El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-06-29
Suicide Statistics Supply
Interesting Social Study
DEATH BY POISON TAKES PRECEDENCE.

who have taken their lives by throw
ing themselves into the craters OF VOL
canoes-tmpedOcle poet ana phllOso-
pher in the fifth century B. G, VINO dled
on Mt. Etna, and an unknown EngIlsh-
man in 1920 at Mt. VeSUvius- one OF
the most tragic cases of wholesale SUI
eide ever recorded occurred at the siege
of Jerusalem By Titus in 20 A D. Wnen
the defenders OF the sacred city, seeing
that defeat was inevitable, retired 10
the fortress, led by Eleazer, and there
killed themselves
The suicide OF Lord Scarborough IN
1927 is dinged with a peculiarly whlm-
steal romance. He could not DECIDE
with which of two women TO associate
and in his heSitancy determined 10 es-
cape choice by Self-murder- Robert
Burton, the author Of The Anatomy or
Melanchc - committed suicide TO verl-
r. me D. ophecy that ne had made as
to the date of hist death. The same
motive prompted the suicide of Jerome
Cardan. n noted physician and astrOio-
ger of the 18th century.
More Men Commit Suicide.
Statistics of suicide present many
strange problems TO the scientist who
seeks for a cause in every effect 1t IS
found that in many countries OF Eu-
rope. for example, that three men kill
themselves to one woman who commits
suicide but that the ratio is gradually
decreasing. owing TO the increased ac-
tivity of women and the growth or
spirit Of independence among them
which causes them TO share the trials
of subsistence and the battles with cir
cumstances. 1t is held that men show
a stronger tendency toward self-de-
struction than women because the lat
ter are by nature better able to &C
cOmmodate themselves to changes OF
social conditions, and also because
their powers of seIf-sacrifice are great
er.
Marriage, celibacy and widOwhood IN
relation TO the number of suicides pre-
sents an interesting topic 1t is found
that bachelors kill themselves more
frequently than married men; but IN
Italy, France, Switzerland and SaXony
married men oftener than unmarried.
Widows surpass widOwers in frequency
of suicide. Divorce causes more male
suicides than female The presence of
children has been found TO affect the
suicide rate; they restrain the mother
more than the father in married life
and widowhood, while they have the
contrary effect on divorced persons
European Statistics.
In European cities ii has been found
that the number of suicides per 100000
ranges from 81 in Dresden TO three IN
Madrid and two in Lisbon According
to Frederick l. Hoffman, the statisti-
! clan for one of the largest insurance
companies in America, the ratio IN
America. based on figures from 1880
to 1905, the number per 100000 Is as
follows: San Francisco, 52-2; Hoooken'
| 3O.2: ST Louis PA; Oakland. 24-S; Chi
cago. 227; New York Manhattan and
Bronx, 222; Milwaukee. 21.S; Newark
/ 216: Cincinnati, 2O-6: Indianapolis, no
The average of 80 cities was 17.S. Sta
tistics prove conclusively and over
whelmingly that urban life greatly IN
creaSes the percentage of suicides
The average annual suicide rate IN
the countries of the world per 100000
persons living is given by Barker,
showing that Saxony leads with 81,
followed by Denmark with 25.S. Spain
makes the best showing. win only Il,
while Russia and Ireland are close con
testants for the honor with 20 and IL,
respectively The United States shows
35. with the Netherlands SO; German
empire, 14.3; France, 23-6; England and
Wales, 90; Australia, SO, and Italy
81.
Poison Route Most Favored.
According to statistics of the special
mortality report of the United states
census office, of 20,S34 cases of sui
eide the following methods Of inflicting
| death were shown: Poison, 6,946; fire
/ arms, 1888; hanging, 1882; asphyXia,
1887; cutting, III; drowning, 1908;
jumping from high places, 252; crush
ing, 81; other methods, 1882
Few Hebrews Suicide.
Religion always has been potent
factor in checking or encouraging sui
eide The history of the Jews shows
fewer instances of suicide than the rec
ords of any other nation, only nine be-
ing recorded in the era embraced by
the historical narrative OF the bible
The Mohammedans have. likewise, al
ways shown strfkingly few instances OF
self murder
The Brahmins, on the other hand,
have lauded those who take their lives
voluntarily and midas history shows
thousands upon thousands who have
taken their lives in religious devotion
{ Not only were the devout Hindus ac-
customed TO throwing themselves in the
path of the car of Juggernaut, believ-
ing that those whom it crushed were
: translated immediately4in into realm of
peace, but the most Horrible of their
modes of self acrifice was the -suttee,
where the widow allowed herself to be
burned 10 death on the funeral pyre of
her husband
Tomcrrow-Pure food enforcement