Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-31
SCICIDE AGAIN,

One or two recent sensational suicides have
had the effect of attracting renewed atten-
ton to the general subject and of causing a
general discussion in regard to it. Among
other interesting facts brought out is that in
Europe, while in the last ten years the popua-
ton has increased only nineteen per cent,
the number of suicides has increased sixty
three per cent. The increase in insanity has
been equally marked-for the one largely de-
,,ouds upon the vtnrr. III ILLS country II is a
well known fact that insanity and suicide are
ever charging the number of their victims.
1t is declared by Mr.. Mulhal, the English
statisiclan, that insanity is the cause Of nine
tenths of all suicides. If insanity is the cause
of nine in every ten suicides and its increase
is vastly greater than the increase of popula-
ton, there is most urgent need of he inquiry
of scientific. men as to how the increase OF
mental disease Can be prevented. But another
high authority says that it is difficult in ma
jority of cases to decide whether an insane
impulse or delusion prompted self
destruction, and he might not agree
with Mr.. Mulhall as to the pro-
portion of insane suicide The causes of
felo d. Sc which he mentions are abnormal
physical or mental conditions disappont
ment, .intemperance, business reverses and
family differences. Some writers attribute
the prevalence of suicide at certain times to
climate, and it is a well known fact that there
are more suicides in summer than in winter
But while insanity is undoubtedly the
cause of large percentage of suicides
possibly much the largest percentage-an-
other cause, 1t seems to US, greatly aug
mcns the annual total. We refer to the de-
cay OF religious sentiment. Before the
Christian era there was, generally speaking,
no prejudice against suicide. Among the
Romans, suicide was very praiseworthy
performance. 1t was considered perfectly
lustiiiabe for causes which strike modern
as triillng. Was the Roman gentleman af-
ilicted with ennui-tdedium citae-grief,
disappointment, or what not, he forthwith
proceeded to commit suicidc-and no pro-
ceedlng was thought more worthy of gen.
tleman. With pleasing circumstances of
good TASTE" as De Quincy says, he took
his dose of henbane or opened
vein and accomplished his little bust
ness, and his friends while mourning his
loss, saw nothing wrong or unaccouutable in
his suicide. But with the coming in of the
Christian era all that was changed. Men
were instructed that their lives were not their
own and were to be recalled only at the sum-
mons OF the Creator and the church launch
ed her direct anathemas at the self-murderer.
Ecclesiastical law was seconded by civil leg
islalion, and the suicide was punished in his
dead body and in his estate. Suicide was
regarded, in short, as first and chiefly
crime against God aud secondly as an Of
fence against man. But in these later days,
there has been, in many quarters, a weaken
ing oil the religious sentiment, a loosening of
the bonds OF the church, growth, if not of
bold atheism, at least of agnosticism and
as one result we sec large percentage of the
startling increase of suicide all over the civil
lied world
The high-pressure living of modern times has
caused great increase in insanity and hence as
necessary consequence in suicide To this
must he added large percentage brought
about by the decay of religious faith. The re-
suit, therefore, while startling and almost APP
palllng,is not entirely unaccointablc. Aud we
may add that the increase OF suicide is ap.
parent in all or nearly all civilized communi.
Iles The ratio Of suicides to Inhabitants it
may surprise our readers to learn, is larger in |
Vermont than in any European country ex-
'ept France and Germany. Germany leads
he list with l5.0 suicides to every 100, 900 of