The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1890-07-23
MILITARY SUICIDES.
statIstiss Regarding the suicidal Mania In
Different Armies.


statisties Regarding the Suicidal Mania In
Different Armies.
One of the most unique of the many
branches of the government service is
the compilation of mortality statistics
for the war department. Human life,
which the poets are wont to character
ize as a brief ''span of Woe" or a
dream of disappointment or by
some other term which gives IL char
acter of intangible sadness, is taken as
cold fact; a basis of mathematical
calculation. People are born and die ac-
cording to fixed numerical laws which
can be determined by calculation. 1t
isn't "a particularly agreeable thought,
but it is true, nevertheless, that wheii
statisticians have perfected their calcu-
lations in this line, and there is reason
TO expect that they will be perfected.
mar will be obliged to die by rule
Even if he commits suicide, his de
mise is tabulated among other cases
which show under what circumstances
self destruction is most likely to occur,
and what conditions are most condu-
Give to the suicidal epidemic that so
frequently sweeps the country.
During the fiscal year Which ended
IN June, 1888, there ITiffr6sserr
suicides in the army, twelve in the in
fantry service, six in the cavalry and
one in the artillery. This gives ra-
ito of only ~ 2-1O0ths in / 900. Only
one case was that of an ofiicer--a lieu
tenant of the infantry.
The suicide ratio for various armies
whose reports were accessible was as
follows: Austria, 1.49; Prussia and
Wurtemberg, 70; Great Britain, 45;
Italy, AZ; France, 81; Belgium. .3S.
This illustrates the fact often com
mented on, that the phlegmatic Ger
man. with his ponderous philosophic
intellect, is remarkably prone to end
his own existence. On the other hand
the mercurial Frenchman bears up un-
der the ills we have, and presents next
to the best record in the lot
OF the cases referred to in the United
States army, one man selected drown
ing as his mode of exit, two preferred
poison, one cut his throat, one severed
the radial arteries, and fourteen shot
themselves. Morbid dependency was
the cause in two cases, suicidal mania
in one. jealousy in two, losses by gam
bling III two, excessive drinking in
ten, and no cause could be assigned in
two.
The statistician does not stop here.
be goes on TO show that the ages were
% years in one case, 81 in two, 2S in
one, 80 in one, 81 in three, 35 in two,
3S in two, 40 in two, Al in one, A in
one, and in three cases the ages were
not stated.
The month showing the greatest
number of suicides (siX) was Novem-
Der. Three occurred in February, two
each in January, March, April, Au-
gust and September, and none in the
remaining months of the year.
In addition to the foregoing there
were two attempted suicides without
fatal results.
From these facts the suicidal ten
dencv is strongest during the winter.
On the other hand homicides are most
frequent during warm weather, the
cases being far more numerous during
summer than at any other time of the
year.
The record referred to above is but
for one year, of course, selected at ran
dom, but tho -rariatinn from yaas. 60
year is not especially marked. 1t has
been pet idea of American lovers of
statistical research to tabulate the facts
relating to mortality for the whole
United States, but the scheme presents
many obstacles owing to the difficulty
iii getting accurate Information. 1t has
been demonstrated that the highest
death rate is for children under 10
years of age. The causes of death vary
from year TO year.
The great difficulty in making cor
rect calculations of this kind arises
from the inaccuracy, unavoidable to a
great extent, in taking the census. In
stead of there being a natural sequence
of conditions from year to year, there
are enormous jumps in figures. The
census, for instance, will show that
there are 1000 people alive ut 10 wears
of age, 12,e 600 at 20 and then drops to
5000 at 81, when in the natural course
OF things there should be gradual in
crease. This, it is said, results from
the carelessness of people in giving
their ages.
The tendency in this country is to
count the age by decades only. Peo-
pie often ignorant of their exact aces
Will, when asked how old they are
reply inditferently in round numbers
IT man has passed 80 years he will
give his age at 30 without TROUBLING
himself to remember the odd wears,
Forty-hve years will be the next stop
ping place. OF course these facts hold
good mainly among people of limited
education, but there are enough of
these to very seriously disturb the cal
culations of mortality experts.
A life table is "a hcroulanean mathe.
matical effort, and its practical value
after it has been prepared is limited.
except with insurance companies
Statisticians are deSirous of preparing
table of this kind for the city Of
Washington. 1t would be an inter
esting study, but probably of little
practical use, except to show lust
when children are most likely to die.
and therefore require the greatest care
Sufficient data could be obtained from
the health Office for complete work
of this kind.-Washington Post.