The Washington times., 1924-08-02
SUICIDE RISE IN
BOSTON LAID
To Gull TURE
City Has Too Many Wrinkles
on Brain, Ayers Pronni-
nent Psychiatrist
By GRACE DEsCHAMPs

BOSTON. Aug. 2.-Boston has too
many wrinkles on its brain
Too much intellectualism, too
much imagination, too much culture
that is, too much to accept the
sweet with the sour and plug along
normally to a natural death.
That's why it leads the country
In the recently compiled suicide
statistics, made public by Doctor
Frederick Hoffman,, nationally
known stattstician.
Suicide Is q disease and Boston
has 1t bad!
More people In the Hub tossed
life into the offinE and made their
exit via the suicide route during
1923 than in any other city In the
country.
And II Boston had the lowest cuI-
tural standard in the country, In
stead Of the highest, which Ii gen.
orally credited to her, she'd have
the lowest suicidal rate.
These are the conclusions Of Doc.
tor A. Warren Stearns.g Boston'0
widely known psychiatrist. who
bases his assumption on collection
Of facts about suicide that have
been Incorporated into international
journals.
Studies All Types.
Doctor Stearns has studied all
types of persons who have at
tempted suicide In Boston. and the
histories Of all those who have sue
cessfully done 1t.
With its mental development. says
Doctor Stears, Boston has grown
hyper sensitive. lG has become So
phiSticated and has reached the
unwholesome conclusion that life
isn't worth the candle.
The churches have fallen down
on the job, in a general sense, says
Doctor Stearns. He continues:
A hundred years ago sermons
that Numbered the moral guilt or
suicide went forth from the Protes-
tant pulpits, now many clergymen
secretly condone the act.
Public health measures framed
to reduce this cause Of death must
either restore the public opinion
that acted as a check on suicide.
or find substitute.
Suicide Increase.
''Since 1860 there has been .
steadily upward tendency to sui
eide in Boston. In those days.
when people had less of the com.
forts of life, were more used TO
hardships and disappointments-in
short, were more rugged-there
were only 40 suicides for every
hundred thousand population in
the State.
but suicide appears to be q dis
ease of civilization. With the
higher development of mental fac.
ulties and imagination, more lux
uries, more ambitions, keSner com
petition and keener disappointment,
with an incidental loss of physical
vigor-the direct result is more
suicides.
Elm the South, where mental de.
velopment does not average high.
the suicide rate is the lowest in
the country.
Causes Of Suicide.
People commit suicide because
they are unhappy.
"Unhappily married people COIN
NIT suicide oftener than the hap
PLY married. This is so in spite of
the steady rise In divorces which
has accompanied the suicide rate.
'Old age and Ill health are pre-
disposing factors. Old age fire.
quently decreases the joy Of living
and is often accompanied by m
health or poverty or both. Lone.
illness helps suicide along.
Unemployment frequently is a
contributing factor, but there Is no
correlation between suicide and un-
employment.
Money In the bank doesn't mean
that you won't commit suicide.
Bank deposits have risen with the
suicide rate.
Perfectly normal people commit
suicide when husband and wife or
someone to whom they are very
devoted. dies.
Alcohol and drugs, creating spe.
cial effects on the brain. are also
RESPONSIBLE for suicide attempts.
''The relaxed attitude toward sui.
eide still remains one OF the biz
factors. We shall have to develou
a respect for the privilege Of life,
and a little more gameness for our
present aAHfhaffrfaV1a lNa@nvn 49, -. :.