Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/523

512 and the  smallest  is  at  the  end  of  autumn. So far is the  popular  association  of  suicide  with  foggy November from  being  well  founded!

Again: suicides are  (with  the  exception  of  some peculiar  localities)  more  common  in  towns  than  in the  country; and  in  one  sort  of  occupation  than another. There are  districts  which  seem  to  be actually  infested  by  the  notion  and  the  practice, while in  others  it  is  extremely  rare. For instance, while the  average  of  suicide  for  England  and Wales is  68  in  a million  of  the  population in the  three  years  1856-7-8,  the  county  of  Pembroke afforded  a proportion  of  only  10  suicides, while Westmoreland  exhibited  a proportion  of 111. These are  the  two  extremities  of  the  list  of counties. Every one  would  suppose  that  Middlesex would  be  at  the  top,  and  far  above  every other, unless,  perhaps,  its  populous  neighbour Surrey; but rural  Westmoreland  is  worse  than even  the  seat  of  the  metropolis. Middlesex shows a proportion of  105,  and  Surrey  of  104,  to  the 111 of  Westmoreland. Such a fact  indicates constant and  ascertainable  causes; and  the  causes are not  difficult  to  find  among  an  antiquated population like  that  of  our  mountain  districts, where natural  instincts  and  passions  are  strong and comparatively  unchecked,  and  where  society is in  a transition  state  from  an  ancient  to  a modern  economy. The change  in  the  fortunes and method  of  life  of  the  “statesmen”  of  the Lake District,  caused  by  the  agricultural  improvement and  the  manufactures  of  the  neighbouring counties to  the  south,  has  broken  the  fortunes  and the spirit  of  many  a rural  family,  and  induced debt, despair,  and  drunkenness  in  many  a homestead where  all  was  prosperous  a century  or  two ago. Here we  trace  causes  of  suicide,  which,  as the  returns  show,  work  only  too  surely; and  such causes as  these  are  preventible,  and  will  assuredly be obviated  by  a further  advance  in  civilisation — the first  step  of  which  should  be,  in  the  special case, an  improved  management  in  land  and  stock.

Another general  fact  is,  the  operation  of  the imitative faculty  in  propagating  the  practice  of suicide. The case  is  too  low  to  justify  the  use  of the  word  sympathy. It might  answer  well  to  call it mimickry  at  once. People who  commit  deliberate suicide  have  generally  a weak  faculty  of imagination,  together  with  a strong  egotism. They cannot  conceive  of  anything  outside  of  their immediate trouble; they  have  not  the  serenity and fortitude  which  accompany  a comprehensive capacity and  excursive  habit  of  mind; they  think of nothing  but  an  escape  from  present  anguish; and they  seize  upon  any  suggestion  afforded  by  the conduct of  others. Hence a run  of  suicides  when a new or  fantastic  method  is  exhibited. The particular propensity  is  met  for  the  occasion  by some  mechanical  device: such  as  raising  the  balustrades of  London  bridges  at  one  time,  and  covering over the  gallery  of  the  Monument  at  another. In their grosser  forms  of  egotism,  these  imitative suicides are  remediable  by  ridicule,  neglect,  or  the punishment of  such  offenders  as  are  rescued  from death. During the  reign  of  Louis  Philippe  there was a suicidal  epidemic  in  France,  which  would have been  simply  ridiculous  but  for  the  perdition of many  young  people  who  might  have  lived  to  be wiser. A pair of  impatient  lovers,  who  could  not wait to  be  happy,  shot  or  drowned  themselves (I forget  which),  tied  together  with  pink  ribbons. As soon  as  the  story  had  gone  the  round  of  the papers, another  pair  of  lovers  shot  themselves  with pistols, which  were  tied  together  with  blue ribbons; and then  others  poisoned  themselves, united by  red  ribbons; and  others  precipitated themselves from  a balcony,  bound  together  by some  other  coloured  ribbons. By this  time,  something must  be  done. The thing  done  was  to  suppress all  public  notice  of  such  suicides  for  a time; and they  soon  ceased. In 1841  there  was  a rage for jumping  into  the  Thames  from  the  bridges. When there  was  a case  almost  every  night,  the survivors of  the  experiment,  and  those  caught  in the  attempt,  were  sentenced  by  the  magistrates to short  terms  of  imprisonment. As soon  as  it was  found  that  the  real  disgrace  of  conviction  for an offence  was  sure  to  be  incurred  in  case  of failure,  the  number  of  suicides  immediately  sank to the  average.

As to  the  permanent  causes  of  that  average amount, — they are  the  influences  (whatever  they may  be)  which  excite  the  destructive  propensities. A maniac tears  his  clothes  to  pieces,  if  he  can  do nothing  else; a man  at  large  knocks  down  his neighbour, murders  his  wife,  or  cuts  his  own throat, according  to  the  degree  of  excitement,  or kind  of  passion  that  he  is  under. The same  propensity, disciplined  by  good  training,  superior powers, and  habitual  self-control,  enables  a higher order of  man  to  preserve  his  health  of  mind,  and occupy that  particular  faculty  in  conflict  with  his difficulties. He conquers  fortune,  instead  of taking  up  the  razor  against  himself  or  somebody else. It is  a very  large  and  arduous  remedy  to obtain: but  the  true  preventive  of  suicide  would be a full  and  equable  development  of  the  human faculties, by  which  imagination  would  modify  the present by  the  future; ameliorating  sensations  by ideas,  and  rendering  despair  impossible;  and  by which  also  all  distracting  selfishness  would  be precluded,  like  any  other  monomania. In speaking of  such  an  equable  development,  I of  course include such  exercise  and  regulation  of  the physical faculties  as  is  indispensable  to  the  health of the  system. As a warrant  for  this  view,  I may cite one  more  general  fact,  indicated  by  the  official returns; — that, so  far  from  the  spread  of  education (random  and  partial  as  that  education  is) occasioning an  increase  of  suicide,  the  amount diminishes (other  things  being  equal)  according  to the  superior  quality  of  education,  and  increases among the  uneducated  classes,  in  proportion  to their  ignorance. In fact,  the  passions  and  propensities of  the  rudest  people  are  the  strongest.

Do we  want  something  more  within  compass, more immediately  practical  than  the  grand  method of preserving  the  balance  of  the  facilities,  and  the health of  the  mind? Well, then,  there  are  some very plain  practical  truths  which  we  might  attend to much  better  than  we  do.

I say no  more  about  the  artificial  insanity which  comes  of  excess  in  drink  and  other  vicious indulgences. Nobody needs  convincing  of  the mischief  of  intemperance,  or  the  horrors  of  delirium tremens; and  it  is  enough  to  fix attention