Page:George Archdall Reid 1896 The present evolution of man.djvu/333

Rh difference 2·047 weeks. It then falls till, after age seventy, the comparison ceases, as the numbers at risk do not warrant it. Taking the whole of life, the total difference is largely in favour of the abstainers, being 14T19 weeks less sickness.

"85. I quote these figures as they represent a singular exception to the general rule. I am aware that some time ago statistics were published of all the Friendly societies and sick clubs in East Grinstead, in which there were 57 abstainers and 1042 non-abstainers, the former having in one year 21 members ill, and the latter 188, and the results arrived at were stated by the compiler to be that drinkers had less sickness, but more severe and of greater duration when they did become ill, and more liable to a fatal result. This would be very satisfactory to the abstainers if it could be relied on, but the small number of abstainers and the short period of observation (one year only) render the results unreliable.

"86. It is more satisfactory when abstainers and drinkers in the same society can be compared for a number of years. Thus, the experience of the Foresters' Court at Streatham, London, for seven years was as follows—

This gives an average of 4s. $3 1/4$d. per abstainer, and 17s. 10d. per non-abstainer.

"87. In the Loyal Prince Alfred Lodge of Oddfellows, Kelvedon, Essex, from 1876 to 1880 the results were as follows—