The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1894-06-30 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE PREVENTION OF SUICIDE.  overl  Some few weeks ago we made an attempt to stem the rising tide of suicide. .A writer in a provincial newspaper, so far from thanking us, offers sundry arguments to his public in favour of selfdestruction. We need not remind classical scholars that this controversy is practically as old as civilisation. It surprises us a little, however, that an Englishman sheltild revive it, and stand firmly by the old-world arguments. Suicide cannot be seriously held to be a desirable thing. At hest it is an escape from unhappiness which is felt to be intolerable. A "hard lot" is frequently the incentive to self-destruction. It seems to be a circumstance as fixed as destiny that many persona shall experience a "hard lot." Well, but if the hard lot cannot be prevented. then it would be a gain if 201:110 means could he found of enabling men and women to stand up under it ; to stand up, to endure it, to conquer it, mid to have brave and free minds in spite of it. Following the Spectator, we maintained the thesis that the decay of religious faith coincides with an increase of suicides; and we pointed out that in Scotland, where religious faith has decayed but little, suicides are relatively infrequent; and that in the Salvation Army, where religious faith is exceedingly robust, suicide is practically unknown. Whereupon out critic retorts that the Salvation Army consists mostly of "idiots," and that we ourselves are so weak-minded as to be "pious." But really, if we grant that the Salvation Army consists mainly of " idiots," and that we ourselves are so imbecile as to feel that even "piety" may have its advantages,. we fail to see howattiere i.things touch the controversy. Thisseems to es to be the whole question in • nutshell: The in. dividual doctor tries to care his patient, and he chooses the beet means, whatever they may be, for his purpose. Doctors, in the mass, have an eye upon public material ills, and so far as they can they strive to mitigate, or to remove, or to prevent them. Now, if a doctor perceives that religions faith, by steadying the mind and filling it with hope, mitigates many of the material ills of life, and where it is strong prevents some of them, such as suicide, altogether, he will not be a wise doctor, he will not be: an honest man, if he does not advise the remedy which he finds most potent for his purpose. ' The philosophic doctor regards all things philosophically, and when he finds religion medically serviceable, he recommends its use exactly as be would recommend any other remedy. Religion is undoubtedly of use to unhappy persons; therefore let all the unhappy by all means seek its consolations and its staying powers—The Hoopital.  Mr Henry Irving's income has for the past ten years exceeded 515,000 pee annum. At one time, as he proudly confesses, he was continually solving the problem of how to live on 81 • wok. The two towers of the new tower mesaure 2934. from the top of their gilded a. the foundations of the piers on which they which are 27f5. below the bed of the riv embedded 15ft. in day. Between them, 1' bridge 'wide, is • ureter  heisht  -ot the '; above  Bridge crilth is t'sQ  w in  I. a .....  t'Tbefeß, I belitigh  with branches for children at Mitcham and liem don, had beim established in 1340 ; but what were these for the needs of the London hospitals? Mrs Gladstone, therefore, assisted Miss Catherine Mama, proveeded to found sae.. establishment. Its origin was. as the lady herself has declared, in the cholera epidemic of 1866. Mrs Gladstone was then visiting the wards of the London Hospital, and there met Dr. (afterwards Sir Andrew) Clark as the senior physician of the hospital. She was much struck by his great ability and his tenderness for the sick; and when she deterthined to found 'the Woodford Home, Dr. Clark rendered her in. ' valuable assistance, lie gave mach time - attention to the scheme, and prepared the rut its management, which have been ...in force since. The meeting with Dr. Clark at the Hospital ripened into a great frici and the doctor became the highly valued and physician of Mr and Mrs Gladstone. That lady's Convalescent Home is, and Ina been, for the service of the poor, more partioularly of East London ; and convalescents from theirese, homes, as well a, from hospitals. are recei‘ed free of emit. It is, of course, quite unsectarian, and there are, moreover, no pgivileged tickets. Th• mace of admission are determined each on ill own merits. The expenditure amounts about £1,200 to £1,300 per annum, whiM the patients admitted number nearly a thousand in the year. Since then the numbere of Convalescent Homes have largely increased. Their beneficence must be very great. Not only do they relieve the pressure on the hospitals themselves, but they afford means whereby, for a email fee, or gratuitously, the victory over disease may be decisively won, and aa Mrs Gladstsane's Home was one of the earliest, that lady may be regarded as one of the pioneers in the movement of founding these important institutions.—The Quiver..  stair 1