The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-22
Why Love Never
Drives Any Man
to Self-Murder

In a we'll reasoned analysis OF the
causes of suicidal depression, DR.. VI.
kahane, of Vienna, advances substah-
tfal proof to show that there Is no
such thing as a man committing sui
eide because of an unfortunate love at
fair, and that the cases In which wo-
men have done so are extremely rare.
DIR. kahane opposes the modern idea
that love Is an important element In
conditions OF health and Illness, and
remarks that "in man the fame soon
dies down. and the comfort OF the
family table. regular habits and the
warm, quiet home are all consciously
or subconsciously blended In the love
passion"
SO far as women are concerned he
declares that, consciously or uncon-
sciously, the average woman Is aware
that she has to depend for her food
and shelter, for her living. in fact, on
attracting man to provide for her
through love, Consequently he asserts
that TO a woman love Is largely a side
issue of the general instinct for self
preservation.
1t Is for this reason that DIR. Ka-
hane regards suicides as being almost
Invariably evidences of lack OF mater
ial success, rather than the result of
an overardent passion. He declares
that the love impulse in the soul Is no
greater than II Is in the body. 1t is
only momentary in the latter, and has
comparatively little effect on ones
general health. He believes this holds
true OF the soul as well. and that
mental disturbances of any sort can
seldom. If ever. be traced to the love
impulse.
In analyzing a large number OF sui
cides. both in Europe and America, 1t
Is shown that OF those in which men
were deemed to have been the victims
OF love melancholy, near so per cent
were in financial difficulties, having
either lost a Job shortly before or
having been unfortunate in some spec
ulation. This leaves but 20 per cent
to be considered. All classes of feeble
mindedness were, Of course, elimin-
ated. OF this remainder more than
half were drug fiends or users of al
cohol, leaving but q few doubtful cases
which could be classified as love sui
cides Careful investigation into the
families OF each OF these showed an
essential constitutional weakness. or
a high degree OF nervous irritability. A
man suicide-in-love, a broken heart
and snakes in Ireland. according to
DIR. Kahane, all belong to the same
group OF myths,
Where women are concerned II Is
impossible to secure conclusions as
definite. DR. Kahane suggests that
since winning mans love is wo-
mans principal business, failing to do
40 must he classed as a business fall
ure. This would hardly meet general
agreement, although II contains q
germ of truth.
The Vienna specialist seems to touch
more probable point when he sug-
gests that many of the women suicides
for love to take their lives because
they have built upon the idea OF their
lover the whole fabric Of their exits
tence. When this love goes. their en-
tire universe seems to fall. That 1t
doesn't fall Is evidenced by the fact
that a number of the would-be sui
cides whom DR.. Kahane has argued
out Of their suicidal Intentions mar
ried someone else quite gaily within a
few months or couple of years, at
most.
None the less many women vastly
/ overemphasize the importance OF
love in daily life, and herein there Is
danger with them an unfortunate
love affair often proves the spark
which ignites a train formed by other
/ circumstances to which the victim
gives an exaggerated Importance,
J The normal head contains about
eighty thousand hairs.
Tn the last year 136,fzs marriage
! licenses were issued In Philadelphia
I The butter order of New York city
amounts to 3os,s22 pounds every day.
I Rich gold fields recently were dis
covered In the Russian district of An
adyr.
Only 400 cattle were exported from
! this country in January, including
/ pure bred animals.
i London has only one mile of tram
ways to every 10000 Of her population:
Manchester has one to every $500.