Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-09-17
SUICIDE STATISTICS.
The Rate Is Higher in Cities Than
in the Country.
Insurance Reports show That self
Destruction H. on the Increase
some Interesting Figures
on the subject.

some tables were recently prepare,
Tor the Spectator. an insurance pub
iication, by Frederick Hoffman, rela
tive to the number of suicides il
American cities. The United States
census reports, in covering rura
communities as well as large center.
OF population, get an average of H.,
20 100000 population for the year
1900 for the whole country. Since
the figures which Mr.. Hoffman brings
together for cities are larger than
these, the rate for sparsely settled
regions, taken by themselves, must
be CORRESPONDENCE lower. There is
no way of making a direct compari.
son, but il is not unlikely that the
mortality from self-destruetion is
nearly or quite twice as .hrge in
cities as in the farming districts, says
the New York Tribune.
Another remarkable fact is that in
the former the rate is on the in
crease. Summing up the results in
so Of the largest cities of the United
States, 1t appears that the average
number Of suicides in 1890 was II per
100000, while in 1901 it had grown TO
1915. At no time in the l2-year period
did the rate fall below the minimum
here given, but in 1897 and 1898 il
rose temporarily 10 17.3. The steady
progress shown by this comparison
leads Mr.. Hoffman to think that
further increase in the suicidal ten
dency may be expected in the next
decade.
A careful inquiry might possibly
afford some explanation Of the fiuetu.
ations which are noticed from year
TO year in these figures, aside from
the steady growth. Hard times, ex-
cessiyely hot summers and other gem
eral causes might be more potent AZ
one time than at another No such
analysis was attempted by the Spec
tator's contributors. however The
advance in the rate from 1890 10 1901.
no doubt, is attributed to other in
fiuences, such as increased mental,
social and business activity-a great
er tension in the high pressure life
Of American cites.
A rather more puzzling comparison
IS that which Mr.. Hoffman makes be-
tween different centers Of population |
in this country. Taking the average
for the whole ten-year period ending |
with 1900, he finds that there were
o. r,ff.sloc - 1..-r,.,- M aao ,..4,,.I. Il
In st. Louis, while the rate in Tren-
ton was only 81, and in Fall River
20. The percentage in several other
cities was almost as high as that in
St. Louis. The figures for Chicago
are 237; Hoboken. %; Oakland
(Cal). 2l.5, and that part of New
York city included in the boroughs of
and The Bronx, 20o Even
n Newark the rate is 1862. while that
Tor Brooklyn is only 1871. Boston
makes a setter showing-15.4--while
Jersey City's figures are still lower
LAG Why one suburb of the me-
ropolis on the west shore of the
hudson should have a higher rate
han this city, and another one very
much lower, is a conundrum to which
{ is not easy to find the answer.
Causes of death are of special in
crest TO life insurance companies,
nd the latter have collected statis-
les regarding the same. The Mutual
life, for instance, has records going
ack more than half a century.
'hese show that among the insured,
resumably a class of people a little
uperior to the average of mankind,
he mortality from suicide between
s43 and 1855 was 10 per cent of all
eaths among the company's policy
while between 1855 and 1898 4
was pa per cent.-a perceptible
icrease. This showing corroborates
he other figures presented by Mr.
offman. 1t also appears from the
Lutual Life tables that, while 80
er cent of deaths from all causes
atween 1856 and 1895, among men
nder As years of age, were due TO
licide, and 80 per cent. between the
res Of IS and 60, the rate for men
{ GO and over is only or per cent,
though the actual number Of
,aths for its three groups was i
.oqB anlU IsVlIs 'smps sql lnoau
a little below 5000.
y