Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1910-08-12

are on exhibition In the coroner's |
office, proves that most Of the wea-
pons are cheap affairs. probably |
bought in pawnshops for a few dol
lars. including the necessary small
amount of ammunition.
Laws Are Too Lax.
II is nothing short Of a public
scandal that poisons and pistols
should be as easily obtainahle as is
actually the case, and there Is the
most urgent necessity for the enact
ment of statutes forbidding the keep
ing or carrying Of deadly weapons
and Of regulating their sale under
most stringent regulations and heavy
penalties The same is true of pois-
ons. which are sold with an utter
disregard Of the public interest and
often with a practical certainty that
they will be used for improper pur-
poses The effect of drastic regula-
ton and prohibition In regard to the
sale of poisons and deadly weapons
would be pot only materially to di-
minish the suicide rate but It would
also bring about a material reduction
IN the homicidal rate. which, as Is
we'll known, is probably higher I'm
this country than in any other coun-
try I'm the world. Il requires always
to be kept in mind that as a first
principle in psychology the matter or
propinQuity I'm the case OF disturbed
mental condition Of the utmost inn
portance. Granting that there are no
convenient or easily available meth
DDS will only be adopted where the
suicidal tendency is really persistent
and due TO profound underlying men
tai. moral or physical causes.
The suicide rate for 65 American
cities during 1909 confirms the con
clusion of previous years that the
rate is decidedly excessive and on the
increase. Compared with 1908 the
rate has slightly decreased from 21.S
to 20.6, but otherwise there has been
only one year since 1890 when, in
addition to 1908. the rate was higher
than I'm 1909. and that was in 1904
| As has often been pointed out, the
suicide rate by its nature Is subject
10 slight fluctuations from year 10
year. but the tendency has been con-
tinuously toward higher average
level when the returns for a period
Of years have been combined.
Increase In Baltimore.
In table showing the actual and
relative mortality from suicide for
each of the 65 cities and towns from
which returns were received New
York leads with 572: then comes
Chicago with 43S. Brooklyn. ESQ
Philadelphia, 2t5. and San Francisco
229 Baltimore furnished 1902. or III
] frss r.F
pared with the number of suicides
from 1899 to 1908. when us took
their lives. last year shows an in
crease Of 40.
In AZ of the cities the rate for 1908
showed an increase In suicides over
the previous year against "a such
cities i'm 1908. In the remainder there
was decrease In the rate. but witt
the rate was of relatively sligh
Significance The increase In the
rate was greatest I'm Denver. or p
followed by Salt Lake with 221 an,
, Hoboken with 22O. The highes
actual rate during 1909 prevailed II
= San Francisco. or 500 per 100000 q
population. followed by Oakland. Cal
. | with ISL. Hoboken with 526. Denve
with ass and Salt Lake City wit
% SOL. The highest average rate e
n the decade ended with 1908 prevane
q I'm San Francisco, or bl.6, follow,
K by Oakland with 1855. HobOken wi
l. 3O.6, ST. Louis 2S3. Denver &c
,r Newark. n. J.. 24.6. Haverhill %
re . Milwaukee. 22.7. Chicago 20, Ci
II cinnati 2tS and New York (Ma
IF haitian and the Bronx 209. III
~ relative position Of the cities wi
be remarkable regularity from year
Is year. and II is significant that mo
q Of the cities returning the highe
d rates contain a proportiOnately larl
II Teutonic population.
II A Suggestive Commentary.
@ During the ten years ended wit
y 1908 i'm the 65 American cities II
@ which the returns are available thel
y have occurred %. 446 suicides. at Nh
n average rate of 1875 per 100 900 popl
lation. During 1909 i'm the 90 elite
2 there occurred 1882 suicides. or q
the rate Of 20.6 per 100000 of popu
lation When the year 1909. Their,
fore, is compared with the averag
4 for the preceding decade there wa
an increase In the rate Of 81 pc
100000 Of population.
4 I'm 1890 the suicide rate was 1919
by 1900 the rate had increased Z
/. 16.3 and by 1909 10 20.6. During Nh
g first five years Of the period the rat
s was las. during the second quir
e ouennial period II was l6.9 durin
q the third II was 1873 and during Nh
fourth 1876 per 100000 Of population
a Granting that the population est
D, mates are more or less a matter ,
z conjecture for a year so near III
1t taking of the new census, it is M
d possible at this time TO apply II
" necessary factor of correction, sine
" the returns of the census OF 1910 al
81 not yet available Whatever corre
a" ton the facts may call for will M
z materially impair the accuracy Of u
h, conclusion that the suicide rate
.e American cities is distinctly. on u
.e increase, and that an occasional ia
q. in the rate is almost invariably 70
Is lowed by a more rapid rise in u
sr rate the year after The facts for
20 a suggestive commentary upon u
N state of private and public mortali
~ tho nreeeut daV