Smyrna times., 1869-11-10
.MiSceIIU 10 e o us.
About Suicide.

In reading over our exchanges the other day
we came across two articles about suicide, from
entirely different sources, one being waif of
newspaperdom, which we take from a Mary
land exchange, and the other an editorial in a
leading New York daily, yet one seems to cor
rOborate the other, somewhat. We therefore
put them together under one head, giving the
waif first, as follows:
DIR. Charles Elan, an English physician, has
just published book in which medical pro-
blems are discussed. OF the transmission of
mental disorders, he says:
"There is no form of heritage more remark
able than that of the tendency to suicide with
out any other marks of alteration of intellect.
Dr. WinslOw relates the case of family where
all the members exhibited, when they arrived
at a certain age, desire to commit self-destruc
ton to accomplish which the greatest ingenu-
| ity and industry were manifested. Dr. Gall
relates very striking instance OF seven child
ren of one man who all enjoyed competency
and good health, yet all possessed a rage for
suicide, and all yielded to it within thirty or
forty years. Some hanged, some drowned
themselves, and others blew out their brains.
| Many other examples of the same tendency are
brought forward by the same writer. l may
add one case to the above from my own expe-
rience. Sitting one day with an acquaintance,
| noticed some depression in his spirits. Af
ter prolonged silence, he broke out into the
following dreary attempt at conversation /:
My grandfather hung himself, my uncle took
poison, my father shot himself, shall cut my
throat The facts were correct; but constant
surveillance prevented the sequel In his own
history"
To which We add the editorial from the New
York Tribune:
Suicide without reason both apparent and
adequate, is almost the rule of this extreme
effort to escape from the tedium of living. liz
many cases, we are satisfied that the felo-de-se
is the result of desire to give pain to the
survivors, and of a morbid hankering for g
kind of revenge. In other cases, the suicide,
having for long period threatened to destroy
himself, with no intention of carrying the
menace into execution, has become familiar
with the idea, and rushes upon self slaughter
merely to show to those who were incredulou
that he was in deadly earnest. Very often
when reasons for the rash act are left in thu
nature of an ante-mortem declaration, there L
cause to believe that, with the usual cunning
of insanity, the real motive is studiously con
cealed. Final y, there are cases of Suicide il
: which the deed can only be referred to posi-
tive suicidal mania and we are inclined t
think that such cases are In the majority, 70
|
fotune to which the tenth succumbs.
These remarks are suggested by a rather re
markable suicide which has just occurred a
a Quincy, Ill.,-that of Miss Pet Mckay, age
Is, and described as s. a beautiful and accom-
plished young lady," She effected her pu
), pose by drowning, the usual resource of wome
i, mentally diseased as she was. Her motive ft
II the deed, as set forth in note which she LEI
pinned to her cloak, was that everybody hi
ted her; that her friends were her enemies
and that this was cold and dreary world
/ live i'm In the same missive, she declare
that she did not drown herself for love- an
thar she was yetas pure as the beautiful snow.
Here, probably, was a case of physical deran
ment complicated with a strong suicidal or
pensity. 1t reminds us somewhat of the Il
glish gentleman who averred as a reason f
blowing out his brains, that he was tired
dressing and undressing" and somewhat
) another Englishman who left behind him a no
ne the purport Of which was that life had Civ
him headache which nothing would cure b
a good church-yard sleep" This propensi
-. may remain latent for years, but may at a
:" time be stimulated by i'll health into fatal q
tivity and although precaution against it
"A in many instances, impossible, it should be
NJ. NJ, membered that a threat to commit suicide, |
nh ing always suspicious, should always arouse t
bs, vigilance of kindred and friends.