The assurance of diseased and doubtful lives on a new principle, more advantageous and equitable to policy-holders than the system hitherto adopted / by Morrice A. Black ; with observations on the characteristics of assurable and non-assurable lives, by A.P. Stewart.

  • Black, Morrice A.
Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The assurance of diseased and doubtful lives on a new principle, more advantageous and equitable to policy-holders than the system hitherto adopted / by Morrice A. Black ; with observations on the characteristics of assurable and non-assurable lives, by A.P. Stewart. 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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    ASSUEANCE OF DISEASED AND DOUBTFUL LIVES. GHAPTEK I. On the Selection of Lives for Assurance. Much misapprehension prevails regarding the standard of health requisite for Life Assurance. Many think. that Offices are needlessly particular in their selection of lives; an opinion which is universally held by that numerous class of persons who, though not diseased, are deteriorated in health. The existence of this popular fallacy is by no means surprising. So intent have the energetic advocates of Life Assurance been on making known its principles, enforcing its necessity, and exhibiting the benefits accruing to Policy-holders, that they have passed over in com- parative silence the pre-requisites for admission as a Policy-holder in a Life Office. Hence the impression left on the public mind is, that pretty nearly all who are free from active disease may avail themselves of Life Assurance. The natural consequence of this mistaken idea is, that many a rejected applicant is not only disappointed, but conceives himself ill-treated by the Company which declines his proposal, and Offices are therefore often subjected to unjust obloquy. So bitter, indeed, is the feeling sometimes entertained, that it would almost seem as if the rejected applicant imagined the Board of Directors or Medical Officer to be actuated rather by private pique thap by a stern sense of public duty. And we may safely affirm, that of all the official duties he has to perform, none is more distasteful to the Secretary of a Life Office than that of announcing to an applicant for Assurance that his proposal has been declined. ^ Before explaining the New System proposed by the Writer for