Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-08-11
Suicides and Panics.

II i-a quite common theory that psnic-
increase the number Of suicides materially
This theory ia plausible one. Indeed il
woud be- strange if the mental strain atten-
liant on psnios iii not lead some to take
their ow n lives tits however. doubtful II
the smount of increase is very noticeable
and IL certainly falls far short " common
supposiiiln. itcsnnot be denied that sui
cides are increasing in this country. In
the very full list kept by the Chicago Trib-
une for few years past it is shown that
while the number was only 222i in lS-a il
had grown to $3.50 IN ls92 Rut of the
nearly 1000 who sought death in this way
last year business LOSSES are sscribej a. tn.
cause in only - cases
The Philadelphia Press calls attention to
she fact that statistics do not bear out the
Imposition of large increase in suicides
turing business depression
During the past flfty years there has been
time when SO many financial plans were
etlenly mstred and so many fortunes were
sept awsv ~ in 1873. But the accessible
statistics Of suicide in that year do not show
any abnormal increase. Taking the tour
states, Massachusetts. Vermont. Rhode
l.land and Connecticut, a. an illustration,
II 10 found that in all Of them there was a
,ntsl of 2it suicides in 1871, 1896 ia 1872.
l16 /, 1879 and Isl in 1874. According to
these figures business troubles would seem
to lessen rather than increase self-murter.
rs the number OF suicides in the panic yea,
1873 vas smaller than in the two previous
years and in the succeeding year than in
that year of gres, business disaster.
The figures for 1854 lend little color to
the theory that period of business iepres-
lion is prolific OF suicides. In that year
The suicides in New York city rose to 22s,
a lump from Is in the previous year, and
in the year following they fell again to 20-
But 1854 cannot be called panic year
and the business depression then. did not
compare with that existing in 1873, or to-
day. There are other causes which will
account for the recent increase 10 suicides
tue OF these is, that the favorite months
fn ssif murder are June, July, August
and September. The number rises As the
temperature rises, which has led to the
probably weilfounded supposi,ion that at
,.sspheric conditions have marked effect
upon the suicide tendency, which fact nigh;
nugget to people Who fear they may violate
a.. canon against self-mur,isr to reside in
es.ia climases.
There Il no country in which suicide 10
ws,re popular than in France, the number
b wing risen from $751; in 1881 to $3.50 in
i>si, the population meanwhile having
srly stationary. But search into the
e,u.es shows that fear of poverty i. lovet
the fss- Ina partial list Of 1909 sui.
tiles occurring in 1855 in this country only
III are attributed to business troubles.
Suicide Ia recent YEAR, has become espe,
/ ,ly popular among the soldiers in
,se European armies, = calling that 10
Effected lees than any other, probably. By
ia.iustria, depression. Nor does our hur-
led American life appear to create adispo-
.ition fds suicide. The average of suicides
fer ave yesrs in New York city ending With
1850 vas lsa to each 100000 of populA-
,hsa. European cities show = much larger
proportion. The following number Of sui
csass . each 10000 Of population oc-