The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-18

! endeaVOr TO stamp out the growing
evil. 1t has been asserted by various
members of these bodies that the news
papers of the land are in great meas
ure responsible for much Of the self
destruction Of which the United States
seem to be enjoying a particularly
heaVy wave. Meetings are being held,
ana resolutions being drafted request
ing publishers of papers to eliminate
this class Of news from their columns.
A portion of such a notification is APP
pended:
Ask That Method Be Cancelled.
A resolution will be acted on at the
next meeting Of the Hennepin County
Medical association providing that
newspapers be requested in the interest
or humanity to refrain from printing,
In connection with accounts of suicide,
anything concerning the method of
obstruction employed.
members Of the medical profession
are convinced that the large number of
suicides resulting from use of carbolic
acld IS attributable to suggestion de-
rived by ignorant people from news
paper publication of suicidal method.
Within the last year carbolfc acid
poisoning came within one of heading
the list OF causes Of death In suicide
cases, and the doctors believe that re-
sort to the first means Of self-destruc-
tlon at hand is due to belief in the
palnlessness of carbolic acid poisoning,
winch Is reported In the papers most
frequently as the method of suicide.
While 1t is fact that carbolic acid
taken in sufficient quantity is almost
as Immediately fatal in its effects as
hydrocyanic acid, an underdose of the
poison produces death in a lingering
and horrible form. The unforf11nate
suffers from q
tro-enteritis and finally chokes to
death.
Carbolic acid is one of the most com
monty used household necessities. and
from this fact drug store clerks have
no compunction about selling it when
ever 1t is called for. The acid, as dilut-
ed for household use, is in precisely the
form to produce death in its most hor-
rible aspect.
Alcohol is an antidote for carbolfc
acid poisoning, a fact with which the
public is not generally familiar. The
formula for treatment is first the stom-
ach pump, then the administration of
lime water in large quantities and
Glauber salts in solution. Alcohol is
given at frequent intervals.
DR.. w. A. Jones said yesterday. in a
conversation concerning the frequent
recourse to carbolic acid as a means of
suicide, that the explanation was to be
found largely in suggestion, acting on
the minds Of persons in depressed
mental condition. The fact that car
bolic acid so frequently figures in
newspaper reports as the suicidal agent
and that this acid is usually within
reach of persons seized with suicidal
mania, are responsible for the increas-
ed number of cases attributed to this
cause. 1t is also to be feared that sui
cidal use of the always handy acid bot
tie will increase unless something can
be done to keep details of suicide cases
from the eyes of persons in depressed
and nervous condition.
1T is not the theory that cases Of
suicide ought not to be printed" said
DR.. Jones. Newspapers are published
to print the news. and suicide is news
of a sort, but 1t has occurred that the
danger to certain class of newspaper
readers could be materially lessened if
an agreement could be reached between
the pepers not to publish anything as to
the methods used in suicide cases. II
John Smith has killed himself it is
really not matter Of great moment