The San Francisco call., 1903-01-07
PROSPERITY AND SUICIDE.

~ nee upon time believed suicide to be
1 the result OF morose disposition, but when
~ statistics were carefully gathered and it was
learned that among the gay and cheerful French
there are more suicides in proportion population
than among the British races the theory had to be
abandoned Then a belief arose that gloomy sur
roundngs tend to prompt to seIf-destructon.
but the revealed the fact that there are more
suicides in the brightness OF summer than in the
gloom OF winter Lately It has been regarded as GER
tain that hard times and disaster cause suicide but
that doctrine will have be given up like the others
for the number OF suicides in this country during the
last few years has increased with the ratio OF the in
crease OF prosperity.
The Chicago Tribune for long series OF years has
kept count OF suicides recorded in the press and the
figures may be taken as reliable 1t gives the record
for the last four years follows I8oo $40 suicides;
1900, 6755; 1901, Jas; 1902, 1921.
OF the dreadful list is noted that only in sixty
seven cases the suicide attributable to monetary
losses disasters in business OF the other causes it
is said dependency ranks first about one-tenth are
traced domestic inelicty 433 to Ill health and 3z5
10 disappointed love Fully one-third left no clew
to the cause for seli-murder while liquor" accounts
for I36.
notable feature OF the list OF the last year is the
ratio Of the in suicide was FIVE men to one wo
man, but in 1902 Tor unknown reason the wo-
men took to suicide in such large numbers that the
ratio stands three women for every FIVE men. In
other words, about three times as many women com
mtted suicide last year in the previous year.
DIR. Arthur Macdonald OF the United States Bureau
OF Education who has made careful study OF the in
crease OF crime and other abnormalities in American
life, attributes the evil the growth Of luxury among
the people Statistics indicate that those States OF
the Union which have the greatest wealth. social am
bon, education and intelligence have also the great
est amount OF suicide, crime insanity, nervous dis
eases, juvenile criminals and almshouse paupers He
Is reported as saying: The haste OF civilization in
volving many transition periods, puts an abnormal
strain on the nervous system as compared with the
muscular system Thus the electric car. automobile
and the telephone make people exercise less and think
more. reaction has set in already through the de-
velopment OF systems of physical culture The in
crease of wealth with the lusuries OF the table has
tended to overeating, which, in connection with lack
OF exercise has It's evil effects and doubtless produces
an additional reaction on theAnervous system"
Some OF the details of the statistics collected by
Dr. Macdonald are interesting The PHILADELPHIA
Record says: They show that the deaths from alco-
holism, per million of population are far more mn
-@' =" ~" ANiN, Dan rIdlClsCO ana Boston, in
the order named, than III Philadelphia The rate for
New York IS 2Io and here In suicides per million
San Francisco is far ahead Of any other city. with
2o7, followed in order by St. Louis, Chicago. New
York, Boston and this city, where the rate is o7
Deaths from alcoholism and suicide are far more
common in Philadelphia and New York than in their
respective States and the rate for alcoholism is far
higher in the rural districts OF the country than in tho
cities, but in suicides there is not much difference
the rate in cities is o2o per million and in the rra
districts g."
1t is a grewsome subject but If seems inevitable