The causes of death among the assured in the Scottish Widow's Fund and Life Assurance Society from 1874 to 1894 inclusive / [Claud Muirhead].

  • Muirhead, Claud.
Date:
1902
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The causes of death among the assured in the Scottish Widow's Fund and Life Assurance Society from 1874 to 1894 inclusive / [Claud Muirhead]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    63/120 (page 51)
    Consumptives as to the presence of Phthisis in tlieir laniily circle. Ot the one liunclred and seventeen who gave distiiict history of Consuni])tion in tlieir immediate families, eighty, or lo'94 per cent of the total Non-Consumptives, stated that it hatl occurred among their brothers or sisters ; and of the one hundred aiul twenty who gave dubious history of their families tus to Phthisis, fifty-four, eipiivalent to 10-75 jier cent of the total Non-Consumptives, referred to their brothers and sisters. We find, then, that of the two hundred and thirty-seven men who gave some history of Consumjition in their families, and who ultimately died of Apoplexy, one hundred and thirty-four, or 26'G9 per cent of the total Non-Consumptives, indicated that it appeared among their brothei-s and sisters. To summarise: Among the five hundred and twenty-four Consumptives the number who gave a history of actual family taint was one hundred and twenty, or 2 2 8 9 per cent, to which have to be added other sixty-two, or 11-83 per cent, who gave a history of suspicious family taint—together one hundred and eighty-two, or 34-72 per cent. .Vmong the five hundred and two Non-Consumptives, the number who gave a history of actual family consumptive taint was one hundred and seventeen, or 23-31 per cent, to which have to be added one hundred and twenty, or 23-90 per cent, who gave a history of suspicious family taint—together two hundred and thirty-seven, or 47-21 per cent. Here, then, we have actually a larger percentage of members with con- sumptive relatives among those who ultimately died of Apoplexy than among those who ultimately died of Phthisis; but a part of the difference is prob- ably accounted for by the difference in the ages at which the members of the two classes were admitted to the Society. The average age at entry of the Consumptives was 31 years, while that of the Non-Consumptives was 38 years, and this additional seven years would, of course, afford opportunity for giving a more accurate and complete record of the family history. After making allowance for this fact, however, the figures can certainly not be quoted as supporting the theory of the terribly pernicious influence of the existence of family predisposition and hereditary tendency to Consumption. If we confine our attention to the cases where the I’roposers themselves stated that one or more of their immediate relatives had actually died of Phthisis, the numbers are astonishingly close, and give cause for much reflec- tion. Thus, among the Consumptives it is 22-89 per cent of the total, while among the Non-Consumptives it is 23-31 per cent. AVhen we take into account the higher age at entry of the latter clas.s, there is no doubt that not only will the small difference between these peicentages disappeai-, but that there will be a preponderance of Consumptives. But even if we assume that, in the course of the seven additional years, the Consumptives with parents, brothers, or sisters who had undoubtedly died of Phthisis increased by 20 per cent of their own number,' we find that the percentage for Consumptives * This addition of 20 per cent is purely arbitrary, but I submit that it is ample. What has to hapjien to justify the estimate i.s, that within the space of seven years a member—other than our own Member, who may have hem an only child—of 24 different families out of 404 specified families, in none of which has a Phthisical Taint been acknowled^jed, must die of Consumption. Also, as the average age at entry is 31, it is unlikely that the parents will do so, which means, that probably in all the cases the victim must be a brother or sister of the Assured.