The Columbus journal., 1896-11-04
SUICIDE IN JAPAN.
Changed Conditions Seem tn Strengthen
the lmoulsea Of Desp0Ir.

Changed Conditions Seem tn Strengthen
tho lmpulses Of Despair.
An interesting essay on the prcva-
lence of suicide in Japan has been writ
ten by Mr.. Saito Kukufu, native sta
tistician, says the London Times. The
statistics extend over ten years and
show that suicide has been on the in
crease in Japan both actually and IN
proportion to the total number OF
deaths. In 1855 and 1856 the number
in proportion to the population reach
ed its highest. Mr.. SaitO observes that
during these years there was a great
rise in the price of the necessarles OF
life. In the case of japanese women
the age at which suicide is most ire
quent is about 20; the corresponding
period with men is %. Comparatively
few women commit suicide after the
25th year but men are not safe until
they are past 40. The women after
marriage usually take life as they find
it and submit with stoicism to its con-
ditions. The suicides of men are due
to the worries and reverses of business
and are often the results OF cool and
deliberate choice between two evils.
Female suicides are rather more than
half those of males but with distinct
tendency to increase. From January
to May are the worst months for sui
cides. The number mounts rapidly
month by month from January to May
and keeps high until July and 1t falls
to it's lowest in November. The sui
cides of December and January are
attributed partly to pecuniary troubles
at the close of the year. when all ac-
counts are supposed to be closed and
all liabilities met. A rise in July is
attributed to financial troubles at the
half year. In recent years the use oI
the sword by suicides is decreasing
greatly; hanging is the method most
frequently employed. nearly three
f0urths of the male suicides and nearly
half the females having terminated
their lives in this way, but among
women drowning is more common than
even hanging. Firearms and poison
are rarely used, probably because they
are not readily obtainable. while
japanese of either sex always has
long girdle and always has water suf-
ficient to cause drowning at hand in
the deep wells in every village and ad'
jacent to almost every house. The
figures show that the number OF sui
cides varies year by year with the price
of rice; 1t rises when the price Of rice
is high and falls when rice is cheap
1t is also evident that the great centers
Of commerce and industry have a great
er proportion than country districts.
Mr.. Sait0 has endeavored to tabluate
the causes of Japanese suicides and
from the figures for four years which
he gives it appears that about hsE the
total number are due to mental de-
rangement, about a quarter to general
reverses Of fortune and the difficulty
Of making a living" an eighth OF the
whole are attributed to ph: sical suffer-
ing and the remainder 20 love, remorsc.
shame. bereavement, domestic quarrels.
etc. No attempt is made in the statis-
tics to distinguish between educated
and uneducated persons who commit
suicide. H. seems. however, that the
view of tie educated japanese is that
lie has q right to commit suicide II he
thinks his life has been a failure or
that it has become an intolerable bur-
ron IN linn