Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/780

* SUGGESTION. 678 SUICIDE. (New York, 1898) ; Moll, Hypnotism (London, 1891); Wundt, Philosophische Studien viii. (1893) ; Lipps, Zur Psychologie der Suggestion (Leipzig, 1897). SUHL, zuul. A town of the Prussian Province of Saxony, Germany, on the Lauter, 12^ miles north by east of Meiningen (Map: Prussia, D 3). Important for its manufactures of firearms since the fifteenth century, Suhl has been called the 'armory of Germany.' Population, in 1900, 12,617. affords ground for forfeiture of a policy of life insurance. The statistics of suicide are by no means satis- factory, as motives always exist for the conceal- ment of the cause of death, and published figures are likely to bo too low. This trouble is partly overcome when figures are used comparatively, as in the following table, showing the average an- nual number of suicides per million of popula- tion in various countries during the nineteenth century : England and Wales.. Ireland Prussia Saxony France Belgium Italy Denmark Sweden Norway 1831-35 1841-45 185155 1861-65 1871-75 1887-91 Eecent 62. 8- 10 96 15St 61 39 S13t 69 97 110 198 85 62 232 66 107 130 248 100 272 71 107 61-65 1871-75 66 66 18 122 134 264 299 124 150 65J. 68 28 35 288 258 76 81 85 73 81 24 197 322 218 120 52 253 119 193 305 236 116 ' 1831-1840. 1 1836-40. 1 1856-65. SUICIDE (from Lat. sui, of one's self -f -ci- diuni, a killing, from cwdere, to kill). The in- tentional taking of one's own life. Among uncivilized peoples suicide is by no means un- known, though it has generally been regarded as uncommon. It is favored by the teaching of some Oriental religions, but expressly forbidden by the Koran. Aristotle condemned sui- cide as unmanly, and early Greek custom accorded dishonorable burial to the perpetrator; but later practice, especially under influence of the Stoics, was much less severe. The Romans, also affected by Stoic doctrine, recognized many legitimate reasons for suicide and punished with confiscation of property only suicides committed to escape punishment for a grave crime. The Justinian code admitted seven excuses for sui- cide, ranging from madness to mere life-weari- ness. Under Christianity the spirit of law and custom was radically modified. To Saint Augus- tine suicide was essentially a sin, and several Church councils, from the fifth century, deprived the corpse of the ordinary rites of the Church. Medifpval law usually provided confiscation of the suicide's property, while custom decreed in- dignities to the corpse, such as dragging by the heels face downward, as in France, or burying at the cross-roads with a stake through the body, as in England. Later English law compelled for- feiture of lands and goods in all cases of .suicide, but (he requirement came to be frequently evaded through the granting of a coroner's verdict of insanity, and the law itself was abolished in 1870. 'a statute of 1823 made it legal to bury suicides in consecrated ground, but it was not till 1882 that religious services were expressly permitted. In France at the present time neither suicide nor attempt at suicide is punishable. In the Ignited States suicide is not a crime, but it is unlawful, and an unintentional killing of an- other durinsj an attempt at self-destruction is homicide. An attempt at suicide is a common- law misdemeanor, and in some States a felony by statute. Thus in New York, aiding a suicide is manslaughter in the first degree, aiding an attempt at suicide is felony, and the attempt itself by a sane person is felony, punishable by not over two years in State prison, or a fine of not over $1000, or by both. Suicide generally The remarkable differences which appear be- tween countries are due rather to race and national characteristics than to climate. This is well shouTi by suicide rates in the United States. In 1900 in the registration area persons with mothers born in France had a suicide rate (per million) of 220: Germanv, 193: England and Wales, 104; Ireland, 61; Russia and Poland, 58: Ital.y, 51. In the re.gistration area as a whole the rate was 103 in 1890 and 118 in 1900, being verv much higher for white persons than for colored. The most notable difference of rate is that occasioned by sex, males usually consti- tuting from four-fifths to three-quarters of the total suicides. Statistics of several States and of foreign countries indicate that the preponder- ance of males has been increasing during recent decades. When age is considered together with sex, it appears that while suicide in general in- creases with age, the ages at which women most tend to self-destruction are much under the cor- responding ones for men. Thus in the United States (1900) there were out of 1000 suicides at kno'mi ages, 1.2 committed by males under 15 years, but 7.8 by females: for the ago period 15 "to 19 the rate "was 18.8 for men, 100.5 for women; for 30 to 34 years it was 103.4 and 109.7 respectively; while for 40 to 44 the male rate was in excess. 117.3 to 90.1; and the men tlien continue to preponderate up to 85 years. Married people show a lower suicide rate than sin.sle, and single than widowed or divorced per- sons. Large cities have an unfavorable influence. The rate in Dresden is more than 500 per 1,000.000: in Paris, more than 400: in London, about 230: in Berlin. 260; in Saint Petersburg and Rome, less than 100, In 1890 the rate in Massachusetts was 84, but in Boston it was more than 120: in New York State (1890) it was 95. but 97 in Brooklyn and 150 in Man- hattan (New York City). " Suicides among the youn.g are especiall.v prev- alent in the great centres. The professional and commercial classes are more prone to suicide than are others ; artisans evince higher rates than do laborers; while among soldiers and criminals the rates are extremelv high. The rates for summer or late spring are always much above those for the other seasons, the masimiun