number of lives assured in the Ordinary Brandi of the Prudential Assurance Company whose family or personal history showed some marked peculiarity, by means of which they could be separated into more or less well-defined classes. The actual work of compiling the necessary data was commenced in 1903, and by the courteous permission and public-spirited action of the Directors we have now the pleasure of placing the main results of that investigation before the Institute. No claim is made in this Paper either to exhaustive analysis or to complete solution of the numerous and important problems that arise in practice, but it is thought that, at least, the results may form a useful aid to the Actuary in arriving at those conclusions which necessarily have to be formed—mainly from a priori reasoning—when risks come before him for adjudication. That is to say, the primary object of the enquiry was Medical to exhibit the experience m such a way as to enable Standpoint. A J the results to be applied practically m the assessment of risks. In regard to this it must be pointed out that the actuary has not altogether the same object in view as the doctor. The former is concerned mainly, if not entirely, with the financial result, so that what concerns him is the way in which a number of lives—fairly homogeneous in family and personal history—are subjected to special rates of mortality; at what age-group or groups that special rate first begins to show itself; and through- out what age-period it exists. The doctor, on the other hand, has in mind, to a large extent, the resulting benefits to humanity in the alleviation, and it may be even the elimination, of causes that tend to increase the death roll. He would thus seek for some light to be thrown on the causes themselves, as well as on the period of life at which they exert their most powerful influence. Too much of purely medical interest must not be expected, then, from the statistics given, though it is hoped that some light may be thrown upon some important problems—such as the effect on mortality of family and personal history, and the age- incidence of various causes of death. The information on the Office valuation cards was Source of . .... Data- sufficient to indicate any defect, either m the family history or personal condition, where it existed, thus rendering it possible to pick out all the cases required; but, unfortunately, the