Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/94

 8o

THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

Quetelet gives the following table of suicides in Berlin from 1788 to 1822 from the statistics of Dr. Casper:

1788-1797 - - 9 2

1797-1808 128

1813-1822 - - 545

The Berlin of 1788 was profoundly changed in 1822. Quetelet in passing gives as his idea, since exaggerated by Tarde, that imitation is a factor in crime in general, but he does not go so far as to make it the exclusive and fundamental factor in suicide. " In studying," says he, " that which relates to suicides, to duels, and certain kinds of crime, we are disposed to believe that man often acts only through the tendency to imitate." Yes, but imitation does not explain the genesis of suicide and of crime, the conditions of which are sociological, that is to say, complex.

Let us not forget that the duel, for example, has been everywhere and for a very long time a veritable social institu- tion of a juridical character, designed to decide processes of a certain nature, as we see it in the judiciary duel.

Following the example of Dr. Casper, Quetelet has also studied the influence exercised upon suicides by the seasons, by city and country life, by sex, age, celibacy and marriage. Unfortunately the strongest sociological influences, those exer- cised by economic conditions, were too much neglected.

TABLE OF SUICIDES IN FRANCE FROM 1835 TO 1844 TAKING INTO CON- SIDERATION THE DIFFERENT AGES OF THE POPULATION.

Age

Female

Male

Proportion of Males and Females

Less than 16 years

0. I$3

2^

? 27"

From 1 6 to 2 1

t.7

? c

I 84'

From 21 to 30

8 7

8 o

2 86'

From 30 to 40

8 i

7

i C7

From 40 to 50

II .0

12 8

I IQ '

From 50 to 60

M.o

132

2 80 '

From 60 to 70

16.7

ie 7

2 78'

From 70 to 80

18.0

18 q

I 05

80 and above

17 .2

18 4

? 16'

100. 0%

100. 0^

Av. Rel. 2.95:i

Quetelet gives for the same period a table of the modes of suicide in France according to sex: drowning, strangulation,