Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-07-29
Suicidal Statistics.

PROFESSOR VAN OETTINGER, of Prussia,
has recently published a curious work on
Moral Statistics and Christian manners,
in which he has treated the subject of
suicide in an exhaustive style. The
Philadelphia Ledger is of the opinion that
it is to be regretted that the same subject
has lot been so fully handled as regards
this country, for the conditions oflife here
differ in some very 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 in
European countries, and which is so fruit
full :. cause of suicide there, IS almost un-
known here, and the very few examples
of it we meet with are those whose own
folly and misconduct have brought ii upon
themselves The statistics of Professor
Won Oettinger arc based mainly upon the
tables of France and Prussia, which are,
perhaps, the most accurate of any nations
in Europe, the municipal and communal
administrations there being very careful
in making up their reports. The results
which he dedrces are remarkable. The
first fact, which is striking, is 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, ,167, and III 1865 it was 3,219, which
was two and half times greater than the
ratio of increase of the population. In
France, the numbers during the same
years were respectively 1,739 and 400,
which is more than nine times the in
crease of the population. A part of this
apparent increase is doubtless due TO the
more accurate reports now a-days. In
Norway the ratio of increase of suicides
to population has loRg been per cent,
and in Saxony 8 per cent. per annum,
while the population has not increased
faster than = per cent. Buckles theory of
constant averages would seem to be real
lied as regards the periodical commission
OF suicide, for Professor Van Oettinger
has found that the frequency of suicide in
any given year increases and decreases
with the length Of the days, and that there
is general uniformity as regards the pro-
portions of the different modes of self
destruction resorted to; also, that those
selected by the sexes at different ages are
peculiarly marked. Thus, everywhere,
there are more suicides in June and July,
and fewer in November, December, and
January, than In any other months. In
the former, the proportion is II per cent,
and in the latter only 61S.
AS regard modes of self destruction, it
appears that during the last thirty years
shooting and drowning have rather gone
out of fashion, and given place to hang
| ing and poisoning, but downing is more
| frequently resorted to by women than by
men, and as for shooting, it Is only one
woman in two hundred that employs it.
The difference is still more remarkable in
cases of suicide at an early age. OF chill.
den under IS, it is found that out of one
,.,sa -. "A
hang themselves, while out of one Lun.
| dred suicides among girls seventy-one
| throw themselves into the water. Young
men generally shoot themselves, and
young women take poison. Males of
mature age often resort TO the razor, and
women to the rope. 1t is curious fact
that hanging is more common in the
country than in the town. And when any
great sensation has been created by a
particular case OF suicide, there is fire.
Quently manifested a tendency to initiate
it, but this is also the case with regard to
other crimes.
The. Professor notices the influence of
rAceS6h this subject. He found that
among the inhabitants of Sweden, Nor.
way and Denmark the yearly number of
suicides is 1875 out of every million; among
the Germans it is 1l2; the French, 105 (;
| Spain and Italy, SO the SlaVonlans, In
Austria, Al. Also that in every country
three.fourths of all the suicides are of the
male sex, and that with both sexes the dis
position to commit this crime increases
with advancing years, aud is always great
est in extreme old age. This last conolu,
sion seems open to doubt, for the tenacity
with which old people on the verge of the
grave cling to lifeis frequently very re.
markable. Lastly, he found that the pro
portion of unmarried persons who kill
themselves is decidedly greater than that
of the married the proportion of wild
owed persons is greater still but that OF
the divorced and separated Is the largest.
il being uniformly five times as great as
that of the married. AS regards the
causes of suicide, the Professor thinks
that one third Of the cases of self murder
are caused by mental disease, and this
class includes nearly half of.those commit
ted by women; one ninth are caused by
physical suffering one-eighih by losses
Of property (nearly all these are men)
one tenth by the fear Of punishment
shame, or morbid conscience; ABOUT al
many by family quarrels; and one-nintl
by drunkenness, gambling and other vices
tlo number caused by grief or disappoint
cd love is exceedingly small,