The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-06-24
stn,Is,Ics Suicide.

Professor Won Oetlinger, Of Prussia, has
recently published curious Work on
Moral Statistics and Christian Manners
in which lo has treated the subject Of
suicide in IN exhaustive style. 1t IS TO Dc
regretted that the same subject has mol
been so fully handled rs regards this
country, for Tie conditions Of life here DIFF
fer in some very important respects lrom
those of life in Europe, especially among
the laboring classes. Extreme wretched
ness, with no hope Of escape from it, such
us may be daily witnessed in European
countries, and which is SO fruitful cause
Of suicide there, is almost unknown here,
and the very few examples OF 1t we meet
with arc those whose own folly and mis-
conduct have brought 1t upon themselves.
Tho states Of Professor Won Oettenger
are based mainly upon the tables OfFnnce
and Prussia, Which are, perhaps, the full
est and most accurate Of any natQnsin
Europe, the municipal and communal id
ninistrations there being very careful in
making up their reports. The results
which he dGduCes 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 1867, and i'll 1860 II
was 1919, which WIS two and q half times
greater than the ratio Of increase Of the
population. In France, the numbers
during the same years were respectively
1920 and 400, which is more than nine
times the increase Of the population. y
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 long been three
per cent, and in Saxony five per cent per
annum, while the population has not in
creased faster than one and half per
cent. Buckles theory Of constant aver
ages would seem TO he realized as regards
the periodical commission Of suicide; for
Professor Won OCttinger has found that
the frequency of suicide in any given year
increases and decreases with tho length Of
the days, and that there Is general unifor-
nifty as regards the proportions Of the
different modes OfseltdestruCtiOn resorted
to; also, that those selected by the two
sexes ut different ages are peculiarly mark
ed. 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 eleven per cent, and in the
latter, only six and hall.
AS regards modes OF selEdcstruction, il
appears that during the last thirty years
shooting and drowning have rather gone
out of fashion, and given place to hanging
and poisoning, but drowning is more fire.
Quently rcsOrted to by women than by
men, and as for shooting, it Is only one
woman in every two hundred that en-
plOys it. The difference Is still more re.
markable in cases of suicide at an carly
age. OF children under fifteen, it is found
that out of one hundred suicides among
boys, eighty-six hang themselves, while
out of every one hundred suicides among
girls, sevCnty.onc throw themselves into
tho 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 GlCt that hanging is more
common in the country than in the town.
And when any very great sensation hns
been created by particular case Of sui
eide, there is frequently manifested ten
dency to initiate it, but this is also the
case with regard to other crimes. HII
The Professor notices the influence Of
race on this subject He found that
among the inhabitants Of Sweden, Nor
way and Denmark, tue yearly number of
suicides is 1876 out Of every million;
among the Germans is 112; the French,
Jos; Spain and Italy, so; the Slavonians,
in Austria, Al. Also, that in every COun-
try three-iourths of nll the suicides are OF
the male sex, and that in both sexes the
disposition to commit this crime increases
with advancing years, and is always great.
est in extreme old age. This last cOnclu.
sion seems open 10 doubt, for the tCnacity
with which OIdpcople on the verge of the
grave cling 10 life is frequently very re-
markaUlc. Lastly, he found that the pro-
portion Of unmarried people who kill
themselves is decidedly greater than that
Of the married; the proportion of Widowed
persons is greater still; but that Of the
divorced and separated Is the largest, it
being uniformly five times as great us that
Of the married. As regards the causes Of
suicide, the Professor thinks that one
third Of the cases of selt.murder arc
caused by mental disease, and this class
includes nearly half Of those committed
by women; 0ne.ntnth are caused by phys
ical suffering; one.eighth by losses OF
property NEARLY all OF these are mem;
one. tenth by the fear Of punishment,
shame, or II morbid conscience; abont rs
many by family quarrels; and one.ninth
by drunkenness, gambling, and other
vices; the number caused by grief or dis
appointed love is exceedingly small
EjEjlOIeluliI J,etIger.