Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1910-08-12
SUICIDE MANIA
IS INCREASING
More Self Murders Committed
in 1909 Than in Pre-
ViOUS Years
NEED MORE LAWS TO
SURPPESS WEAPON SALES

NEW YORK. Aug I'm its issue
of this week the Spectator will pub
lish an interesting review Of the pub
lish an interesting review OF the sui
eide record Of 1909, together with a
comparison Of the self-murders In the
preceding years In this IL is shown
that the mania is increasing The
Spectator says
The probable annual number Of
suicides In the United States during
1909 may be conservatively placed at
not less than 1850. The government
vital statistics for the registration
area. which includes about one-half
of the whole population, return 1892
suicides for 1908. or 1876 per 100000
Of population The registration area.
however, includes all Of the large
cities, In which the suicide rate is
| higher than in the rural districts al
| though the difference in the rate ia
/ not as pronounced as is generally as
/ sumed In 1908 the suicide rate in
the registration cities of the registra-
ton states was 204 per 100000 while
the rate for the rural districts of the
| registration states was 144. The
| population Of the registration area
|
Der there occurred 1882 suicides dur
ing 1908. or as previously stated. 1S.5
per 100000 Of estimated population
Assuming that rate Of only 10 per
100000 of population prevailed among
I the Al ,S45, 900 Of estimated population
I'm the non-registration area dnclud-
ing a large negro population). the
probable number Of suicides to this
] h. a.I1. ID al
dition 10 the 1892 I'm the registration
area. gives total of 1857 suicides
for the whole United States for 1908
More Suicides In Cities.
The urban suicide rate for tn,
registration states is somewhat be
low the suicide rate Of the principa
American cities considered as
group I'm the suicide record Of thu
Spectator for 9OS. The Spectator rat
for that year was 21S per 100000
while the rate for the registration
cities I'm registration states was onl!
204, and for the total registration
area only 1875. The differences arr
not very pronounced For life insur
ance purposes the large cities are o
relatively greater Importance, sine
most of the risks in force are as ye
chiefly concentrated in the urbal
centers It is possible, however. al
has occasionally been pointed out
that persons of suicidal tendency liv
in country districts go TO the cities e
end their existence. partly, no doubt
on account of better facilities in oh
tanning poison. weapons, or gas, etc
, and partly for the purpose of hidin
: their identity.
The method Of suicide has an in
portant bearing upon the subject
: its larger aspects. for suicides "a
3 unquestionably. to a considerable o
u tent, the result of suggestion. Gran
70 ed convenient or easy facilities {
= self-murder. the deed is done befo
r there has been time for reflection.
G Is nothing short Of an indictment
our sense of community responsible
i that facilities for suicide should
i as common as they are, Regardle
of efforts which have been made
, suppress the sale of poisOns al
y weapons, there is nothing easier thu
y to secure the means of self-murder
I. convenient drug store. hardwa'
!, store. pawnshop etc. as the case ms
/, be. In fact. an examination Of n
g pistols or revolvers with which a vel
large number of suicides have bee