Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/95

 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

8l

fire-arms, poison, edged instruments, falls, etc. The striking fact is the constancy and regularity of suicides, as if the condi- tions were invariable: "One year reproduces so faithfully the figures of the preceding year that one can foresee what should happen the year following." It is, then, as possible to construct suicide tables as it is to construct mortality tables. But, of course, they must be for identical periods and allowances must be made for changed conditions and for cases of profound modi- fication in the limits of oscillation.

Dr. Casper's table shows that the evolutional variability is at least as remarkable as the static aspect of the phenomena, or rather that the static is a moving equilibrium.

The conclusion of Quetelet was that "under the influence of social causes which dominate us more or less, the same effects are reproduced periodically in the same order," and that "it is through a modification of the environment in which we live that the legislator can ameliorate the conditions of his fellowman." It is fair to add to these reflections that, even without the inter- vention of the legislator, the environment itself is modified spontaneously and regularly, for its equilibrium is, also, a living equilibrium ; that is to say, it is always unstable, exercising an influence on the particular social phenomena.

SUICIDES IN BELGIUM ACCORDING TO AGE AND SEX.

AVERAGE FROM 1886 TO 1890

1898

1899

1900

Ages

Males

Fe- males

Males

Fe- males

Males

Fe- males

Males

Fe- males

I_ess than 16 years

7 71 138 129

128 84

35

2

4 26 27 20 19 M

9

II

90 170 123 137

95 46

i

3 44 38 26 22 12

4 I

6

87 172 127

"5 90

43 3

6 28 38 21

25 14

6

8

83 171 126 143

85 39 3

3 24

41 20

18

12 10

From 1 6 to 24

From 25 to 39

From 40 to 49

From 50 to 59

From 60 to 69

From 70 and over

Age unknown

Total

594

119

678

ISO

643

138

658

128

The above table of suicides in Belgium according to age and sex for the years 1886-90, and 1898, 1899, and 1900, com-