The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-12-29


Central ........17 1893 $50
Rocky Mountain. 3 54O 2S'6
Pacific Coast. 80. 8 3,OS2 34.4
San Diego, Cal, has the record of
the highest suicide rate in the coun-
try, it being 63.3 per 100000 of popula-
ton: San Francisco is not far behind,
having a rate of 55.7. Sacramento Is
also a place conducive to suicide, Op-
parentIy, for its rate is 51.2. These
figures are for the year 1915, cOnsid-
cred separately, and in each of those
cases show increases over the percent
age for the previous five years.
The figures for 100 American cities
show that the general suicide rate for
1915 was 20.7, as against 2O.3 for the
period between 1904. The trifling
Increase throughout the whole coun-
try is caused by the great increase
which the far Western cities had.
San Diego's increase was 20.1, Sacra-
mento's 1876, San Francisco's S.9.
Manhattan and the Bronx, which
are analyzed together as a city, had q
suicide rate during 1915 Of 1914 per
100000, as against 1873 during the five
wears before, an increase of 0.S. Back
in the years between 10000 the rate
was 21.7.
Augusta, Ca. had the lowest rate
of all American cities which were in
vestipated. the record in 1915 being
four persons per 100000. Mobile, Ala,
also was low, with 5.3. Auburn, N.
Y, had n record Of 5.4.
High suicide yates, the Spectator
points out, have to a certain extent
been connected with years OF bad
business and years when business
houses failed, as in 1894, following the
1893 panic. when the general rate was
1873, and 1908, followingthe last panic,
when the rate reached the highest
mark in the country's history, 21.6.
The smaller the city the fewer the
suicides, the investigator found. Of
the 100 cities considered, 70 were un-
der 10000 population. These showed
self-destruction rate Of 1872 per 1OO,-
900. The "a cities above the quarter
million mark showed an aggregate
rate of 21.1.
More Men Than Women.
MANY more men than women end
their lives. The tables show that the
highest rate for the male sex Is 2l.5
per cent and that the period Of life
at which this number Of men commit
suicide is between the ages of forty
five and fifty-four. The highest rate
for women is 1870 per cent, and the
favorite age for self-destruction Is be-
tween fifty-fve and sixty-four.
Two boys between the ages OF five
and nine are on record as having
killed themselves in the period be-
tween 1904. Ten was the most
Youthful age at which there is record
of girls having committed suicide, 90
having made away with themselves
between ten and fourteen years.
There were 4S,70S suicides in the
country between 1910 AMI 1914.
AS to seasons, the greatest NUMBER
of suicides appear to have occurred
in May and June, the rate for those
months being 9.3. The smallest num-
ber occur in January-7.4.
Firearms were the favorite method
during the period under analysis, a..
432 persons having shot themselves
Poisoning was next, with 1905 tt
came hanging, with 1907; asphyNla.
tion, 1894; cutting instruments, 3,142
drowning, 2716, end jumping from
high places,S34.
Despite the virtually stationary rate
of suicide, the writer regards self-de
struction, in his summing up, as al
"increaslng hazard in life insurance.