p. 19 | Increase of Suicides

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Dec 15, 1910

Increase of Suicides

IN proportion as men depart from God, and lose out of their lives the peace and hope which love imparts, will they become reckless in their living, and indifferent as to the future. Sin and disease have been sowing for years, expecting a bounteous harvest; and the fearful fruit of their work becomes more and more manifest as time goes on. Of the marked increase of suicides during the last few years, the Philadelphia Press speaks as follows:—

Few days are without a suicide; and the number, in proportion to the total number living, steadily grows. This is true not only of this city and of this State, but it is true of the country. The number of suicides annually reported by the Census Bureau for the part of the United States reporting about one half the total population, is as follows:—

YEAR	SUICIDES	NO. PER 100,000
Av. ’01-’05	4,548	14.0
1904	4,912	14.8
1905	5,438	16.1
1906	5,853	14.3
1907	6,745	16.2
1908	8,332	18.5

This is appalling,—in ten years the number of suicides reported has been almost doubled! Part of this is due to fuller reports, but not all. The suicides per 100,000 of population settle this. Ten years ago, in 1900, the proportion of suicides per 100,000 of population was only 11.5. In 1908 it was 18.5, or sixty per cent greater. In other words, where, in 1900, out of 10,000 people about one person a year committed suicide, in 1908 almost two, on the average, sought to take their lives. By 1912 or so, in the United States, at the rate of increase in suicides, every 5,000 persons will be furnishing a suicide a year. From being, fifty years ago, a country with the smallest proportion of suicides, the United States is becoming a country with a larger proportion of suicides than other lands.