Papers and reports

Reviews of: A history of British insurance [1^st ed.], by Harold Raynes -- Life assurance from proposal to policy, by H Hosking Tayler and V W Tyler FIA; fifth edition by H Noel Freeman) -- Rank correlation methods, by Maurice G. Kendall -- Statistical report on the health of the Army, 1943-1945, published by HM Stationery Office -- The elements of actuarial science, by R. E. Underwood FIA -- Superannuation schemes, by Gordon R Hosking FIA and R C B Lane FIA – Medical statistics from Graunt to Farr, by Major Greenwood -- Karl Pearson’s early statistical papers. Published 1948.

This paper is founded as factually as possible on a case which arose in practice. Originally it was intended to present the paper as a collection of the actual documents, letters, valuation reports and so on, with only a minimum of outright description. Unfortunately, it gradually became clear that the result would not be suitable and practically the whole has been rewritten. Nevertheless, an attempt has been made to retain as much of the atmosphere as possible.

In this paper, everyday actuarial data have been examined by means of standard statistical techniques. The data in question have been drawn from the publications of the Continuous Mortality Investigation Committee, and the methods of statistical analysis have been applied to investigate the nature and extent of the heterogeneity which may exist in those data.

At the Council Meeting held on 8 March 1948, the Loyal Address reproduced here in facsimile was ordered to be signed and sealed, and dutifully offered to the King.