, 1870-07-16
SUICIDAL STATISTICS,
Different Modes Of Quitting the
WOrIds

|
Professor Van 0ettinger, OF Prussia, has
recently published curious work on Moral
Statistics and Christian Manners, in which he
has treated the subject OF suicide in an e1-
haustiye style. The Philadelphia Leiqe7- is OF
the opinion that it is to bs regretted that the
same subject has not been 20 fully handled rs
regards this country, for the conditions OF life
here differ d, IN go, gone yert important respects
from those OF Life in Europe, especially among
the laboring classes. Extreme wretchedness,
with no hope Of escape from it, such as
may be daily witnessed III European
countries, and which is so fruitful
gauss OF suicide there, is almost IN
ne meet with are those whose own folly and
misconduct have brought it upon themselves.
The statistics Of Professor Won Oettinger are
based manly upon the tables Of France and
Prussia, which are, perfspe, the most accurate
Of any nations in Europe, the municipal and
careful in making up their reports. Tle re-
suits which he deduceA are remarkable. The
first fact, which Ia striking, il that the ratio of
suicide to population appears to increase faster
than the population ITSELF Thus in Prussia,
IN 1880, the number Of suicides reported was
1,1G7. and IN 1B65 it was 1913, which was two
and half times greater than tho ratio OF in
crease Of the population In France, the
numbers during the same years we're re-
sspectively 1,7ss and 400, which ID more
population. 4 part Of this apparent
increase is doubtless due to the mora
accurate reports nowadays In Norway the
x1iio Of increase OF suicides to population hss
long been 3 per cent, and in Sa1onv per cent
Per annam, while the population has not in
theory Of constant averages would seem to be
realized as regards the periodical commission
Of suicide, for Profeastr Van Oettinges has
found thai the frequency Of suicide IN any
gwen year increases and decreases with the
length Of the days, and that there is general
uniformity ss regards the proportions Of the
different modes Of self-destr1tction resorted to;
also, that those selected BY tho two sexes ut
different ages are peculiarly marked. Thus,
eyeEywhare. there are more aulcidns in Juno
md July, and fever in November, December,
and January, than in any other months. In
the former, ihe proportion is II per cent, and
in the latter only G1
As regards modes Of self-destruction, it ap-
pears that during the last thirty years shoot
ing and drowning have rather gone out OF
fashion, and g1Ten place to hanging and pols-
oning, but drowning IL more frequently re-
sorted to By women than BY men, and as for
shooting, il is only one woman IN two hun
dred that employs it. The difference is still
more remarkable ia Cases Of suicide at an
eaflv age. OF children under Is, it is found
that out Of nue hundred suicides among boys
eighty -si1 hang - 1nsclves, while out Of one
| hundred suicides among girls 6eyenty-one
| throw themselves into the water. Young
men generally thoot themselves, and young
women take poison. Males Of mature age
often resort to tue razor, and women to the
rope. II Is a curious fact that hanging is
more common in the couutEy than in the
town. And when any great sensation has
been created by particular case OF suicide,
there it frequently manifested tendency to
initiate it, but this is also The case with regard
| to other crimes.
The Professor notices the influence OF race
on this subject. He found that among the IN
habitants Of Sweden, Norway aud Denmark the
yearly number OF suicides is 126 out of ever
French, 105 Spain and Italy, 50; the Slsvoni-
ans, in AuEtfia, At. Also that ia every coun-
try three-fonrths Of all the suicides are Of the
male SCI, and that IN. both sexes the disposition
| to commit this crime increases with advancing
year,, and is always greatest in extreme old
age. This Last conclusion seems open to
doubt, for the tenacity with which old people
quent1y very, rsmarkablc. Lastly, he
found that the proportion Of unmar,
ried persons who ill themselves
| is decidedly greater than that OF the married
the proportion OF widowed persons ia greater
still but that Of the divorced and separated
is the largest, it being uniformly five timea as
g1est Is that q the married. As regards the
one-third Of the cases of self-murder are
caused by mental dise1se, and this elass IN
c1ude nearly hAlf OF those committed By
women one-ninth are caused by physical suf'
| feting; one-eighth by losses Of property
| (nearly Ill these are men); one-tenth By tht
fear Of punishment, shame. Or morbid con
science; about as many by family qua1rels
and one-ninth BY drunkenneas, gambling, AMI
other Ficesi the number caused By grief o
| disappointed love is exceedingly email.