Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 May 1878 — A Manla for Suicide. [ARTICLE]

A Manla for Suicide.

Suicide has become an incident of such frequent occurrence in this city that it has almost ceased to excite surprise, and, consequently, we have, in a great measure, come to regard the event as part of the ordinary course of things. In this regard, however, we are far behind San Francisco. In that city a suicidal mania prevails to an extent that is positively startling. The followingextract from the Chronicle, compiled from the official records, reveals a horrible tendency to self-destruction: FUcal Year. Suicidee.Wittal Year. Sulciilee. 186(1 311870 <7 1861 601871 Bl 1862 181872 87 1868. 18 1878 88 1864 20 1874... , 61 1866 17 1875 64 1866 24 1876 60 1867 20 1877 76 1868.. ................. 281878 107 1869.. 89 The number of suicides in San Francisco is equal to that in Philadelphia,, which has a population two or three times as numerous, in New York, which, except San Francisco, shows the heaviest mortality from suicide of any American city, the number of deaths from this cause in 1876 was 150 against 29,102 deaths from all other causes, or 1 to 194; in 1877 the suicides were 148 against 26,055 deaths, or 1 to 176. In San Francisco, the proportion of suicides to all deaths in 1875-’76 was as 1 to 80, and in 1876-’77 as 1 to 81. In 1877- 78 it will be much greater. The ratio of suicides to all deaths is already more than twice as great in San Francisco as New York, and will this year be nearly thrice as great, while the ratio to population is still more unfavorable. Three conclusions are fully warranted by these facts: First, suicidal death is more frequent in San Francisco than anywhere else in the civilized world, and more frequent now than at any previous date. Second, it is accompanied by a similar pre-eminence and development of insanity, which appears to prove that both have a common origin. Third, this remarkable prevalence of insanity and suicide, and the increase of both in late years, corresponds with that development of stock-gambling and jobbing which, if allowed to proceed much further, will force every dollar of capital out of the State, reduce the masses of the people to despair and utterly bankrupt the community.— N. Y. Graphic.