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.

    8/96 (page 6)
    In any case where the life belonged to more than one class the matter of treatment received careful consideration, and a small number of such cases were excluded altogether. Those that were retained consisted mainly of lives that combined a family history of tuberculosis with some personal blemish, indicated in the results as Group A-fE. The rest were in Group E, the double taint referring to sub-groups of the same class. Throughout the observations, whole-life cases were kept distinct from endowment assurances, and, in addition, the sexes were distinguished. It is to be regretted that, even in so large an experience, the data both for whole-life assurances on male lives and for assurances on female lives, were often too small for the deduction of detailed conclusions. It was thought that some useful information might canse^of Death, be obtained from an analysis of the causes of death. For this purpose some standard of grouping was necessary, and, upon consideration, the list on page 7 was drawn up by Dr. Light, based mainly on the Registrar-General’s classification. The numerical index was added to facilitate tabulation. The advantages of tabulating in “ select ” form are Treatment obvious, and in order to give effect to this, the data were tabulated in all cases according to duration of assurance, and in the final tables the analysis was retained as far as the first ten years following entry. In the principal groups additional tabulations were made in full aggregate form, and also in truncated form, eliminating the first five and the first ten years of assurance. In order to facilitate this the policy-year system was adopted. Fractional periods of exposure were eliminated by the adoption of the nearest duration method for withdrawals, and the existing were traced to their policy anniversaries in 1910. For the deaths the curtate duration was taken. No attempt was made to eliminate duplicates, as it was felt that the effect of their exclusion would not be sufficient to warrant the extra labour involved. The age at entry was taken throughout as the Office AgeatEntix . , . ° Age, that is to say, the age next birthday. It was felt that this was quite sufficient for the purpose in view. The work was considerably simplified thereby, and as quinquennial age-groups had ultimately to be employed, the use of a method involving further labour seemed an unnecessary refinement.