The Washington times., 1902-07-11
WASHINGTON HAS
SUICIDAL MANIA
hysicians Say Hot Wave
IS Responsible.
Coroner's Record Shows Five Deaths
From the Use c. Carbolic Acid
Others Tried Self Destruction.

The police say suicidal mania has
been induced by the recent hot wave.
1T is certainly remarkable" said a
well-known Official yesterday morn
ing. in conversation with a Times re-
porter, the manner IN which the death
roll OF city grows during the summer
months, and especially the suicide rec
ord More than half of the persons whose
deaths are officially reported to the po-
lice in the form of suicides have been
mentally deranged because OF the in
tense heat. and while in such a condi-
ton end their careers in various man
ners."
The official spoke the truth so far as
the police casualty list is concerned, for
when an examination was made OF the
records it was found that dur
ing the past month. and more es2c-
cially the last couple CT weeks. when
;he temperature OF the weather has in
creased materially, there Rave been
five suicides, four of whom used
carbolic acid t. end their lives.
In addition, there have been many
attempts at self-destruction. Those who
make a study of such matters lay the
cause OF the rash actions of the unfor-
tunates at the door of Old Sol. claim
ing that death was hastened by the in
creasing of the temperature.
On the other hand during the winter
months suicides are few and far between,
sometimes months elapsing before case
of self-desJruction is reported. When
asked his opinion upon the subject yes
terday. DR.. Nevitt. the city Coroner,
was decidedly of the opinion that the
number of self-destruction cases in
creased in the heat OF summer.
"The increasing temperature, said
he. " is in my opinion Indirectly re-
spOnsible for the large number OF sui
cides which occur during the summer
months. You take for instance a man
who is worried or in a decidedly melan
choly mood on a summers day, his own
imaginary troubles are almost invariably
greatly added to By the intense heat
until the unfortunate Individual becomes
so crazed that he has decided to end
his misery by self-destruction.
Washington is one OF the warmest
cities in the country during the warm
weather season, and consequently our
death rate here, considering our popula-
tion, is considerably larger than that
of several other cities. although | have
heard physicians in metropolitan centers
express the belief that warm weather
undoubtedly superinduced self-destruc-
ton"
So far this summer the death rate of
the city. however. by suicide is not as
large as that of last summer or even
summer before last, when the
weather was almost unbearable, this
being due undoubtedly to the unusually
cool weather which this city has expe-
rienced during the present year.
Perhaps there are few persons better
able 10 Judge regarding the increase in
suicidal cases in the summer time than
the surgeons at the various hospitals.
Immediately after the close of winter
those hospitals which receive emergency
medical cases of all descriptions begin
to arrange their paTaphernalia for the
work ahead, more especially the attend
ing of suicidal cases. Frequently the
hospital surgeons are called upon to at
tend as many as three or four cases of
attempted self-destruction a day, cases
In which time is priceless. especially
in carbolic acid poisoning.
Only few years ago II was the reign
Ing style among the cOlored women who
infest this city's numerous alleys TO
swallow carbolic acid during the sum
mer and so many cases of such a char
acter were handled by the Emergency
Hospital during that period that they
were forced to secure additional assist
ance.