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Show "FLO" EPIDEMIC "STOLE" MILLIONS OF BEST LIKES NEW YORK, Dec. 7. The Spanish Influenza epidemic which swept this country during the autumn "stole" millions mil-lions of tho best years of life from merican manhood and womanhood, Henry Moir, an insurance authority of this city, declnrod hero today. The average economic loss Df active life in each case of death from the malady or its aftermath was at least 25 years, said Mr. Moir, emphasizing the peculiarity of the epidemic, which found most of Its victims under 30 years of age, as compared with tho average life of 55 and 60 years of persons per-sons insured In well established companies. com-panies. Addressing the Association of Life Insurance Presidonts, Mr. Moir, who Is president of tho Acturlal Society of America, described how the epidemic-had epidemic-had dislocated the standard mortality experience of the insurance companies in the past fifteen years. With no pestilence pes-tilence taking toll of lives In the United Unit-ed States and Canada durinc that ne- riod, he said, tho standards of health of persons under 50 were found to be much better than at any recorded time in the past. But the influenza epidemic, epidem-ic, causing 86,828 deaths in forty-four large cities in eight weeks, or an average aver-age of four of every 1000 of tho population, popu-lation, ho added, had brought a new element into the situation. Investigation Investiga-tion of claims before several large insurance in-surance companies, he declared, showed that 13 per cent of the deaths were due to Influenza and S7 per cent to pneumonia following influenza, while less than 2 per cent were of persons per-sons over 55 years, as against 80 per cent under 40 and 60 per cent under 35 years. From those figures, the actuary said, it was apparent that the age of maximum maxi-mum virulence of the epidemic had boon under 30, taking the youn.g and vigorous "those whom wo expected to undertake much of tho world's work." Mr. Moir warned the public that there is no assurance that the danger is pasL "We learn," he said, "that influenza in-fluenza is now revisiting Europe and this time there are indications that it may be more objectionable than the milder form of midsummer. Wo should therefore tako warning from this recurrence re-currence and observe watchful care to prevent further infection, since the dis-easo dis-easo has distinctly decreased and seems to bo dying out In this country." |