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the preventible  deaths  which  every  year carry off  more  of  our  citizens  than  the  most  savage war, suicide  ought  to  be  attended  to  with strenuous and  patient  care.

“Do you  call  suicide  a preventible  cause  of death?” a hundred  voices  will  probably  ask. They will  say  that  the  self-destroyer  usually  does his last  deed  when  nobody  is  thinking  of  such  a thing; and  that  it  would  be  cruel  to  blame  his family and  friends  for  a calamity  which  they  have at the  moment  no  reason  to  apprehend. May be so: but  still  we  may  be  justified  in  treating  of suicide  as  a preventible  kind  of  mortality. Let us look  at  some  of  the  leading  facts.

According to  the  coroners’  returns,  the  cases  of suicide  inquired  into  in  England  and  Wales  were, in 1856,  1314. In 1857,  they  were  1349. In 1858,  they  were  1275.

The first  remark  of  some  readers  will  be  that they thought  there  had  been  more: and  of  others, that they  had  no  idea  there  had  been  so  many. But all  will  probably  go  on  to  remark  on  the uniformity of  the  proportion  of  suicides  to  other deaths in  three  consecutive  years. The proportion would be  found  no  less  regular  in  thirteen  years, or in  thirty. This circumstance  ought  to  set us thinking  whether  so  regular  a phenomenon must not  have  some  steady  cause. Men in society  always  end  by  obtaining  control  over steadily -operating influences; and  therefore  we may  hope  to  get  the  mastery  over  the  causes  of suicide,  and  nearly  put  an  end  to  that  mode  of dying.

In order  to  do  this,  we  must  rouse  ourselves into a mood  of  common  sense,  such  as  few  persons but physicians  and  managers  of  lunatic  asylums are accustomed  to  entertain  in  the  presence  of  this tragic subject. There are  many  reasons  why  we should  feel  awe-struck  and  overwhelmed  with some kind  of  delicate  feeling  or  other  when  cases of suicide  occur  or  are  discussed. The old  Romish belief that  the  viaticum  was  necessary  to  save  the departing soul,  caused  the  death  of  the  most  innocent suicide  to  be  regarded  with  horror  and  dismay: and far  worse  was  the  thought  of  the  eternal destiny of  the  conscious  self-murderer. His burial in unhallowed  earth,  with  a stake  driven  through his body,  was  a shock  to  society,  and  a bitter disgrace to  his  family: and  the  anguish  of  those past times  has  been  so  far  perpetuated  as  that  every countenance still  becomes  grave,  and  every  voice sinks into  solemnity  when  there  is  mention  of  any one who  has  raised  his  hand  against  his  own  life. Again, there  is  still  a prevalent  reluctance  in society  to  advert  to  the  subject  of  insanity. There is still  an  inability  among  the  great  majority  of people  to  regard  insanity  as  disease,  in  the  same way as  the  maladies  which  affect  other  organs than the  brain; and  in  almost  every  case  of suicide  the  coroner’s  jury  declare  the  act  to  have been done  in  a state  of  insanity. The insanity  is considered  a milder  imputation  than  a design  to perpetrate  the  act: but  it  is  still  felt  as  a grievous imputation, and  one  which  induces  awe-struck silence, and  a desire  of  oblivion,  rather  than  any practical study  of  such  cases  with  a view  to  putting a stop to  the  practice  of  self-murder. Thus we  go on  in  ignorance: and  while  we  indulge  in  old  prejudices and  ill  grounded  sensibility,  a thousand lives will  be  thrown  away  every  year  which  a more  reasonable  and  healthy  habit  of  mind  in ourselves  might  save. This seems  to  me  a very serious consideration.

Young people  always  set  out  with  supposing that self-destroyers  are  persons  of  acute  feelings, who cannot  endure  the  hardness  of  the  world,  or bear  the  misfortunes  which  have  befallen  them, by their  own  fault  or  otherwise. This viewr  is  so constantly  confirmed  by  works  of  fiction,  and  by the  traditions  which  have  come  down  from  ancient times, that  we  cannot  wonder  at  it: but  it  would be a great  blessing  if  the  rude  and  disgusting truth were  thoroughly  known  and  appreciated that, in  the  great  majority  of  cases,  the  self-destroyer  has  injured  his  brain  by  drink  or  other excess; that, in  others,  the  sufferer  is  a coward, or the  mere  victim  of  passion,  or  crazed  by  selfishness. Most people  would  be  exceedingly  surprised to learn  how  many  of  the  thirteen  hundred  self-destroyers in  any  year  were  profligates,  black- guards, cowards, and  miserable  egotists,  who  had brought their  brains  into  such  a state  that  they could not  control  their  actions,  nor  bear  pain  of body  or  mind. So many  emotions  of  awe  and tenderness are  naturally  and  necessarily  roused  by any  tale  of  wilful  death  that  it  seems  to  be  harsh, coarse, and  light-minded  to  say  what  I have  said. While quite  understanding,  and  even  sympathising with, this  kind  of  recoil,  I must  say  that  the truest reverence  for  human  life,  and  the  highest order of  sensibility,  will  be  that  which  shall  go the  straightest  way  to  work  to  diminish  the practice of  suicide.

The true  story  of  any  coroner’s  register,  told  in full,  would  bring  us  all  into  a mood  of  common sense, with  no  little  danger  of  the  most  exalted sentiment being  turned  into  strong  indignation against the  victims  who  had  spoiled  the  happiness of so  many  people  besides  their  own. Let us take  any  such  register,  in  any  district  in  the kingdom, and  see  what  we  shall  find  between  any two dates. Here is  a specimen  of  what  is  always going on,  though  it  is  not  everywhere  that  so many  self-murders  happen  in  a single  neighbourhood within  a very  few  years.

A. was  an  agricultural  labourer  of  a very superior kind. He was  a model  of  physical strength, and  might  earn  large  wages  from  the quantity of  excellent  work  he  could  do. He had a wife somewhat  his  superior  in  station  and  cultivation. No children. A comfortable dwelling; a kind landlord. No disease  or  misfortune, nothing amiss,  till  he  and  his  wife  took  to drinking. On his  landlord’s  death  he  was  excused long arrears  of  rent,  but  received  notice  to  quit — altogether inevitable  under  the  circumstances. His wife  being  absent,  in  a temporary  service,  the dwelling was  observed  to  be  closed  one  day. A. was found  hanging  in  a closet.

B. kept  an  inn,  with  good  command  of  custom; took  to  drinking,  and  threw  everything  into  disorder; at  one  time  hanged  himself,  and  was  cut down  in  time; at  another  time  cut  his  throat,  but not  quite  fatally: on  which  a lady  was  over-