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LIFE EXTENSION EXAMINERS LIFE EXTENSION INSTITUTE ~ ~ 11914=1954 m N

, "TO DISSEMINATE AND APPLY KNOWLEDGE OF THE SCIENCE OF DISEASE PREVENTION; TO PROVIDE PERIODIC HEALTH EXAMINA• TIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT DISEASE MAY BE DETECTED IN ITS INCIPIENCY WHEN IT CAN BE CHECKED OR CVRED." ^ CHARTER. 1914 w I ~~l2 (,LGIh . . . It is fitting that those of us who have been privileged to direct and carry out the program of health conservation examinations should add our tribute and thanks to those business men who met forty years ago to found the Life Extension Institute. Of that group of great men are -three whom we especially want to honor at this time; the Honorable William Howard Taft, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute, Professor Irving Fisher, Chairman of its Hygiene Reference Board and Harold A. Ley, its President and Business Director. It was through the vision of these three men that the concept of preventive medicine was changed from the strictly laboratory procedure of anti-toxins, vaccines, etc. to the broader aspect of vital living routine based upon a comprehensive health examination for the early detection of disease conditions. The services of. Life Extension and the benefits of this newer concept of preventive medicine would have been denied people then had it not been for the determined personal guidance and financial contributions of Mr. Ley and the support of the Metro- politan Life Insurance Company through the offices of Mr. Haley Fiske and, later, Mr. Frederick Ecker. It is noteworthy that none of these men were physicians. During the past five years, Life Extension has been very fortu- nate to have attracted the attention of many business corporations interested in an annual health examination service for their execu- tives and other personnel. May I express to the officers of these com- panies our thanks and appreciation for their confidence and trust. Our hopes and plans for the future embody the continuation of the principles and policies laid down by the founders forty years ago. During these many years no one has seen fit to change or modify these policies. Our objectives shall continue to be to extend friendly service; to make available and scientifically carry out the best medical diag- nostic procedures; and to be ever mindful of the person being exam- ined and his reaction to the examination procedure. We shall con- tinue to try to make each visit to our offices a pleasant experience where friendliness and optimism prevail. J~ _ 9. Director, Life Extension Examiners

. ( Life extension through the medium of periodic health examinations was an idea born in the mind of Harold A. Ley in 1909. Having achieved eminent suc- cess as an industrial contractor, he turned his efforts and devotion to the development and advancement of pre- ventive medicine and secured the sup- porting interests of Ex-president Wil- liam Howard Taft, Irving Fisher, Pro- fessor of political economy at Yale University and Haley Fiske, Vice-President of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. In the late fall of 1913, at a banquet held at the Union League Club in New York City, the plan was brought before a group of life insurance company presidents and prominent men of affairs whose indorsement was spon- taneous. The Life Extension Institute was promptly organized. Ex-president Taft was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors whose membership included Mr. Ley, initially serv- ing also as Vice-president and Treasurer, Professor Fisher, Dr. Eugene L. Fisk, who, in addition, assumed the post of Director of Hygiene, and such names as Frank A. Vanderlip, Robert W. deForest, Charles H. Sabin and others. General William C. Gorgas, noted for his Panama Canal achievements, accepted the position of Consultant in Sanitation, serving on the Hygiene Reference Board under Professor Fisher's chairmanship. This latter board was comprised of leading physicians, scientists and public health authorities and was organized as an advisory gtoup to which matters of scientific policy could be referred. Men such as William J. Mayo, W. Jay Schieffelin and Alonzo A. Stagg constituted but a part of its distinguished roster. . . . fAlEi12P//'t~~it9e I I The original purpose of the Life Extension Institute was to serve the life insurance companies in making periodic health examinations of their policyholders; but the work soon broadened to include industrial es- tablishments and individual service to the general public. In 1937, Life Extension Examiners was formed. :~ ~~J This organization, comprised of the Institute's medical staff, has carried on the policies, objectives and work of the original Institute. Life Extension renders no treatment, performs no opera- tions, but makes a survey of life and body and submits a report that assists the family physician in applying the necessary treat- ment or correction of physical defects. Since its organization in 1913, over 2,500,000 individuals have been examined in connection with Life Extension's differ- ent services. A substantial percentage of the people who take these health examinations are men and women who have been examined by Life Extension annually for many years. Many business firms have extended the benefits of the service to their employees. It is in this latter service that the trend in re- cent years has been of particular sig- nificance, pointing out the increasing :. awareness of modern progressive business management to the impor- .; tant role they can assume in the field - of preventive medicine.. ;.: wrwL~ Wtw.n~ww FOR w4ousr.cv

T Its vast library of hundreds of thousands of health examinations affords Life Extension endless op- portunity for research in the field of preventive medicine. Studies of these records are constantly made in an effort to correlate the health quotient to such factors as age, sex; locale, occupation and dietary and living habits. Degenerative disease, unlike its more impetuous partner, infectious disease, works slowly and insidiously over months, even years, then strikes decisively and, most always, finally. Its course is the more tragic for, in many instances, earlier de- tection of minor defects or correction of habits might have stemmed or stopped its progress. To the early detection of degenerative disease Life Extension has dedicated its work. In making periodic health examinations of apparently healthy people the incidence of spectacular findings such as cancer and tuberculosis is amazingly small. The detection, however, of the more prosaic early high blood pressure, over- weight, sugar in urine, and consideration of excessive smok- ing, inadequate rest and exercise and dietary deficiencies is staggeringly significant. A careful evaluation of these rela- tively minor defects and the correction of habits is the more useful if not so exciting role of the periodic health examination. Experience in interpreting these danger signs has accrued to the Life Extension doctors over the years and has enabled them to serve not only the individual but the health-minded . employer as well. ' ` .1 i . . . ~wi~e ~ecGicine ® The success of the health exam- ination program in industry is de- pendent on its proper application to the specific situation and on the manner in which it is presented to management personnel. Its close as- sociation with many companies in numerous fields has enabled Life Extension to develop services to meet the requirements of individual problems. Experience has also proved that results are best when par- ticipation in the program is on a voluntary basis. In this way, the examinee approaches his health examination in a coopera- tive and friendly spirit and more conscientiously reports his medical history and symptoms, which materially assists the examining physician in his final evaluation of the examination. It is also important that the examination report be kept confidential between the examinee and Life Extension so that the very personal nature of the program is not betrayed. Dis- closure of examination findings to the employer is made only when it serves the best mutual interests of the examinee and his employer and is only made upon express approval by the examinee. Establishing a company health examination program is a policy matter. Like pension plans, it de- serves careful planning and, once adopted, should be conscientiously administered so that both the com- pany and the employee share its max- imISm hanafitc 4~' i x I~

I M . Approximately one-half of all the health examinations completed by Life Extension are performed at its headquarters in midtown New York City. The balance of its work is conducted throughout the United States and Canada by over 3,000 care- fully selected local associated physi- cians who forward all papers to the New York office for review and analysis. These field activities bring the health examination within close reach of branch office, plant or home location. The Life Extension method of conducting the health examination is closely followed by these associated physicians. Over the past fifty years, industry has done much to reduce occupational hazards and improve general working condi- tions for its plant personnel. Only in recent years, however, has more than casual consideration been given to protecting its prime asset, management itself, through regular periodic health examinations. The pace of business today with its pressures of competi- tion, entertaining, travel and dead- lines has alerted industry to the. urgent need of safeguarding their -; : large investments in executive and =~ other key personnel who reach their most productive peak only -: after years of training. Too often-. C these demands take their toll of inen.~x;:'. just reaching their prime. _ - t4 1% . . . ty /W~M/ To assist business in coping with this problem, Life Extension has de- veloped executive health examina- tion programs whereby abnormali- ties may be detected, most often at a relatively minor stage, and, through corrective measures, their rate of progression may be slowed. Result- ant peace of mind or early opportu- nity for remedial action justifies the added corporate expense. Of equal importance is the role of the physical examination as an employment prerequisite. In this function its purpose is to more nearly insure proper job placement. Occupational mis- fits are costly to industry. Prior knowledge of physical limita- tions has resulted in happy productive employees. In this serv- ice, Life Extension has aided employers in selecting personnel for both domestic and overseas employment. As medical consultant to management, Life Extension also provides counsel on pension plan matters relating to early retirement based on physical disabilities. In all of its services, Life Exten- sion subscribes to one basic philoso- phy: that health is a positive condi- tion, not the mere absence of disease. Robust health is a personal and priceless individual possession which f ew possess at its maximum, yet prac- tically all can have if a conscientious effort is made to develop and pre- serve it. To help in this effort is the objective„ of Life Extension's work. O O ffi 0

r REPRESENTATIVE COMPANIES UTILIZING LIFE EXTENSION SERVICES Allied Chemical & Dye Corporation American Chicle Company American District Telegraph Company American Foreign Insurance Ass'n. American Hard Rubber Company The American Metal Company, Ltd. American Public Health Ass'n. Amer. Radiator & Standard Sanitary Corp. Andes Copper Mining Company Atlas Supply Company Barrington Associates, Inc. Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, Inc. Becton, Dickinson & Company Bendix Aviation Corporation Bloomingdale Bros., Inc. Sidney Blumenthal & Company, Inc. Boy Scouts of America Braden Copper Company C. I. T. Financial Corporation Carrier Corporation Chesebrough Manufacturing Company Chicopee Mills, Inc. The Coca Cola Export Corporation Columbian Carbon Company Continental Baking Company, Inc. Continental Can Company Controllers Institute of America Cresap, McCormick & Paget Crucible Steel Company of America Dan River Mills, Inc. Daystrom, Inc. Dictaphone Corporation Dixie Cup Company The Reuben H. Donnelley Corporation Doubleday & Company, Inc. The Duplan Corporation Eastman Kodak Company Ebasco International Corporation Thos. A. Edison, Inc.-Ediphone Division George H. Elliott & Company Empire City Savings Bank Fairbanks Morse & Company Foster Wheeler Corporation General Aniline & Film Corporation General Motors Corporation General Motors Acceptance Corporation General Time Corporation . Girl Scouts of America Grand Union Company W. T. Grant Company Great Lakes Carbon Corporation Gulf Oil Corporation John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Co.``' Household Finance Corporation Wm. Iselin & Company, Inc. Isthmian Steamship Company The M. W. Kellogg Company Kennecott Copper Corporation Knappen-Tippetts-Abbett-McCarthy S. H. Kress & Company Lone Star Cement Corporation The Lummus Company Mack Trucks, Inc. Manhattan Savings Bank Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. McKesson & Robbins, Inc. McKinsey & Company Meredith Publishing Company Mergenthaler Linotype Company Minute Maid Corporation Mutual Chemical Company of America Mutual Life Assurance Co. of Canada National Dairy Products Corporation Nat'I. Found'n. for Infantile Paralysis National Starch Products, Inc. The National Surety Corporation The Nestle Company, Inc. The New York Savings Bank Orinoco Mining Company Otis Elevator Company Pan American Petroleum & Transport Co. Bruce Payne & Associates, Inc. Pepperell Manufacturing Company, Inc. Ponds Extract Company Prentice•HaII, Inc. Price, Waterhouse & Company Psychological Corporation R. C. A.-International Division Rayonier, Inc. Republic Steel Corporation Retail Credit Company, Inc. Reynolds Metals Company Royal Insurance Company, Ltd. Seaboard Oil Company E. R. Squibb & Sons State Mutual Life Assurance Company The Sweets Company of America, Inc. Union Square Savings Bank United Parcel Service United States Rubber Company United States Steel Corporation United States Steel Export Company ' Universal Atlas Cement Company Walgreen Company Worthington Corporation _ Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company .' = , LIFE EXTENSION EXAMINERS 11 EAST 44TH STREET NEW YORK 17, N. Y. , ®