, 1870-04-17
Btatixttca OF Suicide.

A German professor, Won Oestinsen, Last
year ruhlished hook on "Ethical StAtiaties,"
which presents the facts in regard to suicide
IL declares thst suicide, ike insanity, to
which it is closely related, Is constantly In
eteasing in Europe, out Of proportion to the
growth Of tho population Ills figures for a
years in Frussis, and 65 years in Francs, show
that the reported increase in suicide has been,
in lTussia, two aud a hslf times, and in Franco
moro than nine times As rarid as that Of tho
population II in a curious fact that frequency
Of suicide, in any given Year. increases and de-
c1eaecs with tho length of the days, This is
hue, not only on the whole but in esch separate
land. and even in each great city. Every
wherc there arc moro euicides in juno and
July, and fewer in November, December, aua
January. than In any Other months. This is
found to have fscen as uniformly the case in
former years, ss from 1855 to 1913, rs it now
il. OF every 1,oo0 relf-murlerr in Europe, it
is found that g. take place in January, IS In
113 in June. loy in July, 90 in August, 70 IN
September, &c in October, &c in November. and
N in December. And oven In Londor, where
the fogs Of November are rorutarlr regarded
As melancholic and euicicA. that month is
found actually TO fnrnish but es1 rer. cent Of
all tho susades while June and July report
each moro than II per cent
It is doubtful whether the American ntatis-
tics would agree with tho European in this re-
spect Few have ever been collected here, and
those chiefly in New England. OF 18 suicides
ii Rhode Island in 1853, 3 were in April. In
June, in July, hut In December. OF IS
suicides in Massachusetts, In 1857, 1 wrre in
.1snnaE, 9 in February, in March, IN April,
1 IN May, in Junc, In July. 3 In August, )
in September. 3 in October, II in November,
and IN December. Here were 80 suicides IN
tho fix coldest months, and only Sc in tho eix
HArmces. n Nor hAs the increase in suicides IN
massachusetts been equal to the incrca.e in
reputation. In the 1saycar@ preceding 1853,
when the average population vss NOT more
than million, the average annual nnmbeE OF
suicides uas 6S14; in the four Year,, 1857
1sS5, nth an average population Of. At iess.
ny; m increase Of feaa than Ter cent, while
the population had inc1eaeed more than Is Ter
cent European statistics show that Tor cvcrJ
million Of the population the yearly number
of suicides among tho ScAnt1inAy1ans Is lsd,
! nations in general 20, and among the sclsvcs,
in the Austrian provinces, only ~. But great
| cities show much higher Hgurcs-paris the
highest Of ali, vhe1e there arc yearly GIG sui
| cides for zach million Of people. II il cuno1,a,
that anaong the Germans, suicide is the most
frequent ii Sa1ony, and next in tho countries
uz provinces adjoining: 30 that iAs frequency
steadily dccrrases In passing from Ss1ony as
a centre in any direction, al the WY to the
boundaries Of Germany.
In eseI! count! thrce-for1ths Of al the SUI
eides aro Of the zlaln se1. But in ever eoun'
try, and in both se1es, tho disposition 70 COM
init this criuao increases with advancinE Ee4rs
and is Alwnyu greatest in extreme Old ago
anu II keeEas to be among parsons IN advanced
Atc that the grnatest increase in suicide, Of 70
cent yeaIs has taken p1acs. II ID cles1ay prov
ca, ALSO, that mar11age l. ono Of the ciscuns
STANCES which beat statistical relation to tln.
snb1eet Tho proportion Of unmarried per
rons aho hi themselves is decidedly create
than that Of the married; the proportion o.
widowed peEeons il far lArger still; but tha
tho largest Of Ill, being uniformly flvn ti1nes
IS Ercat r. that Of The m..r5pd, 10 Ma.x,
chnsette, 80 far ~ known, these statistics holi
good with respect to ee1, ase, and evil condi
ton. 1he manner Of death is not reporte
mails suicides, droWnlas '' is : tho Aaaas ehois
Of 2s, hanging Of 4s or 4s shooting Of II 9
IS, stabbing or cutting Of 4or i, prccipit,
tion from 4 height OF 5, breathing carboni
,, asid gas Of or7, and poison ot :: But Q
tho eamc number Of women who XII tter
, ealves. A OF As do 1t by drowning, q By hang
: ing, W 6 BY throwing themselves from
height. II by carbonic add, 5 b. poison wMl
= only ono in nearly two hundred shoots be-
! salf. Yet there have boep como changes !
these Ago5ss, for drowIihg haa % sono PAT PAT
y and shooting sMlmofe -, while hanging h:
!. taken their Hlaec, especially among tho ne
l. of whom, twenty years ago, only SLY p
10 cont hrngod thcm.elyce, inrtesd Of 40 r
u eeslt, rs now. It iA believed to- be pa1usuls.
ID tho~e suicides Who arn driven 70 tho vet by Il
nfat wrptehcd notiyes, such ~ want
nank, oE dissipation, and sheer xoarlntss
ne'-thas nso the rope, and dispropottto
- ste amount OF tl,e whole incrcasocf Buiaae
iafn 5earz II Of thia clAss- This shoxs rh
o. has bacn believed On other eyideaco, that
ID tcfnpc1anco IN Europe In increasing. Tho ca
E. rty saosna 70 bo The case hnre.