Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-12-29
STATISTICS OF SUICIDE.
How Much More Frequently Men XIII
themselves, aud How, When, Where
upd Rhy.

AHcmscFess uhu hoWs Wneu, Whefe
md Why,
Professor Morselli, Of the Royal
University Of Turin. has just published
one Of the most valuable and interesting
volumes on the subject Of suicide which
could be desired by the most exacting
student Of the.topic. One great fact is
dlsclosed-that self. destruction has
increased since the beginning OF the
century, and goes on continually
increasing. The minimum Of suicides
is found in the south of Europe (Italy,
Spain and Portugal, and the proportion
rises by degrees as the center il
approached. Suicides are more frequent
in plains and flat countries, and less
numerous among the mountains. In
marshes and very low lands, however,
the tendency decreases. The number
of cases varies in all countries accord
! ing to the position of the earth with
respect to the sun, being greatest when
the earthis is in aphelion, and least when
it is in perihelion. Spring, summer,
and especially the month Of June, exer-
else the most positive influence on
suicidal tendency, while that OF winter,
especially of December, is negative.
The law is absolute that the suicide
rate rises steadily from January to June
and then sinks steadily till December,
or, to put it, differently. suicide is in
direct proportion to the length Of the
day. People are more apt to kill them
selves in the first decade Of the month
than in the second or third. and suicides
are especially numerous on the first and
second Of the month. This is attributable
to payday with its dissipation, settling
l-day, &c. In their order the days of the
week preferred by suicides are Tuesday,
Thursday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday,
Sunday. Saturday. Saturday and Sun
day the workman has his wages and
enjoys himself, but when blue Monday
comes on and he has squandered them
or is shaky from spree. the tendency
to self destruction shows itself. With
women there is an unusually high
suicide rate on Sunday, quiet day,
with opportunities forrefection, ,remorse
ana regret, but at the beginning Of the
week they are too busy with house
work to be able to afford time. There
would be, one might think, a general
preference for the night, as being
quieter and less liable to interruption,
but the most trustworthy figures show
| that the hours of the maximum are from
G, A. NJ. till nocn; then there is a
decrease, then an increase falling away
from 8 P. NJ. to 6, after which the
number diminishes till midnight, the
minimum being finally reached about an
hour before sunrise. Suicide, as Tacitus
and Suetonius noted long ago, is most
frequent among the Germanic peoples,
the Germans and Scandinavians, and
least frequent among those Of Slavic
origin. 1t seems as if the tendency to
suicide is in direct ratio to stature.
The late Of suicide rises as the state Of
civilization grows higher, and especially
as higher stages of intellectual develop
ment are reached. Savages do not kill
themselves except under stress of hum
ger or from fanatieism. but civilized
people find a thousand more motives
for self-destruction in cerebral needs
caused and multiplied by the mutual
relations Of highly organized society.
There is certain general relation
between suicide and density of popula-
tion, the proportion being greater in
cities than in the country, but the
influence of cities is not uniform or
exclusive. nor is it ever according to
ratio with the mass of inhabitants.
There are three or four male suicides to
one female, difference accounted for
by the fact that the difficulties Of exist
ence bear more heavily on man, while
woman, though possessed OF more
impressionable nervous temperament,
yet possesses the faculty of resigning
nefsen more easliy TO circumstances
Suicidal tendency augments in the two
sexes in direct ratio with age. Male
suicides pfeponaera.o IRON 'ne ,ortle'n
year up"alus, WINE women nave :
senuen'y = ~ snell iises ~ snls slue q
my, anu 'eenelai. unaer .nir'y q
'nils soooi,s = sulcio. = most
no'aoie = 0'oWosu o''iss malriaee
10'o,' nm sel' o0ssl a0''on 0loo".
nooo lmpeis 70 H. Inc presence OF