The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-08-12
Recent Studies of Suicide.

A writer in BlackyoOd's Magazine,
who has made an intelligent study Of
the statistics and authorities on the sub
ject, says that suicide has been rapidly
increasing all over Europe during the
last hundred years, and that 1t Is still
ON the increase. Not fewer than bN;0O6
Europeans, or about one in every 5000
of the population; are reported TO kill
themselves every yhsr. The Ttitet
cited asserts that tie average rate OF
self-destruction is five times greater
now than it was a century ago. 1t is
not improbable that the percentage is
much higher now than formerly, but 1t
may be questioned whether the incrsase
comes anywhere hear the above sstis
mate. The apparent is doubtless much
greater than the real increase, owing to
the fact that statistics on this subject
are now Systematically gathered, which
was not the case in the last CEN
tury. Suicide is now regarded as
something more than mere sin or
form of impiety. 1t is a malady in
all civilized countries as inevitable rs
forgery or the measles at is,n snys
Buckle, "merely product of the gen.
eral condition of society,"" and "in a
given state of society certain number
of persons must put an end to their ex.
istence." Recent studies of the subject
by statisticians and thinkers confirm
this view, and furthermore show that
there Is much method in the madness
and that this unfortunate phase of civil
ization is governed by general laws,
which, within limits, operate rigidly
and universally. Thus it is found that
as rule people are more anxious to
shuttle off the mortal coil in civilized
than in semi-civllized or barbarian
countries, more in northern than in
southern latitudes, more in summer
than in winter, more in cities than in
rural districts, more among the educated
than the illiterate, more among work
ing people than professional men, and
more among the poor than the well-Lo-
do. The Denes arc the most and the
Portuguese the least self.destru3tive,
the PrusSians more than the French,
the French more than the English, and
the English more than the Austrians,
Russians, Italians or Spanish. Apart
from latitude climate has no effect,
showing that Montesquieu was wrong
when lie said London fog made men
kill themselves. Bat the seasons seem
to exert m important influence. Most
people prefer to take themselves off
in fine weather. Spring and sum-
mer are the favorite times. July offers
to the victim the most and November
the fewest attractions. The number of
suicides is twice as great in Mag, June
or July as in any winter mon h. That
women, more than men, should shun
death by their own hand, and should
make up but fourth of the i'll. starred
list, is but natural and proper. Nor is
it strange that convicts, who know
neither shame nor fear, do not die vol
untary deaths in any appreciable ratio.
But why should the tendency to self
slaughter increase steadily and surely
with advancing years, and old age
rather than earlier life become the great
suicidal periodP For this strange fact
appears to be established by statistics,
and that in proportion to the number of
individuals of each age suicides are
about as frequent above threescore and
ten as between the ages of twenty and
forty. Even the choice of means is
governed by fixed laws, which are sub
stantially the same everywhere. Poison
and the knife have gone out of fashion,
and only about fifteen per cent. of those
dissatisfied with life seek to escape it
by the bullet. The favorite methods
are hanging and drowning, between
which there appears to be little choice,
since one is resorted to about as often
as the other. Together they are pre-
ferred by about seventy per cent. of sui
cides.-NeU York Herald.