The Portland daily press., 1881-11-30
Suicide.

In notice of Professor Morsslli's work on
suicide, the London Academy says; "In the
aggregate of the civilized States of Europe and
America, voluntary death has increased since
the beginning of the century, and is still in
creasing more rapidly than the growth OF the
population. But this result, true of the aggre-
gate, is not true of all tho single States. 1t
holds good especially of the northern countries
of Europe-as Denmark, Finland or England.
But still England is not 'in the first rank and
our number of suicides for the last twenty-five
years, If not decreasing, has not largely in
creased Each State has specific degree OF
tendency to suicide just as it has to criminal
ity, marriage or growth of population. To
some extent, no doubt, this depends upon race,
~ spite of the fusion of races in any one state
For, to take instances, Jews exhibit AN habit
ual resistance to suicide;' negroes, especially
women, have an extraordinary propensity to it.
The Scandinavian stock has a high proportion
of voluntary deaths; so mas pnre German blood;
Saxony is the great point of irradiation' OF
suicide; the specially Anglo-Saxon East and
South of England have higher average than
the West or North and the departments OF
France are suicidal in proportion as they have
been Germapized. In fact, the Isle of France,
with 1906 suicides TO the million inhabitants,
stands at the top OF the list
''If we accept race as a factor, 1t will not sur
prise US to learn that tall Europeans are more
given to suicide than short ones; and that in
Italy (though not in France) suicide is more
frequent among brachycephaic people. But
it is more striking that the States which are
prominent in crimes of blood are those where
suicide is scarce as Italy and Spain. Where
crimes against property predomlnate suicides
are more frequent Plains, again, coincide
with high averages, so do allu' ial deposits
The primary rocks give low proportion. Re-
ligions are pretty constant in the relative av-
erages which they yield. For instance, in
Bavaria Prussia, Wurtemburg, and Austria,
the tendency to suicide is among Protestapts
102 per million inhabitants; among Catholics,
62 81; with which one may compare Protestant
England giving 81 aud Catholic Ireland IS
But many Of these and like congratulations are
only the same thing repeated in different for
nNule.
$50, too, perhaps, as to facts about the inhu-
enoe of age sex, or profession upon self-de-
struction Profession has table TO itself; we
can only notice the frequency of suicide in our
army, threefold that OF civilians between twen-
ty and forty y-&ve years of age. The tendency
to take ones own life judgments in the two
sexes in direct ratfe with age England loses
most men between fort5 five and ffty-tve
years; but in the last period of life the ten
dency greatly dlminishes. 1t is far higher
among men than women. 1t is highest in
June, lowest in December; 'all alienists are
agreed as TO the greater frequency of mental
alienation in the summer SEASON. But some
countries give a maximum in spring-that is,
in the North, where the changs Of season tries
the constitution most. The tirss ten days of
the month are more fatal than tho rest, especi-
ally in large cities. Night is preierred by su-
icides,' probably on account of its isolation.
Nor are persons irregular in choosing means OF
DEATH The rope is the most generally chosen;
then water, then firearms. Italians prefer
falling from a height. English suicides who
employ poison (and they are chiefly founS in
our industrial districts) show constant pr.di-
lection for the same drugs. London peciafg
disikes hanging. And particular ages atfecl
particular means; above the age of eighty no
Dane would slay himself with pistol.