The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-06-26
SUICIDE CALLED
PRIVATE AFFAIR.
No Justification for Newspapers
81 in Printing Self-Destruction
/, Stories.
ASKED ,'sE TO DISCONTINUE 1T
Plea Is Made by Committee of
American Academy OF
Medicine.
ASKED TO DISCONTINUE 1T

Los Angeles. Cal. June ;f.-I"suicide
Is q private affair There Is no more
Justification for the publication Of such
accounts than there is for publishing
other private matters"
This Is the assertion Of a commit
tee of the American Academy OF AIedi-
cine which Investigated the question
OF suicide, and in making It's report
here yesterday requested the press OF
America to refrain from further pub
LEGATION OF such affairs. III, however,
The report declares. the members of
The press are still skeptical as to the
fact that they are now accessories to
erme. we suggest that they assist in
the study of the conditions"
a number of suggestions in this
respect are made, and ii is also pro-
posed that II the papers insist upon
printing scandals and news Of suicides
II be limited 10 a separate sheet of
distinct yellow color. 30 clean minds
may avoid the corruption. II sucn
method liz desirable for athletic news.
Why not extend Its use7"y
me rapid increase In the death
rate from suicide In the United States.
with the conviction that prominent
cause OF this deplorable act was TO
DC found in the suggestive effect OF
newspaper publication of details" Is
cation. The report further says:
has been reekoned at $4,000. On that hat
basis the loss from suicide In this
country in 1908 was s24,sss.ooo. Is ii
worth trying to save, even II one Is
not actuated by any higher motive OF
ilumanity?"
Tho publication Of suicide news on
the plea Of news is declared to be
q makeshift. The report says in part:
your committee finds that alien
q n llN. ytr mt g. ~
opinion that the suggestive eject Of
me reading OF details of suicides is
q powerful factor In the causaiion Of
suicides among susceptible individuals
AFTER the publication OF spsctacu-
!ar suicide by jumping from high
p Froo In In chieag g; displayed upon the
+ similar attempts were made within
The report mentions several other
lowing publication OF stories of sui
eide. The report says that while the
death rate from homicide and suicide
rate has been decreasing.
. The question is asked: How much
Is a,da the press TO be blamed for homi-
not aceomplices in the crimes?"
nsiderins the occupations, we find
tEat for males the general laborers.
lelst prone 10 suicide Soldiers and
sailors are most prone to die by SUI
eide. II is prominent cause OF death
Tor saloon keepers, brewers cigar
makers. servants, achitects, bankers
collectors commercial travellers and
druggists. tailors. journalists and law
yers. Among employed women we
ma that It Is prominent cause of
death for telegraph and telephone
operators, cigarmakers and stenoEra-
piers. In the order mentioned. rlie ac-
lively Insane or those hopelessly dis
eased mentally are not prone 10 sui
eide.
In conclusion, we as defenders OF
the health and morals OF the commu-
mites. request the press OF America to
refrain from further publicat ton OF
such affairs. We ask the editors to
mentally place themselves as members
OF bereaved families, and to consider
IL In making such publications they
are doing as they would be done by.
I'VE suggest that In each city the
papers agree to refrain from such
publication for a month. Then all
simultaneously publish an account of
one such case. placing the account
upon the front page. with suita BILE
headlines. Again. refrain from fur
Their publicat ton OF such cases for A
month. In the meantime, let them
keep accurate statistics as to the cases
and methods. with dates. in the terri
tory covered by their patronage, and
compared with similar periods under
this data be sent to the officers of the
II tho results show a direct relat ton
ship. further persistence In the pub
locations should be recognized as
criminatu fN 'l7'T.'l -