The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-08-05
ANTONIO STELLA, w.. D. ].

have deterrent effect. 1t Is for the
alienist TO say whether press suicide
reports tempt others But II we were
not so modest We might suggest that
bank footing is a. much less popular
pastime In New York today than It
was few months ago. Well adyer.
used punishments for suicide might
effect a similar dlstaste in those
tempted"
euicides oecreasing.
The 1910 United States bulletin on
the suicide death rate put suicide at
No, II in It's 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 S1.1e0
deaths In 1908. The census rer8ft
shows 8,4O2, Suicides in the country IN
1909, with 1892 cases for 1908. 'l6ije
q. 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 siaaIl three per
cent. increases in suicides reported
proves a steady and real decrease in
self.murder IN the United States"
The Chicago Tribune,s annual poll
OF the country, published on january
l,1910, cited, 1889 suicide cases in
1909, and lO,ssSO in 1909, or decrease.
"'rhe suicide death rate has de-
creased in cities" admits Frederick
Huffman In his annual careful Spec.
.rator report for 1900 Huffman has
collected data for Is years in Ameri.
cas- 10 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 16lper cent. His
1909 report, which :talles closely. with
Che census bulletin on city suicides,
shows the decrease in the 65 cities to
be '9.7 fer 1909, New York city had
the atill lower rate Of 1879 In 1909, the
greatest city. o., the country having
reported lT6 cases less in 1909 than in
1908. ~ . 3e1
Suicides In Election Years. Is
The Huffman statistics for the is
years covered show a suicide percent.
|, age which rises and falls, the highest
/ figure theing 81 and!a fraction. Sew.
deral Years saw. 1t rises higher than
ol9p9, and these were notably. the years
) of presidential electionsss,Y
That physicians and surgeons head
the list Of suicides" all these reports
agree, the census bulletins included.
That report goes on 10 say: I'VE find,
contrary to superstition. the agrlcul
tural population at the foot or the sui.
eide death rate. Lawyers. especially
younger ones, stand next to physicians.
Other professions. and trades con.
tribute cases us follows: Agents,
bookeeners, statesmen. servants. watt
ers. BARRIERS, and agricultural laborers.
The, most common causes OF suicide in
1909 were found to be dependency,
400; unknown causes, 1,467; insanity,
$50; domestic infellcity. S34: III
health. 1886: business losses, 81; liquor,
$50; disappointment in love. 2i3. 1t
Is noted that the 81 suicides in 1909
for business despondeacy show de.
crease from coo suicides for that
cause in 1908. The most common
means Of suicide used vas poison. in
2,3i6 cases; then followed, asphyxia,
By gas, $50; cutting instruments, $50;
drowning. 5O7; jumping. from high
places. 156; crushing, 50; unspecltieo
means; 5S." ~
The Huffman report explains the
city suicide as produced by the In.
tenslty of modern life and generally
attempted by sane. but desperate men
because th6y think death is bette,
than life. Our figures show the
above cause 10 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 leo,