STATISTICS OF SUICIDE.
Number of suicides in the chief capitals of Europe from 1813
to 1831—Statistics of death from violence in London from 1828
to 1832—Number of suicides in London for a century and a
half—Suicides in Westminster from 1812 to 1836—Suicide more
frequent among men than women—Mode of committing—Influence of
age—Effect of the married state—Infantile suicides—M. Guerry
on suicides in France—Cases—Suicide and murder—Suicide in
Geneva.
In Great Britain, owing to the neglect of statistical science, much
difficulty has been experienced in obtaining anything like correct data
respecting the number of suicides committed annually. For the details
given in this chapter we are indebted to various authorities. Every
work has been consulted which it was supposed would throw some light on
the subject.
_Number of Suicides in the chief Capitals of Europe._
Places. Periods. Suicides. Proportion
to Population.
Berlin 1813-1822 360 1 in 750
Copenhagen 1804-1806 100 1 — 1,000
Naples 1828 330 1 — 1,100
Hamburg 1822 59 1 — 1,800
Berlin 1799-1808 60 1 — 2,300
Paris 1836 341 1 — 2,700
Milan 1827 37 1 — 3,200
Berlin 1788-1797 35 1 — 4,500
Vienna 1829 45 1 — 6,400
Prague 1820 6 1 — 16,000
Petersburg 1831 22 1 — 21,000
London 1834 42 1 — 27,000
Naples 1826 13 1 — 173,000
Palermo 1831 2 1 — 180,000
_Statistics of Suicide & Deaths from Violence in general, in London._
1828. 1829. 1830. 1831. 1832.
---- ---- ---- ---- ----
Suicide 41 35 25 48 52
Executed 1 26 7 6 10
Murdered 6 4 2 5 2
Poisoned 7 7 4 7 4
Found dead 15 6 13 5 5
Drowned 150 36 97 131 149
Burnt 47 53 61 35 36
From famine 1 0 0 1 1
From intoxication 7 3 4 0 1
From suffocation 10 10 5 5 5
_Number of Suicides in London during a Century and a half._
From 1690 to 1699 236
— 1700 — 1709 278
— 1710 — 1719 301
— 1720 — 1729 478
— 1730 — 1739 501
— 1740 — 1749 422
— 1750 — 1759 363
— 1760 — 1769 351
— 1770 — 1779 339
— 1780 — 1789 224
— 1790 — 1799 274
— 1800 — 1809 347
— 1810 — 1819 363
— 1820 — 1829 381
_Suicides in Westminster, from 1812 to 1836._
(Extract from Report of Medical Committee of the Statistical
Society of London. April, 1837.)
“The first statement to which the Committee will draw the attention
of the Council is an account of the number of persons, male and
female, who have committed suicide, and upon whom inquests have been
held, within the city and liberty of Westminster, in each month, from
January, 1812, to December, 1836, procured from Mr. Higg, the deputy
coroner of Westminster; with other statements which the Committee had
prepared from it.
“The Committee deems it right to premise that caution must be used
in drawing too general inferences from these statements, on account
of the comparatively small number of cases to which they refer. The
average annual number of suicides upon which inquests have been held in
Westminster does not probably exceed one per cent. of the total number
annually committed in Great Britain; hence the number committed in
Westminster during twenty-five years, amounting to 656, is only about
twenty-five per cent. of the whole number annually committed in Great
Britain.
“For some conclusions, however, they afford sufficient data, and these
the Committee will proceed to notice.
“It appears from the following abstract, No. 1, that suicides in
Westminster are most prevalent in the three months of June, July, and
March; but that the excess is on the part of the males, as the greatest
number of female suicides was in January, September, and November.
September, August, and October exhibit the smallest number of male and
of total suicides; but February, March, and April, the smallest number
among females.
No. 1.
_A Statement of the total number of Suicides of each Sex
committed in Westminster in each month during the twenty-five
years, from 1812 to 1836; also the per centage proportion of
the whole number committed in each month; and the proportion
which the number of each sex bears to the other._
+----------------------------+------------------------+--------------------+
│ Total Number of Suicides | Per Centage Proportion |Per Cent. Proportion|
| from 1812 to 1816. |committed in each Month.| of Male to Female. |
+----------------------------+------------------------+--------------------+
| Male. Female. Total.| Male. Female. Total. | Male and Female. |
|January 35 20 55 | 7.3 11.2 8.4 | 64 36 |
|February 39 12 51 | 8.2 6.8 7.8 | 77 23 |
|March 52 11 63 | 10.9 6.2 9.6 | 83 17 |
|April 40 11 51 | 8.4 6.2 7.8 | 79 21 |
|May 41 15 56 | 8.5 8.4 8.5 | 73 27 |
|June 60 15 75 | 12.6 8.4 11.4 | 80 20 |
|July 50 16 66 | 10.5 9.0 10.1 | 76 24 |
|August 30 15 45 | 6.3 8.4 6.9 | 67 38 |
|September 30 18 48 | 6.3 10.1 7.4 | 62 38 |
|October 28 15 43 | 5.9 8.4 6.5 | 65 35 |
|November 32 17 49 | 6.7 9.6 7.4 | 65 35 |
|December 41 13 54 | 8.5 7.3 8.2 | 76 24 |
| ---- --- --- | ---- --- --- | -- -- |
| Total 478 178 656 | 100. 100. 100. | 73 27 |
+----------------------------+------------------------+--------------------+
“The last two columns in the above account shew more precisely the
proportion of female to male suicides in each month.
“The following statement shews the number of times, during the
twenty-five years, that no suicide was committed during each month:—
February .. Not once.
January }
March } Once.
June }
July Twice.
May } Three
August } times.
December }
April } Four times.
October }
September } Five times.
November }
“From No. 2 it appears that the average annual number of suicides in
Westminster has been increasing in each quinquennial period; but No.
3 shews that it has actually decreased with reference to the increase
which has taken place in the population.
No. 2.
_A Statement of the Average Annual Number of Suicides, Male and Female,
in each Quinquennial Period; also, the proportion per cent. which the
two Sexes bore to each other in each period._
+------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| Periods of Years.| Average Annual Number.|Proportion of each Sex.|
+------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| | Male. Female. Total. | Male. Female. |
| | | |
| 1812 to 1816 | 18.2 7.6 25.8 | 70 30 |
| 1817 —— 1821 | 15.0 5.2 20.2 | 74 26 |
| 1822 —— 1826 | 16.4 7.4 23.8 | 69 31 |
| 1827 —— 1831 | 22.0 7.8 29.8 | 78 22 |
| 1832 —— 1836 | 24.0 7.9 31.9 | 76 24 |
| +-----------------------+-----------------------+
| Average of Total | 19.1 7.1 26.3 | 73 27 |
+------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
No. 3.
_A Statement of the Population of the City and Liberty of Westminster,
according to each census, and the proportion which the number of
Suicides in the Quinquennial Period immediately following each census
bore to the population._
+--------+-----------+-------------------------------+------------------+
| | | | Proportion |
|Dates of|Population.| Suicides. | of Suicides |
|Census. | | |to the Population.|
| | | | One in |
+--------+--------------------------+----------------+------------------+
| | | Quinquennial | Average | |
| | | Periods. | Annual Number. | |
| | | | | |
| 1811 | 160,801 | 1812 to 1816 | 25.8 | 6,232 |
| 1821 | 181,444 | 1822 -- 1826 | 23.8 | 7,623 |
| 1831 | 201,604 | 1832 -- 1836 | 31.6 | 6,379 |
| +-----------+--------------+----------------+------------------+
|Average | 181,283 | .. | 27.06 | 6,744 |
+--------+-----------+--------------+----------------+------------------+
“It must, however, be taken into consideration that suicides committed
in Westminster may not belong to the population of the district,
for that the proximity of the river, and other causes existing in
Westminster, may attract persons residing in other parts of the town.
Hence an increase or decrease of facilities for committing suicide in
the surrounding districts, such as the formation of a canal, &c., will
naturally affect the number of such deaths in Westminster.”[77]
It has been clearly established that suicide is less frequent among
women than men. In early life, death by hanging is preferred; in
middle life, firearms are had recourse to; and in more advanced years,
strangulation again becomes the fashionable mode of terminating life.
Years of Age. Pistol. Hanging.
Between 10 and 20[78] 61 68
28 -- 30 283 51
49 -- 50 182 94
60 -- 70 150 188
80 -- 90 161 256
In an analysis of 525 cases of suicide in Prussia, the following was
the result:—
Hanging 234
Shooting 163
Drowning 60
Cutting throat 17
Stabbing 20
Jumping out of window 19
Poison 10
Opening artery 2
---
525
Marriage is to a certain extent a preventive of suicide; it has been
satisfactorily established that among the men two-thirds who destroy
themselves are bachelors.
In M. A. Guerry’s able “Essai sur la Statisque Morale de la France,”
published in 1833, we find some valuable statistical facts relating to
suicide in France.
It appears on evidence of the most authentic description, that, from
the year 1827 to that of 1830, there were committed throughout France
no less than 6900 suicides! that is to say, an average of nearly 1800
per annum! It should, however, be remembered, that this calculation
is founded only upon judicial documents, in which are included merely
those cases of suicide in which death has followed, or in which legal
proceedings were taken; so that it is not improbable that many more
attempts were made to perpetrate this crime of which the public is
quite ignorant.
Taking up this fact, let us consider that the number of crimes against
the person amounts yearly in France to 1900. Now, it appears that more
than 600 of these crimes consist of attempts on the lives of others; so
that the conclusion cannot be resisted, that every time an individual
in France meets with a violent death, in any other way but by accident
or mere homicide, there are three chances to one that he has committed
suicide.
M. Guerry makes a transition to the geographical position of this
crime throughout the several arbitrary divisions, and he finds the
state of the case to be as follows:—
Out of every hundred suicides which take place on the average every
year, there are committed in the
Suicides.
Northern division 51
Southern — 11
Eastern — 16
Western — 13
Central — 9
Another view of the proportion of suicides in France is, that which
takes place in the number of them, as compared with the amount of the
population. It is as follows:—
_Suicides in proportion to Population._
Northern division 1 in 9,853
Eastern — 1 in 21,734
Central — 1 in 27,393
Western — 1 in 30,499
Southern — 1 in 30,876
It is proper to bear in mind, that in the single department of the
Seine, there are perpetrated every year nearly the sixth part of
the whole number of suicides which take place in all the eighty-six
departments of France. It is said, however, that the greater portion
of those persons who commit suicide in this department are altogether
strangers to the capital. We come, then, to this conclusion, that of
the thousand individuals who are guilty of the crime of suicide, no
less than five hundred and five take place in the department of the
north; one hundred and sixty-eight occur in the southern division;
sixty-five in the western; and fifty-two in the central; a distribution
which shews that there is, if not the same proportion, certainly the
same order, as the distribution of suicides in the five divisions in
respect of the amount of population.
In the explanation which is appended to the table just alluded to, the
author shews, that of the suicides committed in the department of the
Seine, where they are most numerous, there appears to be one suicide
for every 3,600 the inhabitants; whilst in the department of the Haute
Soire, where the crime is less frequent, this proportion does not
amount to more than one in 163,000 inhabitants.
A singularly curious inference is to be drawn from the consideration
of the facts presented in another of M. Guerry’s graphic
illustrations—viz., that which arises from the circumstance, that from
whatever confine of France an inquirer proceeds to the capital, he will
find, as he approaches it, that the number of suicides increases by
a regular gradation; so that in those departments which are near the
Seine and Maine, the traveller will discover that more suicides have
been committed than in those more remote from the metropolis, such
as the departments of the Lower Seine, of Aube and Soiret. The same
observation applies as forcibly to Marseilles, which is in some measure
to be considered the capital of certain departments in the south of
France. The more these districts are in the vicinity of Marseilles, the
greater the amount is there of suicides as compared with the number of
the population.
A curious fact has been elicited in the examination of the French
registers of crime, from which it appears that those divisions of the
kingdom of France in which the most frequent attempts have been made to
commit murder are those divisions exactly where the crime of suicide is
most rare; and it has been further proved that precisely the reverse of
this law takes place in other departments; namely, that where suicides
are numerous in proportion to the population, there the number of
murders committed by individuals on others is considerably diminished.
One peculiarity is mentioned by M. Guerry as being connected with
cases of suicide, which is, that we are much oftener enlightened as
to the cause of it than we are upon the motives of most other crimes,
and that it is rarely the case that any person sets about the crime
of self-destruction without leaving in writing, or in some other way,
the expression of his last wishes, together with an explanation of the
causes of the rash act, which he most generally seeks to justify.
Holcroft, in speaking of the number of suicides in Paris, observes, “I
am not well informed on the subject, but I doubt if as many suicides be
committed through all Great Britain _in a year, as in Paris alone in a
month_. It is the practice of the French police to stifle inquiry and
conceal facts, whenever they are of a disagreeable nature; for they tax
its omnipotence, to something little short of which it pretends: all
things are under its protection; its eye is everywhere; the assaulted
cannot sink; the culprit cannot escape; its guardian arm is stretched
out so effectually to save that none are in danger. Such are its high
claims and the daily assertion it repeats; they are the necessary
results of despotism, which, ever on the alarm, will in everything
interfere.
“The Parisians are in general themselves so ignorant that the things
which they see produce only a momentary impression; none but men of
superior minds collect facts and deduce consequences; the rest discern
with great quickness, but they forget with greater; and it is chiefly
from this forgetfulness that their gaiety of heart is derived.
“In England, misfortunes, so far from being concealed, are sought after
with eagerness by people who are paid for the bad news they bring,
and by whom it is sometimes greatly exaggerated. If the tale do not
astonish, it is scarcely worthy to be reported in our newspapers, and
the tales in these newspapers circulate through Europe. This is a
benefit when truth is not falsified.
“Of the suicides which are daily happening in France, I, who read the
daily journals, saw only two noticed; and these I was surprised to see.
One was an officer in the army who pistolled himself at the public
office of the war minister; and the other a poor wretch who, at the
moment before he threw himself from the upper story of one of the high
houses in Paris, called out in mercy to the passengers, _Garde l’eau!_
the phrase used by the Parisians when they throw water out of a window.
I was told of another suicide of the same kind, and with the same
humane caution, while I was at Paris.
“I likewise saw the body of a man borne through the streets, who,
after having breakfasted at a hut in _les Champs Elysées_, put an end
to his existence. Before doing so, he told the people that he had been
a subaltern officer of a regiment then reduced; and that all means of
procuring a livelihood was lost.
“Nine conscripts who had for a time concealed themselves, but who were
at last discovered, being determined not to serve, encouraged each
other rather to die, and voluntarily ended life by drowning themselves
together.
“I was passing _le Pont des Tuileries_ after dark, and saw a man
surrounded by other men. They had deterred him on the bridge from
jumping over; but they could not prevail on him to tell his name, or to
go home. He appeared to be determined in his purpose; the only resource
they had was, at last, to commit him to the guard; but unless his state
of mind could be altered, safety like this was but merely temporary.
“Another evening, on the same bridge, and about the same hour, a woman,
standing near the centre parapet, attracted my attention by her look,
and manner in which she seemed to be examining the river. I stopped;
she desisted, but did not remove. I was uncertain what her intentions
might be, and she appeared to shun notice. Two other passengers,
guessing my doubts, halted; but either their fears were not so strong
as mine, or their patience was less; they stood a few minutes and
left. I felt as if I did not dare to go, yet could not decide how to
act, from the fear of doing wrong. At length the woman moved towards
the end of the bridge, and I was obliged to leave her to her fate.
I was not certain her intentions were ill; to have charged her with
such might deeply have insulted her. I walked home, however, in a most
dissatisfied state of mind; at one minute, proving to myself I could
not act otherwise, and at another, making self-accusations for having
deserted the duties of humanity.
“The number of suicides that really happen in Paris must exceed,
no man can say how much, those that are actually known. The bodies
exposed at _La Morgue_ are most of them brought from _St. Cloud_; the
distance to which by water must be above three, perhaps four miles.
At the bridge of _St. Cloud_ the fishermen nightly spread their nets;
and in the morning, with the fish, these bodies are drawn up; but as
an old inhabitant of _St. Cloud_, whom I strictly questioned on the
subject, assured me the nets were only suffered to be down a stated
number of hours, according to the season, certainly not upon an average
half a day; and in proof of what he said, he observed to me that this
regulation must take place, or the navigation of the river would be
impeded. Hence, by the most moderate calculation, the number of bodies
that escape the nets must at least equal the number of those that are
caught.
“I was told that the government had lately refused the accustomed fee
to the fishermen for each corpse they brought, and that they would not
continue to drag up the dead bodies, affirming that the money they
had before received was insufficient to pay the damage their nets had
sustained.”
The following statistical facts with reference to suicide in Geneva may
be relied upon:—
By the laws of the canton, each case of violent death is investigated
by a police magistrate, and the documents are sent to the
“Procureur-Generale,” and carefully preserved. M. Prevost has examined
these documents, collected between 1825 and 1834 inclusively, with a
view to investigating the causes of suicide, and of diminishing them if
possible. The following are the most important results:—
1.—_Age._
Ages. No. of Cases in 10 years. Men. Women.
From 50 to 60 34 25 9
20 to 30 30 22 8
60 to 70 19 10 9
30 to 40 18 15 3
40 to 50 15 13 2
70 to 80 9 6 3
10 to 20 5 3 2
80 to 90 3 1 2
From this table it appears that suicides are most frequent between 50
and 60 years of age. The age when the passions are the strongest (from
20 to 30) is, as might be expected, high in the scale; that of youth
and old age low, from the young being strangers to the cares of life,
and the old few in number when compared with the population.
2.—_Sex, and State of Marriage or Celibacy._
There are more suicides among men than women, in the proportion of
95 to 38, or about three to one; and more unmarried than married,
or in the state of widowhood, in the proportion of 70 to 63, or
about seven to six. Notwithstanding this, the female suicides are
more numerous among the married and widows than among the unmarried,
in the proportion of 21 to 17. But among men the proportions are
reversed,—that is, 42 to 53; so that, on the whole, suicides are more
frequent among the unmarried than amongst those who are or have been
married. This will not surprise those who know the energy, courage,
and patience of women under misfortune; men more readily give way
to despair, and to vices consequent upon it. Men also have means of
destruction, as firearms, &c., more readily at hand.
3.—_Occupations._
The number of suicides are in proportion to the number of the
individuals engaged in various trades, except among the agricultural
population, where the proportion is very small. Thus the agricultural
population of the canton is 18,000, among whom, during ten years,
there have been but ten suicides; whereas, if they had been in the
same proportion to the whole number as was found in other occupations,
they would have amounted to thirty-nine. Constant occupation and hard
yet healthy work render them less sensible to the cares of life. There
is also a somewhat larger proportion of suicides among the educated
classes, who are engaged in literary pursuits or the higher branches of
commerce.
4.—_Religion._
The relative proportion of Protestants to Catholics in the canton of
Geneva is, according to the census of 1834, as 77 to 56. Thus—
Of 133 inhabitants there are,
Protestants 77
Catholics 56
---
133
Of 133 cases of suicide there are,
Protestants 107
Catholics 26
---
133
This result should attract the attention of those who are interested in
the moral and religious education of Protestants.
5.—_Means of Destruction._
Drowning 55
Firearms 31
Strangulation 18
Voluntary falls 15
Cutting instruments 7
Poison 7
---
133
In a small province, with a lake and two rapid rivers, it is not
surprising that drowning should be the most frequent mode of suicide;
next to this is death by firearms, which is accounted for by all the
men having firearms, as they are in the militia. Whilst the men have
used firearms and cutting instruments, the women have almost alone had
recourse to poisons and voluntary falls.
6.—_Seasons._
The seasons sensibly influence the number of suicides. There are more
almost constantly in April. Of 133 suicides there were in—
April 19
June 17
August 17
July 15
October 14
May 13
March 10
November 9
September 6
January 5
February 5
December 3
The spring appears to have an unfavourable effect; and during the great
heats, there are more suicides than during the cold weather. It is
curious that many suicides happened on the same day or week. Thus, on
April 9th, 1830, there were two suicides, and several others on the
previous and subsequent days; on the 20th of May, 1830, there were two
suicides; on the 28th and 29th of March, 1831, two; and the same on the
3rd and 4th of July of the same year. On the 20th of April, 1833, there
were two; and on the 5th of July, 1833, two others. Some atmospheric
changes may account for this, though meteorological tables did not
satisfactorily explain them.
7.—_Presumed Motives._
Physical disease 34
Insanity 24
Losses of property 19
Domestic grief 15
Melancholy without known cause 13
Bad conduct. Drunkenness 10
Fear of punishment. Remorse 6
Disappointment in love 6
Gambling 4
Mysterious 2
8.—_Relation of Suicides to Population and to Deaths._
The number of suicides is to the whole number of deaths as 1 to 90-1/8;
and to the whole population as 1 to 3·985; the mean population of the
canton during the last ten years being 53,000—
In 1825 6 Suicides.
1826 6 ”
1827 9 ”
1828 13 ”
1829 13 ”
1830 16 ”
1831 18 ”
1832 12 ”
1833 24 ”
1834 16 ”
—-
133
From this table it appears that the number of suicides has gradually
increased from six as high as twenty-four in eight years. The last
year, it decreased to sixteen; and it is fervently hoped that this
deduction may be maintained, and that the increase may not be so
frightfully rapid as it appears to have been. It must, however, be
taken into account, that the population was, in 1822, 51,113, and in
1834, 56,655. The police also are more active, and inquests are held
more regularly.