The Ordway new era., 1911-08-04


alienist to say whether press suicide
reports tempt others. But II we we're
not SO modest We might suggest that
bank looting is much less popular
pastime in New York today than 1t
was few months ago. Well adver-
tised punishments for suicide might
effect similar distaste in those
tempted"
Suicides Decreasing.
The 1910 United States bulletin on
the suicide death rate put suicide at
No. II In Its list Of Twenty Leading
Causes of Death" Such diseases as
tuberculosis. pneumonia. heart dis.
ease and fevers head the list. with
cases running from 10000 to s1.720
deaths In 1909. The census report
shows S.402 suicides in the country in
1909. with $3.50 cases for 1908.
This merely numerical increase in
1909 Is due to the greater accuracy
shown in the 1910 census taking" the
report continues. THE wide dispro-
portion between our large population
gain in 1900 and this small three per
cent. increases In suicides reported
proves a steady and real decrease in
selfmurder In the United States
The Chicago Tribune's annual poll
of the country, published on January
1.l91O. cited 1882 suicide cases In
1909. and 1O.230 In 1909, or a decrease.
THE suicide death rate has de-
creased in Cities" admits Frederick
Huffman in his annual careful Spec.
tator report for 1909. Huffman has
collected data for Is years In Ameri-
cas- 65 largest cities. based on the
suicide percentage in every 100000
population unit. He found the suicide
rate for every 100000 population
unit in 1894 to be lG per cent. His
1909 report. which tallies closely with
the census bulletin on city suicides.
shows the decrease in the 65 cities to
be 1877 for 1909. New York city had
the still lower rate Of 1873 in 1909. the
greatest city of the country having
reported 116 cases less in 1909 than In
1905
Suicides in Election Years.
The Huffman statistics for the Is
years covered show a suicide percent
age which rises and falls. the highest
figure being 81 and fraction. Sew
eral years saw it rise higher than
1909, and these were notably the years
Of presidential elections.
That ''physicians and surgeons head
the list of suicides" all these reports
agree. the census bulletins included.
That report goes on to say: I'VE find.
contrary to superstition, the agricul-
tural population at the foot OF the sui
eide death rate. Lawyers. especially
younger ones, stand next to physicians.
Other professions and trades con-
tribute cases as follows: Agents,
bookeepers. statesmen. servants. wait
ers, BARRIERS, and agricultural laborers.
The most common causes of suicide in
1909 were found to be despondency,
AGO; unknown causes, 1.467; insanity,
559: domestic infelicity. S34: Ill
health, $780, business losses. 81; liquor,
$50: disappointment in love. 243. 1t
is noted that the 81 suicides in 1909
for business dependency show de-
crease from 600 suicides for that
cause in 1908. The most common
means of suicide used was poison. In
2,346 cases; then followed. asphyxia.
by gas. $50; cutting instruments. 536:
drowning. 5O7: jumping from high
places. 1856; crushing, "a; unspecified
means. S."
The Huffman report explains the
city suicide as produced by the in
tensity Of modern life and generally
attempted by sane but desperate men.
because they think death is better
than life. Our figures show the
above cause to be more common than
mental diseases or by any Industrial
pressure on labor. Generally speak
ing, the American leisure class pro-
duces more suicides than the working
and middle classes. Bankers and
brokers. after careers Of fraud and dis
sipation. consider suicide as the only
alternative. So do tired society peo-