The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-10-08
THE HISTORY OF SUICIDE.
ONE OF THE BEST or THE NEDTCO-
LEG1L SOCIETY'S PIPERS
Where the Act has been ENCOURAGED. and
where Frowned Upon-Somo of the Old
Laws andthe New in X Rclntion 10 Peio de Sc.

Where the Act has been Encournaed, aud
where Frowned Upon Somo of the Old
Laws andthe New in II cla tion 10 Feio de Sc.
At the last meeting of the Medico-
Legal Society MIR. X. 8. Guernseys paper on
"Tbe Penal Laws Relating TO Suicide in Ancient
and Modern Times" was read by DR.. Miller
After defining the differences between the two
classes Of suicides recognized by the law. the
author took up the history Of suicide and the
laws bearing upon 1t i'm different ages and differ
ent countries.
The Mosaic law contains no penalty for JelO dc
Sc. The nrst suicides mentioned In the OLD Tes-
lament were those OF Saul aud his armor bearer
Samson's death can hardly be called suicide.
Josephus says that in Judea the body OF the
man who had taken his own life was not buried
till after sunset. In some parts OF India suicide
once considered meritorious, but the self
immolation OF widows Oh the funeral
pyres OF their husbands Ia no longer
permitted. In China suicide Il by no
means uncommon, and no disgrace attaches
to the victim Of his own violence, or to his fam
ily. In Japan suicides are frequent, aud the
taxing OF ones lie Is often looked upon as mcr-
itorous. when an official has failed In the per-
formsnce of his duty he has tho privilege Of
performing har-kari, or disembnwclliny him-
self, to save him tue disgrace OF dying bv the
hand OF the executioner II he avails himself
of the privilege his properly L. saved from tor
foiture and his family from dshonor: In some
countries the act OF suicide is looked upon az
heroic, and frequently the sons of the self-tnur-
defer are rewarded for the courage OF their
father with important appointments and uro-
motions The Stoics, the Disciples Of Zeno,
taught that sui ide under certain circumstances
was right; that as man had nothing TO tear after
DEATH he at liberty to take his own life
whenever 1t became irksonie to him. Pythago-
ras held that no man had the right To leave his
post without an order from hts commander,
nut other philosophers reasoned that rs mans
life was his own he could dispose of It as he
pleased
death that hundreds who heard him made away
with themselves, and suicide became epidemic.
Ptolemy, alarmed at the spread of the infatul-
tiun, ordered Esesus away from Alexandria
ana the people at once came 10 their senses.
At one time IN France uoisOn was furniahed
to all who could Give satisfactorv proof that It
was better for them 10 die than to live; cob
bier who mad determined tOhill himself thought
he would do Il with eel 4: 80, having prepared
his poison, he bcxfn "a letter which was to be
re I'd after Iis DEATH md 10 be talk ed OF through
out the pr, -'nce. lie started on with quota
tiOn, and continued. "rhus says Moliore." but
fearing tb"t he nad erred IN attributing the re
mark to Mvl.erc. ho took down his ievorite au-
thor and began to read. After an hours plea
stnt communion with the great writer he put
the puison away and went to work nt his last.
Tho Micsian virgins once became AM ctcd with
the insane notion that they should commit
suicide. aud many o! them obevcd the impulse:
law was passed ordainine thai the body Of
the suicide should De dragged naked through
the streets, and this efcctualv dispeiled the
Illusion. some Of tho Roman juri,ts said thai
suicide was felony unless permitted by the
Emperor Under one emperor tho soldiers were
set to ditcling and making sewers. Mortified at
what tney looked upon as an igpominy. many OF
them committed suicide. Under another a sol
dter attempting suicide WAS treated as n deser-
ter. DOmiti.n dpcreed that the suicide OF An
accused person should entail uUon him the dis
honor that would have attached to him had his
crime been proved.
Among the early Christians therr was an ar
dent longing for mattyrdom. and under the in.
nuence OF Iertuiliau's saying. The blood OF
the martyrs IL the seed q the church." numbers
Of them fell victims to their religious fanau
| cism. Hishops' Council IN the ufth century
drcreed that suicide was the effect of dabolicil
influence. Af!erward the Chufcn treated 1t as u
ala flaa q anlf f-fNsalr
| buried without the sacred rites. In the time Of
| I"uis iX. of France the oody OF the suicide WIS
| subjected to the grossest indiguties, 1t was
| ken from the house through an opening made
| for the purpose, wa. horribly muulnted, and
buried az night. No mass was allowed Tor the
40 ! ui the uead man, but the charitahlS dis
posed were i,indly permitted TO pray for its re-
Mihomei expfossly fcrblds suicide in the
| Koran. and the crmo Is extremely rare among
| Mahunmcdans.
The Roman Catholics the Greeks, and Prot
estant Episcopal churches prohibit the reading
| o. the burial service over the body oi the sui-
! eide, except IN the case Of one who dicd while
in. anr. Tue statute law of England prohibits II
| IN ali cases. At the time ~ tue Reform alton in
England, the suicides properly was connscated
| 1, compens ate the state Tor the iO-s Of a sub
ic't, his body buried at the cross ro. ds, and
u take was driven through n to mark the de-
| testation Of the Law, and To deter othcrs from
the crime. Ihls very ancient rule ten into gene
raj. II NOT entire di-u~c many years ago, hut IL
Wa, not rereticd until the fourth year Of George
| Tvs rei-n and even then, 10 manifest the hor-
ror OF the law al the act OF suicide, IL Wt, order
~
churchyaru. or other consccrated ground, should
pe buried at niCnt ana without the performance
| OF religious rtos,
1hr Indians Of South America. when op-
| pressed beyond endurance hy their Spanish
cunqucTorS, madC away with themselves in
! great numuers. lrcy we're checked only 10y
ueiug told that II they did not dcslst from the
practice, their masters would commit suicide
| too, and follow them into the next world, where
| their tons and torments snould be incre l-ed
tenfold. Tins threat had the desired Ell ct.
| There Is l;ilc suicide among the North Ancri-
| can Indians. IL is only the squaws who kill
| themselves. They alway, do TINS 10y hanging to
n tree ana invariably select the sNallc-t lrce
| that will answer the purpose, believing that in
! The next world they Will be Obliged to drag the
| tree about with them loroycr