file which includes the original illustration4 ,see #ejijg-;h4htm or #ejijg-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/cache_/epu b_/#ejijg_/pg#ejijg-;images4html7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/files_/#ej ijg_/ejijg-;h4zip7 ,images of the original pages are available through ,internet ,archive4 ,see https3_/_/archive4org_/details_/anatomyo fsuicide#jjwins ,transcriber's note3 ,text enclosed by underscores is in italics 7italics74 ,the original text contains some unpaired quotation marks which could not be corrected with cofidence4 ,illustration3 ,vide p4 #cca4 ,,the ,,anatomy ,,of ,,suicide3 by ,,forbes ,,winslow1 ,member of the ,royal ,college of ,surgeons1 ,london2 ,author of 8,physic and ,physicians40 8,but is there yet no other way1 besides ,these painful passages2 how we may come ,to death1 and mix with our connatural dust8 99 99 99 99 99 ,nor love thy life1 nor hate3 but what thou liv'st ,live well2 ,,how ,,long ,,or ,,short ,,permit ,,to ,,heaven40 ,,milton4 ,london3 ,henry ,renshaw1 #cef1 ,strand4 ,sold ,by ,carfrae ,son1 ,edinburgh2 ,and ,fannin ,co41 ,dublin4 #ahdj4 ,,to ,,james ,,johnson1 ,,esq41 ,m4,d4 ,,physician ,,extraordinary ,,to ,,the ,,late ,,king1 ,,etc4 ,,etc4 ,this ,work is dedicated1 ,,as ,a ,,testimony ,,of ,,respect ,,for ,,his ,,high ,,professional ,,attainments1 ,,and ,,as ,,an ,,acknowledgment ,,of ,,the ,,advantages ,,derived ,,from ,a ,,perusal ,,of ,,the ,,many ,,able ,,works ,,with ,,which ,,he ,,has ,,enriched ,,the ,,medical ,,literature ,,of ,,his ,,country4 ,london1--,may1 #ahdj4 ,,preface4 ,this treatise had its origin in the following circumstance3--,a few months ago1 the author had the honour of reading before the ,westminster ,medical ,society1 a paper on 8,suicide ,medically considered10 which giving rise to an animated discussion1 and evolving an expression of the opinions of several eminent professional men1 excited at the time much interest4 ,it was the author's object in his paper to establish a fact1 he believes1 of primary importance1--that the disposition to commit self-destruction is1 to a great extent1 amenable to those principles which regulate our treatment of ordinary disease2 and that1 to a degree more than is generally supposed1 it originates in derangement of the brain and abdominal viscera4 ,notwithstanding1 however1 these points were not considered with the minuteness commensurate with their value1 the discussion which followed the author's communication afforded him great satisfaction4 ,it tended to strengthen in his mind an opinion previously formed1 that the members of the medical profession were inferior to no other class in a knowledge of those higher branches of philosophy that give dignity and elevation to human character4 ,to explain more fully the author's views on the subject of ,suicide is the object of the present work1 which is1 strange to say1 the first in ,england that has been exclusively devoted to this important and interesting branch of inquiry4 ,hitherto suicide has been the theme of the novel and the drama1 and has never1 with the exception of an incidental notice in works on medical jurisprudence1 been considered in this country in reference to its pathological and physiological character4 ,that an intimate acquaintance with this branch of knowledge is highly important to the medical philosopher1 few will deny2 that it is a subject of general and painful interest1 all must admit4 ,the apparent coolness with which suicide is often committed has induced many to suppose that the unfortunate perpetrator was at the time in possession of a sound mind2 and it is this idea which has induced the profession to conceive the subject as one foreign to their pursuits1 and belonging rather to the province of the moral philosopher4 ,how far the author has succeeded in disproving this opinion1 it is for others to decide4 ,he takes this opportunity of acknowledging the assistance he has received from the writings of ,pinel1 ,esquirol1 ,falret1 ,fodre1 ,arnold1 ,crichton1 ,willis1 ,black1 ,haslam1 ,burrows1 ,conolly1 ,pritchard1 ,mayo1 ,ellis1 ,paris1 ,smith1 ,beck1 ,taylor1 and ,ray4 ,to the pages of ,dr4 ,johnson's ,medico-chirurgical ,review1 the ,medical ,gazette1 the ,lancet1 and ,british and ,foreign ,medical ,review1 he is also largely indebted4 ,in conclusion1 the author1 conscious of its imperfections1 claims for his work no other praise than that it is the first attempt in this country to reflect light on a branch of medical and moral philosophy1 the importance of which is only equalled by the difficulties impeding its investigation4 ,he will feel himself amply repaid1 should his introductory essay 7for such only can it be considered7 stimulate others more competent than himself to prosecute the inquiry which he has commenced4 ,their success will afford him much satisfaction and pleasure2 for in the attainment of their endeavours will his hopes be fulfilled1 and his ambition gratified4 ,,london1--,,may1 #ahdj4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,suicides ,,of ,,the ,,ancients4--,,ancient ,,laws ,,and ,,opinions ,,on ,,the ,,subject ,,of ,,suicide4 ,examples of antiquity no defence of suicide--,causes of ancient suicides--,the suicides of ,asdrubal1 ,nicocles1 ,isocrates1 ,demosthenes1 ,hannibal1 ,mithridates1 the inhabitants of the city of ,xanthus1 ,cato1 ,charondas1 ,lycurgus1 ,codrus1 ,themistocles1 ,emperor ,otho1 ,brutus and ,cassius1 ,mark ,antony and ,cleopatra1 ,petronius1 ,lucan1 ,lucius ,vetus1 ,sardanapalus1 ,m4 ,curtius1 ,empedocles1 ,theoxena--,noble resistance of ,josephus--,scripture suicides3 ,samson1 ,saul1 ,ahitophel1 ,judas ,iscariot1 ,eleazar1 ,razis--,doctrines of the stoics1 ,seneca1 ,epictetus1 ,zeno--,opinions of ,cicero1 ,pliny1 on suicide--,ancient laws on suicide p4 #a-bi ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,writers ,,in ,,defence ,,of ,,suicide4 ,opinions of ,hume--,effect of his writings--,case of suicide caused by--,the doctrines of ,montesquieu1 ,rousseau1 and ,montaigne examined--,origin of ,dr4 ,donne's celebrated work--,madame de ,stal's recantation--,robert of ,normandy1 ,gibbon1 ,sir ,t4 ,more1 and ,robeck's opinions considered p4 #cj-ce ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,suicide ,a ,,crime ,,against ,,god ,,and ,,man4--,,it ,,is ,,not ,,an ,,act ,,of ,,courage4 ,the sin of suicide--,the notions of ,paley on the subject--,voltaire's opinion--,is suicide self-murder8--,is it forbidden in ,scripture8--,shakspeare's views on the subject--,the alliance between suicide and murder--,has a man a right to sacrifice his own life8--,everything held upon trust--,suicide a sin against ourselves and neighbour--,it is not an act of courage--,opinion of ,q4 ,curtius on the subject--,buonaparte's denunciation of suicide--,dryden's description of the suicide in another world p4 #cf-dd ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,on ,,the ,,influence ,,of ,,certain ,,mental ,,states ,,in ,,inducing ,,the ,,disposition ,,to ,,suicide4 ,moral causes of disease--,neglect of psychological medicine--,mental philosophy a branch of medical study--,moral causes of suicide--,tables of ,falret1 c4--,influence of remorse--,simon ,brown1 ,charles ,,ix4 of ,france--,massacre of ,st4 ,bartholomew--,terrible death of ,cardinal ,beaufort1 from remorse--,the ,chevalier de ,s----4 ,influence of disappointed love--,suicide from love--,two singular cases--,effects of jealousy--,othello--,suicide from this passion--,the ,french opera dancer--,suicide from wounded vanity--,false pride--,the remarkable case of ,villeneuve1 as related by ,buonaparte--,buonaparte's attempt at suicide--,ambition--,despair1 cases of suicide from--,the ,abb de ,ranc--,suicide from blind impulse--,cases--,mathews1 the comedian--,opinion of ,esquirol on the subject--,ennui1 birth of--,common cause of suicide in ,france--,effect of speculating in stocks--,defective education--,diffusion of knowledge--8,socialism0 a cause of self-destruction--,suicide common in ,germany--,werter--,gothe's attempt at suicide--,influence of his writings on ,hackman--,suicide from reading ,tom ,paine's 8,age of ,reason0--,suicide to avoid punishment--,most remarkable illustrations--,political excitement--,nervous irritation--,love of notoriety--,hereditary disposition--,is death painful8 fully considered1 with cases--,influence of irreligion p4 #de-ajg ,,chapter ,v4 ,,imitative1 ,,or ,,epidemic ,,suicide4 ,persons who act from impulse liable to be influenced--,principle of imitation1 a natural instinct--,cases related by ,cabanis and ,tissot--,the suicidal barbers--,epidemic suicide at the ,htel des ,invalids--,sydenham's epidemic--,the ladies of ,miletus--,dr4 ,parrish's case--,are insanity and suicide contagious8 p4 #ajh-aad ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,suicide ,,from ,,fascination4 ,singular motives for committing suicide--,a man who delighted in torturing himself--,a dangerous experiment--,pleasures of carnage--,disposition to leap from precipices--,lord ,byron's allusion to the influence of fascination--,miss ,moyes and the ,monument--,a man who could not trust himself with a razor--,esquirol's opinion of such cases--,danger of ascending elevated places p4 #aae-abj ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,of ,,the ,,enthusiasm ,,and ,,mental ,,irritability ,,which1 ,,if ,,encouraged1 ,,would ,,lead ,,to ,,suicide4 ,connexion between genius and insanity--,authors of fiction often feel what they write--,metastasio in tears--,the enthusiasm of ,pope1 ,alfieri1 ,dryden--,effects of the first reading of ,telemachus and ,tasso on ,madame ,roland's mind--,raffaelle and his celebrated picture of the ,transfiguration--,the convulsions of ,malbranche--,beattie's ,essay on ,truth--,influence of intense study on ,boerrhave's mind--,the demon of ,spinello and ,luther--,bourdaloue and his violin--,byron's sensitiveness--,men do not always practise what they preach--,cases of ,smollett1 ,la ,fontaine1 ,sir ,thomas ,more1 ,zimmerman--,tasso's spectre--,johnson's superstition--,concluding remarks p4 #aba-abi ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,physical ,,causes ,,of ,,suicide4 ,influence of climate--,the foggy climate of ,england does not increase the number of suicides--,average number of suicides in each month1 from #ahag to #ahbf--;,influence of seasons--,suicides at ,rouen--,the ,english not a suicidal people--,philip ,mordaunt's singular reasons for self-destruction--,causes of ,french suicides--,influence of physical pain--,unnatural vices--,suicide the effect of intoxication--,influence of hepatic disease on the mind--,melancholy and hypochondriasis1 ,burton's account of--,cowper's case of suicide--,particulars of his extreme depression of spirits--,byron and ,burns's melancholy from stomach and liver derangement--,influence of bodily disease on the mind--,importance of paying attention to it--,a case of insanity from gastric irritation--,dr4 ,johnson's hypochondria--,hereditary suicide1 illustrated by cases--,suicide from blows on the head1 and from moral shocks communicated to the brain--,dr4 ,g4 ,mantell's valuable observations and cases demonstrative of the point--,concluding remarks p4 #acj-afa ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,moral ,,treatment ,,of ,,suicidal ,,mania4 ,diseases of the brain not dissimilar to affections of other organs--,early symptoms of insanity--,the good effects of having plenty to do--,occupation--,dr4 ,johnson's opinion on the subject--,the pleasure derived from cultivating a taste for the beauties of nature--,effect of volition on diseases of the mind--,silent grief injurious to mental health--,treatment of ennui--,the time of danger1 not the time of disease--,the ,walcheren expedition--,the retreat of the ten thousand ,greeks under ,xenophon--,influence of music on the mind in the cure of disease--,cure of epidemic suicide--,buonaparte's remedy--,how the women of ,miletus were cured of the disposition to suicide1 and other illustrations--,cases shewing how easily the disposition to suicide may be diverted--,on the cure of insanity by stratagems--,on the importance of removing the suicidal patient from his own home--,on the regulation of the passions p4 #afb-aid ,,chapter ,x4 ,,physical ,,treatment ,,of ,,the ,,suicidal ,,disposition4 ,on the dependence of irritability of temper on physical disease--,voltaire and an ,englishman agree to commit suicide--,the reasons that induced ,voltaire to change his mind--,the ferocity of ,robespierre accounted for--,the state of his body after death--,the petulance of ,pope dependent on physical causes--,suicide from cerebral congestion1 treatment of--,advantages of bloodletting1 with cases--,damien insane--,cold applied to the head1 of benefit--,good effects of purgation--,suicide caused by a tape-worm--,early indications of the disposition to suicide--,the suicidal eye--,of the importance of carefully watching persons disposed to suicide--,cunning of such patients--,numerous illustrations--,the fondness for a particular mode of death--,dr4 ,burrows' extraordinary case--,dr4 ,conolly on the treatment of suicide--,cases shewing the advantage of confinement p4 #aie-bbj ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,is ,,the ,,act ,,of ,,suicide ,,the ,,result ,,of ,,insanity8 ,the instinct of self-preservation--,the love of life--,dr4 ,wolcott's death-bed--,anecdote of the ,duke de ,montebello--,louis ,,xi4 of ,france--,singular death of a celebrated lawyer--,dr4 ,johnson's horror of dying--,the organ of destruction universal--,illustrations of its influence--,sir ,w4 ,scott1 on the motives that influence men in battle--,have we any test of insanity8--,mental derangement not a specific disease--,importance of keeping this in view--,insanity not always easily detected--,is lowness of spirits an evidence of derangement8--,the cunning of lunatics--,esquirol's opinion that insanity is always present--,moral insanity--,the remarkable case of ,frederick of ,prussia--,suicide often the first symptom of insanity--,cases in which persons have been restored to reason from loss of blood1 after attempting suicide--,the cases of ,cato1 ,sir ,samuel ,romilly1 ,lord ,castlereagh1 ,colton1 and ,chatterton1 examined--,concluding remarks p4 #bba-bde ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,suicide ,,in ,,connexion ,,with ,,medical ,,jurisprudence4 ,the importance of medical evidence--,the questions which medical men have to consider in these cases--,signs of death from strangulation--,singular positions in which the bodies of those who have committed suicide have been found--,the particulars of the ,prince de ,cond's case--,on the possibility of voluntary strangulation--,general ,pichegru's singular case--,the melancholy history of ,marc ,antonie ,calas--,how to discover whether a person was dead before thrown into water--,singular cases--,admiral ,caracciolo--,drowning in a bath--,the points to keep in view in cases of suspicious death--,was ,sellis murdered8--,death from wounds--,the case of the ,earl of ,essex p4 #bdf-bfd ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,statistics ,,of ,,suicide4 ,number of suicides in the chief capitals of ,europe from #ahac to #ahca--,statistics of death from violence in ,london from #ahbh to #ahcb--,number of suicides in ,london for a century and a half--,suicides in ,westminster from #ahab to #ahcf--,suicide more frequent among men than women--,mode of committing--,influence of age--,effect of the married state--,infantile suicides--,m4 ,guerry on suicides in ,france--,cases--,suicide and murder--,suicide in ,geneva p4 #bfe-bgi ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,appearances ,,presented ,,after ,,death ,,in ,,those ,,who ,,have ,,committed ,,suicide4 ,thickness of cranium--,state of membranes and vessels of brain--,osseous excrescences--,appearances discovered in one thousand three hundred and thirty-eight cases--,lesions of the lungs1 heart1 stomach1 and intestines--,effect of long-continued indigestion p4 #bhj-bhb ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,singular ,,cases ,,of ,,suicide4 ,introduction--,contempt of death--,eustace ,budgel--,m4 de ,boissy and his wife--,mutual suicides from disappointed love--,suicide from mortification--,mutual suicide from poverty--,a ,french lady while out shooting--,a fisherman after praying--,determination to commit if not cured--,extraordinary case after seduction--,madame ,c4 from remorse--,m4 de ,pontalba after trying to murder his daughter-in-law--,young lady in a pet--,sir ,george ,dunbar--,james ,sutherland while ,george ,,iii4 was passing--,lancet given by a wife to her husband to kill himself--,servant girl--,curious verses by a suicide--,robber on being recognised--,a man who ordered a candle to be made of his fat--,after gaming--,writing whilst dying--,from misfortune just at a moment of relief--,curious papers written by a suicide--,by heating a barrel in the fire--,by tearing out the brains--,sisters by the injunction of their eldest sister--,mutual from poverty--,girl from a dream--,three servants in one pond--,indifference as to mode--,by starvation--,a man forty-five days without eating--,mutual of two boys after dining at a restaurateur's--,by putting head under the ice--,by a pair of spectacles--,by jumping amongst the bears--,young lady from gambling--,verses by a suicide--,to obtain salvation--,a lover after accidentally shooting his mistress--,mutual attempt--,m4 ,kleist and ,madame ,vogle--,richard ,smith and wife--,love and suicide--,bishop of ,grenoble--,suicide in a pail of water--,mutual suicide of two soldiers--,lord ,scarborough--,a man who advertised to kill himself for benefit of family--,the case of ,creech1 and the romantic history of ,madame de ,monier--,suicide of ,m4 ----1 after threatening to kill his brother--,two young men--,two lovers--,homicide and suicide from jealousy--,cure of penchant for suicide--,attempt at prevented--,man in a belfry--,attempt at--,the extraordinary case of ,lovat by crucifixion p4 #bhc-ccd ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,can ,,suicide ,,be ,,prevented ,,by ,,legislative ,,enactments8--,,influence ,,of ,,moral ,,instruction4--,,conclusion4 ,the legitimate object of punishment--,the argument of ,beccaria--,a legal solecism--,a suicide not amenable to human tribunals--,evidence at coroners' courts ex-parte--,the old law of no advantage--,no penal-law will restrain a man from the commission of suicide4--,verdict of felo-de-se punishes the innocent1 and therefore unjust--,all suicides insane1 and therefore not responsible agents--,the man who reasons himself into suicide not of sound mind--,rational mode of preventing suicide by promoting religious education p4 #cce-cdj ,,errata4 ,page #df1 for 8mens conscia0 c4 read mens sana in corpore sano1 and for 8,horace0 read ,,juvenal4 ,,anatomy ,,of ,,suicide4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,suicides ,,of ,,the ,,ancients4--,,ancient ,,laws ,,and ,,opinions ,,on ,,the ,,subject ,,of ,,suicide4 ,examples of antiquity no defence of suicide--,causes of ancient suicides--,the suicides of ,asdrubal1 ,nicocles1 ,isocrates1 ,demosthenes1 ,hannibal1 ,mithridates1 the inhabitants of the city of ,xanthus1 ,cato1 ,charondas1 ,lycurgus1 ,codrus1 ,themistocles1 ,emperor ,otho1 ,brutus and ,cassius1 ,mark ,antony and ,cleopatra1 ,petronius1 ,lucan1 ,lucius ,vetus1 ,sardanapalus1 ,m4 ,curtius1 ,empedocles1 ,theoxena--,noble resistance of ,josephus--,scripture suicides3 ,samson1 ,saul1 ,ahitophel1 ,judas ,iscariot1 ,eleazar1 ,razis--,doctrines of the stoics1 ,seneca1 ,epictetus1 ,zeno--,opinions of ,cicero1 ,pliny1 on suicide--,ancient laws on suicide4 ,human actions are more under the influence of example than precept2 consequently1 suicide has often been justified by an appeal to the laws and customs of past ages4 ,an undue reverence for the authority of antiquity induces us to rely more upon what has been said or done in former times1 than upon the dictates of our own feelings and judgement4 ,many have formed the most extravagant notions of honour1 liberty1 and courage1 and1 under the impression that they were imitating the noble example of some ancient hero1 have sacrificed their lives4 ,they urge in their defence that suicide has been enjoined by positive laws1 and allowed by ancient custom2 that the greatest and bravest nation in the world practised it2 and that the most wise and virtuous sect of philosophers taught that it was an evidence of courage1 magnanimity1 and virtue4 ,there is no mode of reasoning so fallacious as that which is constantly appealing to examples4 ,a man who has made up his mind to the adoption of a particular course can easily discover reasons to justify himself in carrying out his preconceived opinions4 ,if a contemplated action1 abstractedly considered1 be good1 cases may be of service in illustrating it4 ,there must be some test by which to form a correct estimate of the justness or lawfulness of human actions2 and until we are agreed as to what ought to constitute that standard1 examples are perfectly useless4 ,no inferences deduced from the consideration of the suicides of antiquity can be logically applied to modern instances4 ,we live under a ,christian dispensation4 ,our notions of death1 of honour1 and of courage1 are1 in many respects1 so dissimilar from those which the ancients entertained1 that the subject of suicide is placed entirely on a different basis4 ,in the early periods of history1 self-destruction was considered as an evidence of courage2 death was preferred to dishonour4 ,these principles were inculcated by celebrated philosophers1 who exercised a great influence over the minds of the people2 and1 in many instances1 the act of self-immolation constituted a part of their religion4 ,is it1 then1 to be wondered at1 that so many men1 eminent for their genius1 and renowned for their valour1 should1 under such circumstances1 have sacrificed themselves8 ,the famous suicides of antiquity generally resulted from one of three causes3--,first1 it was practised by those who wished to avoid pain and personal suffering of body and mind2 secondly1 when a person considered the act as a necessary vindication of his honour2 and thirdly1 when life was sacrificed as an example to others4 ,the first class is the most excusable of the three4 ,pain1 physical or mental1 puts a man's courage severely to the test4 ,he may have to choose between the alternative of years of unmitigated anguish1 or an immediate release from torture4 ,need we feel surprise at many resorting to the latter alternative1 when they have been taught to believe death either to be an eternal sleep1 or a sure entrance into regions of happiness6 ,how many instances have we on record of persons who have dispatched themselves to avoid falling into the hands of an enemy6 ,the case of the wife of ,asdrubal1 the ,carthaginian general1 is a famous instance of the kind4 ,asdrubal had deserted his post1 and had fled to ,scipio2 and during his absence his wife took shelter with her troops in the temple1 which she set on fire4 ,she then attired herself in her richest robes1 and holding her two children in her hands1 addressed ,scipio--who had surrounded the building with his troops--in the following language3--8,you1 ,o ,roman1 are only acting according to the laws of open war2 but may the gods of ,carthage1 and those in concert with them1 punish that false wretch who1 by such a base desertion1 has betrayed his country1 his gods1 his wife1 his children6 ,let him adorn thy gay triumph2 let him suffer in the sight of all ,rome those indignities and tortures he so justly merits60 ,the case of ,nicocles1 ,king of ,paphos1 in ,cyprus1 who committed suicide in conjunction with his wife and daughter1 on the approach of ,king ,ptolemy1 is another in point4 ,isocrates1 the celebrated ,athenian orator1 starved himself to death1 sooner than submit to the dominion of ,philip of ,macedon4 ,demosthenes also poisoned himself1 when ,antipater1 ,alexander's ambassador1 required the ,athenians to deliver up their orators1 fearful of being subjected to slavery and disgrace4 ,the persecution to which the ,romans subjected ,hannibal1 after he was oppressed with years and sunk in obscurity1 impelled him to have recourse to the poison which he always kept about him in a ring1 against sudden emergencies4 ,mithridates took poison1 and administered the same to his wives and daughters1 in order to escape being taken prisoner by ,pompey1 before whose victorious arms he had been compelled to fly4 ,the case of the inhabitants of the city of ,xanthus is another remarkable instance of the determination exhibited by thousands of persons1 resolved sooner to die by their own hands than submit to the dominion of a conqueror4 ,notwithstanding the proffered clemency of ,brutus1 who not only wept at the dreadful scene he witnessed1 but commanded his soldiers to extinguish the fire1 and even offered a reward for every inhabitant whose life was saved1 the people were so eager for death that they rushed into the flames with exclamations of delight1 and forceably drove back the soldiers who were sent by ,brutus for the purpose of saving their lives4 ,the example of ,cato is applauded by some writers as a proof of magnanimity2 the action was the reverse2 it was the effect of pride and timidity4 ,if ever ,rome required his experience and patriotic counsels it was at that very period4 ,to desert the duty which ,rome had a right to demand by a voluntary death was the meanest conduct in his character4 ,it stamped an indelible stain on his reputation1 which only a supposition that his intellect was impaired could rationally excuse4 ,it was not the virtuous ,cato who had stemmed the torrent of tyranny1 who had crushed the ,cataline conspiracy1 who had given the most noble examples of virtuous resolution and rectitude in moral conduct1 but the enfeebled ,cato1 sinking under the accumulation of evils1 whose soul was depressed with suspense and distracting passions1 waiting an opportunity for revenge1 or preparing to finish his life on the first disappointment4 ,if such examples were admitted magnanimous1 in any serious quarrel or war1 where success could not be commanded1 it might be considered laudable to commit suicide4 ,the consequences of such reasoning would be obvious4 ,on such occasions1 countries would lose their bravest generals1 private families their noblest and most experienced supporters4 8,if ,i cannot acquire what ,i wish10 says ,cato1 8,i will kill myself2 ,i will not live to grace ,csar's triumph1 though ,i know ,csar to be the most generous and clement of conquerors2 ,i cannot consent to receive ,csar's favours4 ,my pride is wounded2 my fears destroy all tranquillity2 my body is sinking under adversity2 ,i will not dedicate my services to my distressed country under the auspices of successful ,csar4 ,i will plunge a sword into my bosom1 and commit an injustice to myself1 which through a long life ,i never committed to others4 ,from the uniformity of my former patriotic character1 writers1 without deep reasoning1 will paint this concluding action in glowing colours2 they will give additional lustre to an immortal reputation40 ,such1 we conceive1 were the secret springs of action in ,cato's mind2 such were the contending passions which excited the delirium4 ,it was not the placid1 judicious ,cato of former years1 but the depressed ,cato1 impos mentis1 committing a rash action1 contrary to all his former great reasoning1 and virtuous persevering conduct4 ,it was1 in fact1 ,cato's act of insanity2 it was not dying to serve his country1 but to effectually rob ,csar of his eminent services2 it therefore appears more the effect of private pique and despondency than a demonstration of public virtue or courage4 ,had all others concerned in that civil war followed this extraordinary example1 the country would have been robbed of many of its brightest ornaments4 ,cato could not say with ,horace1 8,dulce et decorum est pro patria mori10 for it was not for his countrymen that he died1 but to gratify a selfish caprice1 a personal resentment and hatred to ,csar and his power4 ,had ,csar attacked the city while ,cato enjoyed a vigour of mind and body1 and when the citizens were better disciplined and less corrupt1 he would have despised such inglorious conduct2 he would rather have hoped for some future opportunity to dispel the dark clouds overwhelming the distracted country4 ,physicians have frequent opportunities of observing the diminution of human courage and wisdom from long continued misfortunes1 or bodily infirmities4 ,the most lively1 spirited1 and enterprising1 have become depressed from reiterated disappointment2 cowardice and despair have succeeded to the most unquestionable bravery and ambition4 ,the man is then changed2 his blood is changed2 and with these his former sentiments4 ,the timidity is no longer ,cato's1 but belongs to the miserable debilitated body of ,cato1 which had lost that vigorous soul that so eminently distinguished on other important occasions this excellent and divine patriot4 ,la ,motte observes1 with reference to ,cato's death-- 8,stern ,cato1 with more equal soul1 ,had bowed to ,csar's wide control1 ,with ,rome1 had to her conqueror bowed1 ,but that his spirit1 rough and proud1 ,had not the courage to await ,a pardoned foe's too humbling fate40 ,voltaire1 in alluding to the lines quoted above1 says1 8,it was1 ,i believe1 because ,cato's soul was always equal1 and retained to the last its love for his country and her laws1 that he chose rather to perish with her than to crouch to the tyrant4 ,he died as he had lived4 8,incapable of surrendering1 and to whom8 to the enemy of ,rome--to the man who had forcibly robbed the public treasury in order to make war upon his fellow citizens1 and enslave them by means of their own money4 ,a pardoned foe6 ,it seems as if ,la ,motte ,houdart was speaking of some revolted subject who might have obtained his ,majesty's pardon by letters in chancery4 ,it seems 7continues ,voltaire7 rather absurd to say that ,cato slew himself through weakness4 ,none but a strong mind can thus surmount the most powerful instinct of nature4 ,this strength is sometimes that of frenzy2 but a frantic man is not weak40 ,in forming an estimate of the condition of ,cato's mind1 we must not look at him as delineated by the dramatist and poet1 but as exhibited by the historian and philosopher4 ,our notions of ,cato are too often based on ,addison's1 and not ,plutarch's description of his character4 ,that ,cato was one of the most complete and perfect examples in antiquity of private manners and of public spirit cannot be questioned2 and therefore1 in this respect1 worthy to be held up as an example4 ,sallust thus eulogizes ,cato3--8,his glory can neither be increased by flattery nor lessened by detraction4 ,he was one who chose to be1 rather than to appear good4 ,he was the very image of virtue1 and in all points of disposition more like the gods than men4 ,he never did right that he might seem to do right1 but because he could not do otherwise4 ,that only seemed to be reasonable which was just4 ,free from all human vices1 he was superior to the vicissitudes of fortune40 ,it was the dignity of ,cato's life that stamped a celebrity on the mode of his death4 ,in forming a judgment of the motives which led this distinguished man to sacrifice his life1 we must look at him in connexion with his great enemy1 ,csar4 ,he was not only opposed to him on public1 but on private grounds4 ,csar's intimacy with ,servilia1 ,cato's sister1 was the ground of much conversation at ,rome4 ,during one of the debates concerning the ,cataline conspiracy1 ,csar received a letter whilst he was in the senate house4 ,cato1 who had intimated that ,csar had been privy to ,cataline's proceedings1 and believing that the letter might refer to the subject1 from the manner in which ,csar endeavoured to conceal it1 demanded that it should be handed over to him4 ,the letter was accordingly handed to ,cato1 when1 perceiving that it was a letter from ,servilia to ,csar1 full of protestations of love to his deadliest enemy1 he threw it at ,csar in a great rage1 and called him a drunkard4 ,this1 added to the circumstance of ,csar's complete triumph over him1 induced ,cato to put an end to his own life4 ,he did not commit suicide to defeat usurpation1 or to preserve the liberties and laws of ,rome1 but it was done when he despaired of his country4 ,it arose from his horror of tyranny1 and the feeling of intolerable shame at the prospect of a long life under an arbitrary master4 ,the superstructure of years was in a moment levelled to the dust4 ,he had to choose between death or slavery4 ,after the defeat at ,thapsus1 and hearing that ,csar was marching against him1 ,lucius ,csar offered to intercede for ,cato4 ,his answer was as follows3--8,if ,i would save my life1 ,i ought to go myself2 but ,i will not be beholden to the tyrant for any act of his injustice2 and 'tis unjust for him to pretend to pardon those as a lord over whom he has no lawful power40 ,although it was evident he was bent upon suicide1 he persuaded his son to go to ,csar1 and cautioned his friend ,statilius1 whom ,plutarch calls 8a known ,csar-hater10 not to kill himself1 but to submit to the conqueror4 ,he then entered into a discussion concerning liberty1 which he carried on so violently that his friends were apprehensive that he would lay hands on himself4 ,in consequence of this1 his son removed his sword4 ,cato is then represented as reading ,plato's ,phdo1 and then calling for his sword1 which they refused to bring him4 ,he called a second and third time1 and in a fit of rage he struck the servant1 and wounded him1 and by doing so1 injured his own hand1 which prevented him from effectually killing himself with his weapon4 ,after he had stabbed himself1 his wound was dressed2 but so determined was he to sacrifice his life1 that he tore open the wound forcibly1 and pulled his bowels out1 and thus effected his purpose4#a ,it has been said that ,addison approved of ,cato's self-murder4 ,this does not appear to be the fact1 if we are to judge from the words which he has put in the mouth of the dying hero-- 8,i am sick to death2 oh1 when shall ,i get loose ,from this vain world1 the abode of guilt and sorrow6 ,and yet methinks a beam of light breaks in ,on my departing soul4 ,alas1 ,i fear ,i have been too hasty6 ,o ye powers that search ,the heart of man1 and weigh his inmost thoughts1 ,if ,i have done amiss1 impute it not3 ,the best may err1 but you are good1 and--7dies470 ,two celebrated instances amongst the ,grecians of men who voluntarily sacrificed their lives in order to maintain the dignity and importance of their own institutions1 are exhibited in the cases of ,charondas and ,lycurgus4 ,the former1 in order to encourage a proper freedom of debate1 had made it death to come armed into the assembly of the states4 ,one day1 coming himself in haste to a convention without having first laid aside his sword1 he was rebuked by some one present1 as a transgressor of his own laws4 ,stung with the justice of the imputation1 he instantly plunged the sword into his own heart1 both as a sacrifice to the violated majesty of the law1 and a tremendous example of disinterested justice2 trusting1 moreover1 thus to seal with his own blood a strict observance in others of his wholesome institutions4 ,when ,lycurgus had accomplished his great work of legislation in ,sparta1 he took the following method of rendering his system unchangeable and immortal4 ,he stated that it was necessary that he should consult the ,delphian oracle relative to his new laws4 ,he then made all the ,spartan magistrates and people take a solemn oath that they would observe and keep his laws inviolate 8till his return40 ,he accordingly went to consult the oracle1 and having sent back the answer in writing to ,sparta1 8,that the laws were excellent1 and would render the people great and happy who should observe them10 he resolved never to return himself1 in order that the people might never be absolved from their oath4 ,he accordingly starved himself to death4 ,plutarch considers that ,lycurgus reasoned himself into the act1 under the belief that a good statesman and patriot should seek to make his death itself in some way useful to his country4 ,the same authority considers that he intended the mode of his death to be a practical illustration of the great principle which pervaded the whole code of his laws1 which was--temperance4 ,alike honourable1 in a worldly point of view1 was the death of ,codrus1 ,king of ,athens4 ,the oracle was consulted with reference to the condition of the country4 ,that nation was predicted to be prosperous whose king should be first slain by the enemy4 ,codrus disguised himself as a private soldier1 and entered the enemy's camp1 where he contrived to pick a quarrel with the first man he met1 whom he permitted to slay him2 thus1 for the good of his country1 courting his own death4 ,themistocles is said to have poisoned himself rather than lead on the ,persian army against his own countrymen1 although fame1 wealth1 and honour were within his grasp4 ,the ,emperor ,otho1 to avoid the further sacrifice of life in the imperial contest1 resolved to die by his own hands1 notwithstanding his troops implored and beseeched him to lead them on to a second engagement in which victory was almost certain4 ,king ,otho's answer to the demand of his soldiers is considered to embody the spirit of true ,roman heroism--8,deny me not the glory of laying down my own life to preserve yours4 ,the more hope there is left1 the more honourable is my early retirement2 since it is by my death alone that ,i can prevent the further effusion of ,roman blood1 and restore peace and tranquillity to a distracted empire1 by being ready to die for its peace and security40#b ,two of the most distinguished men of antiquity who sacrificed their own lives were ,brutus and ,cassius4 ,before their battle with ,csar on the plains of ,philippi1 these two warriors had a conversation on suicide4 ,cassius asked ,brutus what his opinions were on the subject of self-destruction1 provided fortune did not favour them in the contest in which they were about to be engaged4 ,brutus replied1 that formerly he had embraced such sentiments as induced him to condemn ,cato for killing himself2 he deemed it an act of irreverence towards the gods1 and that it was no evidence of courage4 ,but he continues1 8,now1 in the midst of dangers1 ,i am quite of another mind40 ,he then proceeds to tell ,cassius of his determination to surrender up his life 8on the ,ides of ,march40 ,he states no particular reasons for having changed his opinions on the subject of suicide4 ,the issue of the battle is well known4 ,many things conspired to damp the courage of ,cassius and ,brutus4 ,in imitation of ,csar1 ,brutus made a public lustration for his army in the field1 and during the ceremony an unlucky omen is said to have happened to ,cassius4 ,the garland he was to wear at the sacrifice was given to him the wrong side outwards2 the person1 also1 who bore the golden image before ,cassius stumbled1 and the image fell to the ground4 ,several birds of prey hovered about his camp1 and swarms of bees were seen within the trenches4 ,cassius1 believing in the ,epicurean philosophy1 considered all these circumstances as disheartening omens of his fate4 ,after the defeat of ,cassius1 he ordered his freedman to kill him1 which he did by severing his head from his body4 ,plutarch makes ,brutus die most stoically4 ,after having taken an affectionate leave of his friends1 and having assured them that he was only angry with fortune for his country's sake1 since he esteemed himself in his death more happy than his conquerors1 he advised them to provide for their own safety4 ,he then retired1 and1 with the assistance of ,strato1 he ran his sword through his body4 ,dion ,cassius 7,lib4 xlvii47 represents ,brutus as far from acting the stoic at his last moments4 ,he is said just before his death to have quoted the following passage from ,euripides--8,o wretched virtue6 thou art a bare name6 ,i mistook thee for a substance2 but thou thyself art the slave of fortune40 ,in considering the motives that induced ,brutus to destroy himself1 we must not forget to take into calculation the effect which the apparition he saw previous to the battle of ,philippi must have had on his mind4 ,brutus was naturally watchful1 sparing in his diet1 and allowed himself but little time for sleep4 ,he never retired to rest1 day or night1 until he had arranged all his business4 ,at this time1 involved as he was in the operations of war1 and solicitous for the event1 he only slumbered a little after supper1 and spent the remainder of the night in attending to his most urgent affairs4 ,when these were dispatched1 he occupied himself in reading till the third watch1 when the tribunes and centurions came to him for orders4 ,thus1 a little before he left ,asia1 he was sitting alone in his tent1 by a dim light1 at a late hour4 ,the whole army lay in sleep and silence1 while ,brutus1 wrapped in meditation1 thought he perceived something enter his tent2 turning towards the door1 he saw a monstrous and horrible spectre standing by the side of his bed4 8,what art thou80 said he1 boldly4 ,the spectre answered1 8,i am thy evil genius1 ,brutus6 ,thou wilt see me at ,philippi40 ,to which he calmly replied1 8,i'll meet thee there40 ,in the morning he communicated to ,cassius what he had seen4 ,cassius1 who was an ,epicurean1 had often disputed with ,brutus on the subject of apparitions4 ,he said1 when he had heard the statement of ,brutus1 that the spectre was not a spirit1 but a real being2 and argued at considerable length on the subject1 and induced the general to think that his fate was decided4 ,there can be no doubt but that this singular presentiment co-operated with other circumstances in inducing ,brutus to fall by his own hands4#c ,amongst the ancient suicides1 those of ,mark ,antony and ,cleopatra deserve especial consideration4 ,it is not our purpose to enter into an elaborate history of these celebrated characters1 but merely to refer to those circumstances that had an immediate connexion with their last moments4 ,three circumstances acted powerfully on ,antony's mind in inducing him to seek a voluntary death4 ,the first was his having been defeated by ,csar2 the second1 the idea that ,cleopatra had betrayed him2 and the third was the belief in ,cleopatra's death4 ,as soon as ,antony was defeated1 the unhappy queen fled to her monument1 ordered all the doors to be barred1 and commanded that ,antony should be informed that she was dead4 ,he was overwhelmed with grief1 and retiring to his chamber1 opened his coat of mail1 and ordered his faithful servant ,eros 7who had been engaged to kill him whenever he should think it necessary7 to dispatch him4 ,eros drew his sword1 and1 instead of killing his master1 ran it through his own body1 and fell dead at ,antony's feet4 ,antony then plunged his sword into his bowels1 and threw himself on the couch4 ,the wound was not1 however1 immediately fatal4 ,in a short period after1 ,diomedes1 ,cleopatra's servant1 came to ,antony with a request that he would instantly repair to her chamber4 ,his delight was unbounded when he heard that ,cleopatra was alive1 and he directly ordered his servant to carry him to her4 ,as she would not allow the doors to be opened1 ,antony was drawn up to her window by a cord4 ,he was suspended for a considerable time in the air stretching out his hands to ,cleopatra4 ,notwithstanding she exerted all her strength1 strained every nerve1 and distorted her features in endeavouring to draw him up1 it was with the greatest difficulty it was effected4 ,cleopatra laid him on the bed1 and1 standing over him1 so extreme was her anguish1 that she rent her clothes1 and beat and wounded her breast4 ,after ,antony's death1 when ,cleopatra heard that ,csar had dispatched ,gallus to take her prisoner1 and that he had effected an entrance into the monument1 she attempted to stab herself with a dagger which she always carried about with her for that purpose4 ,when she heard that it was ,csar's intention to send her into ,syria1 she asked permission to visit ,antony's tomb1 over which she poured forth most bitter lamentations4 8,hide me1 hide me10 she exclaimed1 8with thee in the grave2 for life1 since thou hast left it1 has been misery to me40 ,after crowning the tomb with flowers1 she kissed it1 and ordered a bath to be prepared4 ,she then sat down to a magnificent supper2 after which1 a peasant came to the gate with a small basket of figs covered with leaves1 which was admitted into the monument4 ,amongst the figs and under the leaves was concealed the asp1 which ,cleopatra applied to her bosom4 ,she was found dead1 attired in one of her most gorgeous dresses1 decorated with brilliants1 and lying on her golden bed4 ,few of the illustrious men of antiquity have exhibited such philosophic coolness as ,petronius1 after he had determined to sacrifice his life4 ,the levity which distinguished his voluntary death was in accordance with the gaiety and frivolity of his life4 ,the capricious friendship of a ,nero had been withdrawn from him1 and in consequence he had determined on his own death4 ,this arbiter elegantiarum during life1 determined to indulge in a luxurious refinement of that death he was preparing to encounter4 ,being well aware he could not long escape from the murderous edict1 after a fall from the summit of imperial favour1 he opened and closed his veins at pleasure4 ,he slept during the intervals1 or sauntered about and enjoyed the delights of conversation with his friends2 but his discourse was not of so elevated a character as that attributed to ,seneca or ,socrates4 ,the poet ,lucan exhibited great apparent serenity at the approach of death4 ,after the veins of his arm had been voluntarily opened1 and he had lost a large quantity of blood1 he felt his hands and his legs losing their vitality4 ,as the hour of death approached1 he commenced repeating several lines out of his own ,pharsalia1 descriptive of a person similarly situated to himself4 ,these lines he repeated until he died4 ,cocceius ,nerva starved himself to death in the reign of ,tiberius4 ,it was said that he was displeased with the state of public affairs1 and had made up his mind to die whilst his own integrity remained unsullied4 ,during the bloody reign of ,nero1 many singular suicides took place4 ,the particulars attending the deaths of ,lucius ,vetus1 his mother-in-law ,sextia1 and ,pollutia his daughter1 are worth recording4 ,after ,lucius had distributed all his wealth among his domestics1 requesting them to remove everything from his house excepting three couches1 he1 with his mother-in-law and daughter1 retired into the same chamber1 opened a vein with the same lancet1 and after1 reclining each on a separate couch1 waited calmly the approach of death4 ,his eyes1 and those of his mother-in-law1 were both fixed on the daughter1 while the daughter's wandered from one to the other4 ,it was the earnest prayer of each of them to die first1 and to leave the others in the act of expiring4#d ,when the throne of ,sardanapalus was endangered1 he conceived a magnificent and truly luxurious mode of committing suicide1 quite in character with the extravagance and dissoluteness of his former life4 ,he erected a funeral pile of great height in his palace1 and adorned it with the most sumptuous and costly ornaments4 ,in the middle of this building was a chamber of one hundred feet in length1 built of wood1 in which a number of golden couches and tables were spread4 ,on one of these he reclined with his wife1 his numerous concubines occupying the rest4 ,the building was encompassed round at some distance with large beams and thick wood1 to prevent all egress from the place4 ,much combustible matter1 and an immense pile of wood were also placed within1 together with an infinite quantity of gold and silver1 royal vestments1 costly apparel1 rich furniture1 curious ornaments1 and all the apparatus of luxury and magnificence4 ,all being arranged1 this splendid funeral pile was set on fire1 and continued burning until the fifteenth day2 during which time ,sardanapalus revelled in all kinds of sensualities4 ,the multitude without were in astonishment at the tremendous scene1 and at the immense clouds of incense and smoke which issued with the flames4 ,it was stated that the king was engaged in offering some extraordinary sacrifices2 while the attendants within alone knew that this dissolute prince was putting such a splendid end to his effeminate life4#e ,there has been some dispute as to the death of ,marcus ,curtius4 ,plutarch attributes his death to accident1 but ,procillius considers that it was voluntary4 ,he says1 the earth having opened at a particular time1 the ,aruspices declared it necessary1 for the safety of the republic1 that the bravest man in the city should throw himself into the gulf2 whereupon ,curtius1 mounting his horse1 leaped armed into it1 and the gulf immediately closed4 ,but ,livy and ,dionysius relate the circumstance in a different manner4 ,they say that ,curtius was a ,sabine1 who1 having at first repulsed the ,romans1 but being in his turn overpowered by ,romulus1 and endeavouring to make good his retreat1 fell into the lake1 which from that time bore his name4 ,the lake was situated almost in the centre of the ,roman forum4 ,some writers consider the name was derived from ,curtius the ,consul1 because he caused it to be walled in after it had been struck with lightning4#f ,the death of the celebrated philosopher and poet1 ,empedocles1 of ,sicily1 was remarkable4 ,wishing to be believed a god1 and that his death might be unknown1 he threw himself into the crater of ,mount tna1 and perished in the flames4 ,the mode of his death was not discovered until some time afterwards1 when one of his sandals was thrown up from the volcano4 ,ancient history affords us many noble examples of individuals who preferred voluntary death to dishonour and loss of character4 ,if ever self-murder could be considered as in the slightest degree justifiable1 it would be under such circumstances4 ,who cannot but honour the conduct of the noble virgins of ,macedon1 who threw themselves into the wells1 and courted death1 sooner than submit to the dishonourable proposals of the ,roman governor6 ,when ,theoxena was pursued by the emissaries of ,philip1 king of ,macedon1 who had been guilty of murdering her first husband1 she produced a dagger and a box of poison1 and placing them before the crew of the ship in which she was endeavouring to make her escape1 she said1 8,death is now our only remedy and means of vengeance2 let each take the method that best pleases himself of avoiding the tyrant's pride1 cruelty1 and lust4 ,come on1 my brave companions and family1 seize the sword or drink of the cup1 as you prefer an instantaneous or gradual death40 ,some fell on the sword1 others drank the poison until death was effected4 ,after ,theoxena had accomplished her designs1 she threw herself into the arms of her husband1 and they both plunged into the sea4 ,the resistance which ,josephus made to the importunities of his soldiers to fall by his own hand sooner than surrender to the enemy1 is perhaps the most noble instance of the kind on record4 ,after the success of the ,romans in ,juda1 ,josephus1 who commanded the ,jewish army1 wished to deliver himself up to his conquerors2 he was encouraged to this by certain dreams and visions4 ,when ,josephus's intention was known1 the soldiers flocked round him1 and expressed their indignation at his intention4 ,they urged him to fall by his own sword1 and to let them follow his example1 sooner than abandon the field4 ,to this appeal ,josephus replies1 8,oh1 my friends1 why are you so earnest to kill yourselves8 why do you set your soul and body1 which are such dear companions1 at such variance8 ,it is a brave thing to die in war1 but it should be by the hands of the enemy4 ,it is a foolish thing to do that for ourselves1 which we quarrel with them for doing to us4 ,it is a brave thing to die for liberty2 but still it should be in battle1 and by those who would take that liberty from us4 ,he is equally a coward who will not die when he is obliged to die4 ,what are we afraid of1 when we will not go up and meet the ,romans8 ,is it death8 ,why then inflict it on ourselves8 ,you say1 ,we must be slaves4 ,are we then in a clear state of liberty at present8 ,self-murder is a crime most remote from the common nature of all animals1 and an instance of impiety against ,god our ,creator40 ,josephus1 in the spirit of a true philosopher1 urged his soldiers to abandon the notion of suicide2 but instead of being calmed by his discourse1 they became enraged1 and rushed on him4 ,fearing that the case was hopeless1 ,josephus prevailed upon them to listen to the following proposal4 ,he persuaded them to draw lots2 the man on whom the first lot fell was to be killed by him who had the second1 and the second by the third1 and so on4 ,in this way no soldier would perish by his own hand1 except the last man4 ,lots were accordingly drawn2 ,josephus drew his with the rest4 ,he who had the first lot willingly submitted his neck to him who had the second4 ,it happened that ,josephus and a soldier were left to draw lots2 and as the general was desirous neither to imbrue his own hand in the blood of his countryman1 nor to be condemned by lot himself1 he persuaded the soldier to trust his fidelity1 and to live as well as himself4 ,thus ended this tragical scene1 and ,josephus immediately surrendered himself up to ,vespasian4 ,the first instance of suicide recorded in ,scripture is that of ,samson4 ,after suffering many indignities from the hands of the ,philistines1 his anger was roused to the highest pitch1 and1 resting against the pillars that supported the building in which the lords of the ,philistines and an infinite number of others were assembled1 he offered up the following prayer3 8,o ,lord ,god1 remember me1 ,i pray thee1 and strengthen me1 ,i pray thee1 only this once1 ,o ,god1 that ,i may at once be avenged of the ,philistines for my two eyes20 and taking hold of the pillars1 he said1 8,let me die with the ,philistines3 and he bowed himself with all his might1 and the house fell upon the lords and all that were therein2 so that the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life40 ,in ,samson's case1 there is nothing said in ,scripture either to condemn or justify the act2 but it appears evident from the whole history of the last events of his life1 that he was but an instrument in the hands of ,god for the accomplishment of his wise purposes4 ,the glory of ,god had been violated in the person of ,samson2 he had been subjected by the ,philistines to great indignities2 and it was to demonstrate the power of ,god in the destruction of his enemies that ,samson's life was sacrificed4 ,samson is1 then1 to be considered as a martyr to his religion and his ,god4 ,the case of ,saul has also been cited4 ,it is thus referred to in ,scripture3--8,and the battle went sore against ,saul1 and the archers hit him1 and he was sore wounded of the archers4 ,then said ,saul unto his armourbearer1 ,draw thy sword1 and thrust me through therewith1 lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through1 and abuse me4 ,but his armourbearer would not1 for he was sore afraid2 therefore ,saul took a sword and fell upon it4 ,and when his armourbearer saw that ,saul was dead1 he fell likewise upon his sword and died with him40#g ,it must be recollected that the ,jews considered that a man was justified in committing suicide to prevent his falling into the enemy's hand1 and on this account ,saul was commended for killing himself4 ,but there was nothing glorious in ,saul's death4 ,his army was defeated by the ,philistines1 and ,saul sounded a retreat2 and as he was making his ignominious flight1 an arrow from the ranks of the enemy hit him1 and it was then that he implored his armourbearer to dispatch him4 ,much has been made of the self murder99 of ,ahitophel4 ,donne has referred to it at some length4 ,he says that in this case there can be 8no room for excuse40 ,ahitophel was considered one of the wisest counsellors of his age4 ,he joined ,absalom in his rebellion against his lawful prince1 ,david2 and when he saw that it was ,god's determination to defeat his counsel1 and that his advice for the first time was neglected1 he became full of secret indignation and disappointment2 and in order to avoid the consequences of his own utter despair and ruin1 for his perfidy1 he hanged himself4 ,nothing can be urged in justification of this act4 ,the facts are presented to us in biblical history2 and we are left to form our own judgment upon the course which this 8,machiavellian counsellor10 as he has been termed1 thought proper to adopt4 ,donne has also cited the case of ,judas ,iscariot4#h ,he must have been sadly in want of sound illustrations to have brought forward the instance of this traitor as a justification of the act of suicide4 ,judas has been considered by some writers as a martyr4 ,petilian said 8that ,judas1 and all who killed themselves through remorse of sin1 ought to be accounted martyrs1 because they punish in themselves what they grieve to have committed40 ,to whom ,augustine replies1 8,thou hast said1 that the traitor perished by the rope1 and has left a rope behind him for such as himself4 ,but we have nothing to do with him4 ,we do not venerate those as martyrs who hang themselves40 ,the case1 mentioned by the same authority1 of ,eleazar1 the brother of ,judas ,maccabeus1 taken from the book of the ,maccabees1 is said to be one of voluntary suicide1 and where self-destruction was laudable4 ,eleazar sacrificed his own life for the purpose of destroying ,king ,antiochus1 and therefore his suicide is to be considered as a voluntary sacrifice for the good of his country4 ,the self-destruction of ,razis is full of horror1 and can only be quoted as an evidence of the act of a madman4 ,when the tower in which ,razis was fighting against the enemy of ,nicanor was set on fire1 he fell on his own sword1 8,choosing rather10 says the text1 8to die manfully than fall into the hands of the wicked1 to be abused otherwise than beseemed his noble birth2 but missing his stroke through haste1 the multitude also rushing within doors1 he ran boldly up to the wall1 and cast himself down manfully among the thickest of them2 but they quickly giving back1 and a space being made1 he fell down in the midst of a void place4 ,nevertheless1 while there was yet breath within him1 being inflamed with anger1 he rose up2 and though his blood gushed out like spouts of water1 and his wounds were grievous1 yet he ran through in the midst of the throng1 and standing on a steep rock1 when1 as his blood was not quite gone1 he plucked out his bowels1 and taking them in both his hands1 he cast them upon the throng1 and calling upon the ,lord of life and spirit to restore him them again1 he thus died40#i ,having considered the remarkable suicides of antiquity1 we will now briefly allude to those doctrines and opinions of the celebrated philosophers of ancient times1 which must of necessity have tended to create this recklessness of human life4 ,the doctrines inculcated by the stoical philosophers1 or the disciples of ,zeno1 must have increased the crime of suicide4 8,a stoical wise man is ever ready to die for his country or his friends4 ,a wise man will never look upon death as an evil2 that he will despise it1 and be ready to undergo it at any time40 8,a wise man10 says ,diog4 ,laertius1 in his life of ,zeno1 when expounding the stoical philosophy1 8will quit life1 when oppressed with severe pain1 or when deprived of any of his senses1 or when labouring under desperate diseases40 ,it is astonishing that a sect of philosophers who inculcated that pain was no evil1 should so often have practised suicide4 ,much as we would condemn such principles1 still we must admit that most of the admired characters of antiquity belonged to this celebrated sect--men distinguished for their wisdom1 learning1 and the strictness of their morals4 ,cato was a stoic1 and he put into practice the principles of the sect to which he belonged4#aj ,among the philosophers of antiquity1 ,seneca stands preeminently99 forward as the defender of suicide4 ,he says1 8,does life please you8 live on4 ,does it not8 go from whence you came4 ,no vast wound is necessary2 a mere puncture will secure your liberty4 ,it is a bad thing 7you say7 to be under the necessity of living2 but there is no necessity in the case4 ,thanks be to the gods1 nobody can be compelled to live40#aa ,these were the principles of the 8wise ,seneca10 and yet he wanted the courage to commit suicide when put to the test4 ,he says1 8,being emaciated by a severe illness1 ,i often thought of suicide1 but was recalled by the old age of a most indulgent father2 for ,i considered not how resolutely #8,i' could encounter death1 but how #8he' could bear up under my loss40 ,this is not1 however1 the only instance in which ,seneca yielded his stoical principles to the dictates of natural affection and rational judgment4 ,among other distinguished philosophers who advocated suicide was ,epictetus4 ,although a stoic1 he did not blindly follow the doctrines of ,zeno4 ,epictetus considered that it was the duty of man to suffer to almost any extent before he sacrificed his own life4 8,if you like not life1 you may leave it2 the door is open2 get you gone6 ,but a little smoke ought not to frighten you away2 it should be endured1 and will thereby be often surmounted40 ,epictetus followed strictly his own principles3 in this respect he was superior to ,seneca4 ,seneca was born in the lap of good fortune2 ,epictetus was a slave1 and had to pass through the rugged paths of adversity1 bodily pain1 and penury4 ,seneca was banished from ,rome for an intrigue2 ,epictetus was sent into exile for being a man of learning and a philosopher4 ,when ,epictetus was beaten unmercifully by his master1 he said1 with great composure1 8,you will certainly break my leg40 ,he did so2 and the philosopher calmly rejoined1 8,did ,i not tell you you would do it80 ,this was in the true spirit of stoical philosophy4 ,marcus ,aurelius ,antoninus was1 perhaps1 one of the brightest ornaments of the sect of stoics4 ,he carried into the minutest concern of life the doctrine of ,zeno4 8,he was10 says ,gibbon1 8severe to himself1 indulgent to the imperfections of others1 just and beneficent to all mankind40 ,zeno1 the founder of the sect of stoical philosophers1 acted up to the principles which he inculcated to his disciples4 ,his suicide is recorded to be as follows3--,as he was going out of his school one day1 at the age of ninety-eight1 he fell down1 put a finger out of joint1 went home1 and hanged himself4 ,cleanthes1 also1 the successor of ,zeno1 followed the example of his master in philosophy1 by shortening the period of his life in the following manner3--,after having used abstinence for two days1 by the advice of his physician1 for the cure of a trifling indisposition under which he was labouring1 he had permission to return to his former diet2 but he refused all sustenance1 saying1 8that as he had advanced so far on his journey towards death1 he would not retreat40 ,he accordingly starved himself to death4 ,among the most distinguished orators of antiquity who spoke in favour of suicide stands ,cicero4 ,during his banishment he would have actually destroyed himself1 if it had not been for his natural timidity and want of resolution4 ,he writes to his brother ,quintus1 8,the tears of my friends have prevented me from flying to death as my refuge40 ,pliny was an advocate of suicide4 ,in a chapter entitled 8,on ,god10 he writes thus--8,the chief comfort of man in his imperfect state is this1 that even the ,deity cannot do all things4 ,for instance1 he cannot put himself to death when he pleases1 which is the greatest indulgence he has given to man amid the severe evils of life40 ,pliny belonged to the ,epicureans1 and his notions are in accordance with the doctrines of that sect4 ,pliny the younger appears to have had different notions on the subject4 ,when lamenting the death of a dear friend1 ,corellius ,rufus1 who had killed himself1 he says1 8,he is dead--dead by his own hand1 which agonizes my grief2 for that is the most lamentable kind of death which neither proceeds from nature nor from fate40 ,the whole epistle from which the above extract is made indicates a noble and feeling heart4 ,it appears that the ,roman laws respecting suicide were of a fiscal nature4 ,they viewed the act not as a crime abstractedly1 but considered how far the circumstance affected the state or treasury4 ,in some portion of the ,roman empire the magistrate had the power of granting or refusing permission to commit suicide4 ,if the decision was given against the applicant1 and he persisted in sacrificing his life1 disgrace and ignominy were heaped upon his body1 and it was buried in the most humiliating manner4 ,the tenour of the law relating to suicide laid down in 8,justinian's ,digests0 is to the following effect3--8,those who1 being actually accused1 or who being caught in any crime1 and dreading a prosecution1 made way with themselves1 were to have their effects confiscated4 ,but this confiscation was no punishment of suicide1 as a crime in itself1 being then only to take place when the crime committed incurred the confiscation of property1 and when the person accused of it would have been found guilty4 ,for which reason the heirs-at-law were permitted 7if they thought proper7 to try the cause as though the accused person1 who had put a period to his life1 had been still living2 and if his innocence could be proved1 they were still entitled to his effects4 ,but if any one killed himself1 either through weariness of life1 or an impatience under pain or ill health1 for a load of private debt1 or for any other reason not affecting the state or public treasury1 the property of the deceased flowed in its natural channel4 ,in the case of an attempted but incomplete suicide1 where a man was under no accusation1 a distinction was made as to the causes impelling to it1 before the question as to its punishment was to be determined4 ,if it proceeded not from weariness of life1 or an impatience under the pressure of some calamity1 the attempter was to suffer the same punishment as if he had effected his purpose2 and for this reason1 because he who without reason spared not his own life1 would not be likely to spare another man's40#ab ,if a prisoner committed suicide1 the jailor authorized to protect him was punished very severely4 ,the ,roman law made a distinction between soldiers and civilians4 ,if a soldier attempted to take away his life1 and it could not be proved that he was suffering at the time from great grief1 misfortune1 madness1 c41 it was deemed a capital offence1 and death was the punishment4 ,and even in cases where it was established that the act was the result of mental perturbation1 he was dismissed from the service with ignominy and disgrace4 ,during the pure ages of the ,roman ,republic1 when religion was reverenced1 when the gods were looked up to with respect as the disposers of all events1 suicide was but little known4 ,but when the philosophy of ,greece was introduced into the ,roman ,empire1 and the manners of the people became corrupted and degenerated1 the crime increased to an alarming extent4 ,this indifference to life was also augmented by the spread of stoical and epicurean principles4 ,the stoic was taught to believe his life his own2 that he was the sole arbiter of his existence2 and that he could live or die as he pleased4 ,the same principles were inculcated by the epicurean philosophy4 ,is it1 then1 to be wondered at1 that suicide should be of common occurrence1 when such degrading principles had taken possession of the minds of the people8 ,by the law of ,thebes1 the person who committed suicide was deprived of his funeral rites1 and his name and memory were branded with infamy4 ,the ,athenian law was equally severe3 the hand of the self-murderer was cut off1 and buried apart from his body1 as having been an enemy and traitor to it4 ,the ,greeks considered suicide as a most heinous crime4 ,the bodies of suicides1 according to the ,grecian custom1 were not burned to ashes1 but were immediately buried4 ,they considered it a pollution of the holy element of fire to consume in it the carcases of those who had been guilty of self-murder4 ,suicides were classed 8with the public or private enemy2 with the traitor1 and conspirator against his country2 with the tyrant1 the sacrilegious wretch1 and such grievous offenders whose punishment was impalement alive on a cross40#ac ,these laws1 however1 fell into disuse1 as appears evident from the circumstance of there being so many cases of suicide which escaped this treatment4 ,in the island of ,ceos the magistrates had the power of deciding whether a person had sufficient reasons for killing himself4 ,a poison was kept for that purpose1 which was given to the applicant who made out his case before the magistracy4 ,the same custom was followed among the ,massilians1 the ancient inhabitants of ,marseilles4 ,a preparation of hemlock was kept in readiness1 and the senate1 on hearing the merits of the case1 had the power to decide whether the applicant had good and substantial reasons for committing suicide4 ,there was1 no doubt1 much good effected by this regulation1 as it clearly acknowledged the principle that the power of a man over his own life rested not in himself1 but in the voice of the magistrate1 who alone was to determine how his life or death might affect the state4 ,libanius1 of ,antioch1 who flourished towards the end of the fourth century1 has very happily ridiculed the practice to which we have alluded4 ,in some imaginary pleadings before the senate1 he advocates the cause of a man who wishes to swallow the hemlock draught1 that he may be freed from the garrulity of a loquacious wife4 8,truly10 says he1 8if our legislator had not been addicted too much to law making1 ,i should have been under no necessity of proving before you the expediency of my departure1 but a rope and the first tree would have given me peace and quiet4 ,but since he1 determining we should be slaves1 has deprived us even of the liberty of dying when we please1 and has enchained us with decrees on this business1 ,i imprecate the author and obey his mandates1 in thus laying my complaints and my request before you40 ,he then1 with considerable eloquence and humour1 advocates the cause of the 8envious man10 who wishes to taste the 8suicidal draught0 because his neighbour's wealth had increased beyond his own4 8,let the wretch10 he says1 8recite his calamities1 let the senate bestow the antidote1 and let grief be dissolved in death40 ,libanius then pleads in behalf of ,timon1 the man hater1 who begs permission to dispatch himself because he was bound by profession to hate all mankind1 but he could not help loving ,alcibiades4 ,it is a singular circumstance connected with the subject of suicide1 that authors who have written in its defence should quote the cases referred to in this chapter in justification of their views4 ,they have not taken into consideration the peculiar customs1 habits1 and religion of the people1 which of course must have greatly influenced their actions4 ,how absurd would it be for us to take the authority of antiquity as an infallible rule of conduct4 ,the ,massagetes considered those unhappy who died a natural death1 and therefore eat their dearest friends when they grew old4 ,the ,libarenians broke their necks down a precipice4 ,the ,bactrians were thrown alive to the dogs4 ,the ,scythians buried the dearest friends of the deceased with them alive1 or killed them on the funeral pile4 ,the ,roman people1 when sunk in vice and licentiousness1 considered it a mark of courage and honour to fall by their own hands1 and suicide was a common occurrence with them4 8,in the beginning of the spring10 says ,malt4 ,brun1 8a shocking ceremony takes place at ,cola ,bhairava1 in the mountains between the rivers ,tapt and ,nerbuddah4 ,it is the practice of some persons of the lowest tribes in ,berar to make vows of suicide1 in return for answers which their prayers are believed to have received from their idols4 ,this is the place where such vows are performed in the beginning of spring1 when eight or ten victims generally throw themselves from a precipice4 ,the ceremony gives rise to an annual fair1 and some trade40#ad ,no just distinction can be drawn between these customs4 ,the ,indian widow1 in obedience to the religion of her country1 ascends the funeral pile of her husband1 and is burnt to death4 ,thousands annually sacrifice their lives by throwing themselves under the wheels of their idol ,juggernaut4 ,strong feelings of religion impel them to this2 they become excluded from society1 they lose caste1 and are subjected to all kinds of persecution if they do not bow to the customs of the country4 ,what legitimate argument can be deduced from these facts in favour of suicide8 ,and yet these cases are considered to constitute a justification of the stoical dogma1 that we have a right when we please to put an end to our own existence4 ,desperate indeed must be the circumstances of those who are compelled to found their reasoning on so flimsy a basis4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,writers ,,in ,,defence ,,of ,,suicide4 ,opinions of ,hume--,effect of his writings--,case of suicide caused by--,the doctrines of ,montesquieu1 ,rousseau1 and ,montaigne examined--,origin of ,dr4 ,donne's celebrated work--,madame de ,stal's recantation--,robert of ,normandy1 ,gibbon1 ,sir ,t4 ,more1 and ,robeck's opinions considered4 ,it will be foreign to my purpose to enter elaborately into an examination of the opinions of those who have thought proper to justify the commission of suicide4 ,the arguments which have been advanced by ,hume1 ,donne1 ,rousseau1 ,madame de ,stal1 ,montesquieu1 ,montaigne1 ,gibbon1 ,voltaire1 and ,robeck1 are founded on such gross and apparent fallacies1 that they carry with them their own refutation4 ,hume1 whose pen was always ready to support opinions at variance with the precepts of the ,christian religion1 wrote an essay on the subject of suicide4 ,he has endeavoured to shew that self-murder is consistent with our duty to ,god1 our neighbour1 and ourselves4 ,referring to the first of these three heads1 he says--8,as1 on the one hand1 the elements and other inanimate parts of creation carry on their action without regard to the particular interests and situation of men1 so men are entrusted to their own judgment and discretion in the various shades of matter1 and may employ every faculty with which they are endowed in order to provide for their ease1 happiness1 or preservation40 ,if an action be clearly shewn to be an infringement of the laws of ,god1 it certainly cannot be one which he has left us to exercise at discretion4 ,all the laws of religion and morality are so many abridgments of man's liberty1 in the exercise of his judgment and discretion for his own happiness4 ,hume then proceeds to examine whether suicide be a breach of duty to our neighbour and society4 ,he observes--8,a man who retires from life does no harm to society1--he only ceases to do good2 which1 if it be an injury1 is of the lowest kind40 ,the man who sacrifices his own life does a great injury to society4 ,there are very few men in the world who have no relations or connexions1 and he entails upon these the opprobrium that society attaches to the crime of suicide4 ,independently of this1 his example acts injuriously on the minds of others1 who may not have such good reasons for suicide as he has4 8,i believe10 continues ,hume1 8that no man ever threw away life while it was worth keeping4 ,for such is our natural horror of death1 that small motives will never be able to reconcile us to it40 ,he might as well have stated that such is our horror of poverty that no man ever threw away riches which were worth keeping4 ,the fallacy consists in drawing a conclusion from a mind supposed in its right state1 in which every faculty1 propensity1 and aversion has its due proportion of strength2 and in which the natural horror of death will secure a man from throwing away a life which is worth keeping3 and this conclusion is applied to a depraved state of mind1 in which it can by no means hold4 ,the same author asserts1 8,that it would be no crime in me to divert the ,nile or ,danube from its course1 if ,i could2 where1 then1 is the crime of turning a few ounces of blood out of its natural channel80 ,the argument is too puerile to merit refutation4 ,he must first establish that no injury would accrue from diverting the course of the ,nile and ,danube1 before any argument can be deduced from it which is worth one moment's consideration4 ,it has been asserted1 and remains uncontradicted1 that ,mr4 ,hume lent his 8,essay on ,suicide0 to a friend1 who on returning it told him it was a most excellent performance1 and pleased him better than anything he had read for a long time4 ,in order to give ,hume a practical exhibition of the effects of his defence of suicide1 his friend shot himself the day after returning him his ,essay4 ,if1 in any one instance1 suicide might admit of something like an apology1 it would have been in this--if the detestable author of this abominable treatise had1 on receiving the melancholy intelligence1 committed it to the flames1 and terminated his own pernicious existence by a cord4 ,but the cold-blooded infidel was too cowardly to execute summary justice on himself4 ,with a truly diabolical spirit1 his delight was to scatter firebrands among the people1 and say1 8,am ,i not in sport80 ,mr4 ,hume is the hero of modern infidels1 because he is the only one among them whose life was not disgraced by the grossest of vices2 for this1 his selfish and avaricious spirit affords1 perhaps1 the true reason4 ,it is well known that ,hume1 in more than one instance1 sacrificed his principles 7if he had any7 to views of emolument at the suggestion of the booksellers4 ,it has been said that he was scarcely guilty of a good or benevolent action4 ,his treatment of ,rousseau was unfeeling in the extreme2 and an intimate friend of the essayist affirms1 that 8his heart was as hard and cold as marble40 ,montesquieu's arguments in favour of suicide appear to border very closely on those advanced by ,hume4 ,they will be found in a letter written in the character of a ,persian resident in ,europe4 ,rousseau#ae in his 8,nouvelle ,helose0 observes1 8,the more ,i reflect upon it 7suicide71 the more ,i find that the question reduces itself to this fundamental proposition3--,to seek one's own good1 and avoid one's own harm in that which hurts not another1 is the law of nature40 ,rousseau must first clearly establish that what he terms 8seeking one's own good0 will not be productive of injury to others4 ,according to the notion of what the majority of men conceive to be their good1 much evil would result from allowing mankind to act under the influence of their own feelings and judgment4 ,what one man considers 8good10 another considers evil2 and what often appears to be very beneficial to ourselves1 if examined fairly1 will be found to be the very reverse4 ,montaigne's arguments are borrowed from ancient writers in defence of suicide4 ,he assumes at the commencement that suicide is not an evil4 ,he says1 that pain1 and the fear of suffering a worse death1 is an excusable incitement to suicide4 ,the whole that he has advanced is but a string of sophistries4 ,dr4 ,donne has entered more fully into the defence of suicide than any other writer4 ,the whole of his work appears to be written for the purpose of demonstrating that it is praiseworthy to shew a contempt of life in the discharge of our duty1 and in the execution of noble and beneficent enterprises4 ,dr4 ,donne was probably drawn to the contemplation of this subject by his own sufferings4 ,while he was secretary to ,lord ,chancellor ,egerton1 he married a young lady of rank superior to his own1 which gave offence to his patron1 and he was consequently dismissed from office4 ,he suffered extreme poverty with his wife and children2 and in a letter1 in which he adverts to the illness of a daughter whom he tenderly loved1 he says that he dares not expect relief1 even from death1 as he cannot afford the expense of a funeral4 ,he afterwards took orders1 and was promoted to the deanery of ,st4 ,paul's4 ,in the early part of his life1 and probably during the period of his sufferings1 he wrote his book1 entitled1 81 ,a ,declaration of that paradox or thesis1 that self-homicide is not so naturally sin that it may never be otherwise40 ,he did not publish it4 ,he desired it to be remembered1 that it was written by ,jack ,donne1 not by ,dr4 ,donne2 and it was published many years after his death1 by his son1 a dissipated young man1 tempted by his necessities to forget his father's prohibition4 ,madame de ,stal attempted to justify suicide in her work on the passions1 but she1 greatly to her honour1 published her celebrated 8,reflections on ,suicide10 which was written as a recantation of some opinions on the subject incidentally expressed in the work alluded to4 ,she expresses the change in her sentiments on this subject in the following curious manner3--8,j'ai l'acte du suicide1 dans mon ouvrage sur l'influence des passions1 et je me suis repentie depuis de ctte parole inconsidere4 ,j'etois alors dans tout l'orgueil et la vivacit de la premire jeunesse2 mais quoi servirait-il de vivre1 si ce n'tait dans l'espoir de s'ameliorer40 ,madame de ,stal has treated the subject with considerable ingenuity and ability1 and with a great deal of eloquence1 but she has hardly enforced sufficiently the arguments against this crime which may be deduced from the use of that portion of existence we pass upon earth4 ,we are wise and good just in proportion as we consider and treat life and all its incidents as moral means to a great end4 ,upon every moment of time an eternity is dependent2 and whenever we sacrifice a moment1 we throw away an instrument by which we might have created an eternity of happiness4 ,all mankind are not placed upon an equality4 ,some experience pleasure1 others pain1 privation or suffering2 the tools with which we are to work may be inconvenient or burthensome1 or light and pleasant2 but they must be the most useful and efficacious1 or they would not be put into our hands2 at any rate1 they are all we have4 ,we cannot fix too deeply on our minds the truth that life is not an absolute1 but a relative existence1 as in its relation to the eternity with which it is connected1 consists all its value and importance4 ,robert of ,normandy1 surnamed the ,devil1 sacrificed his own life1 and before doing so he wrote a work in defence of suicide1 in which he argued that there was no law that forbids a person to deprive himself of life2 that the love of life is to be subservient to that of happiness2 that our body is a mean and contemptible machine1 the preservation of which we ought not so highly to value2 if the human soul be mortal1 it receives but a slight injury1 but if immortal1 the greatest advantage2 a benefit ceases to be one when it becomes troublesome1 and then surely a man ought to be allowed to resign it2 a voluntary death is often the only method of avoiding the greatest crime2 and finally1 that suicide is justified by the example of most nations in the world4 ,such is the substance of the arguments in favour of suicide urged by ,robert of ,normandy1 and worthy of his celebrated namesake4 ,gibbon and ,sir ,thomas ,more are cited as champions in favour of suicide2 but there is nothing which these authors have advanced that merits a separate consideration4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,suicide ,a ,,crime ,,against ,,god ,,and ,,man4--,,it ,,is ,,not ,,an ,,act ,,of ,,courage4 ,the sin of suicide--,the notions of ,paley on the subject--,voltaire's opinion--,is suicide self-murder8--,is it forbidden in ,scripture8--,shakspeare's views on the subject--,the alliance between suicide and murder--,has a man a right to sacrifice his own life8--,everything held upon trust--,suicide a sin against ourselves and neighbour--,it is not an act of courage--,opinion of ,q4 ,curtius on the subject--,buonaparte's denunciation of suicide--,dryden's description of the suicide in another world4 ,among the black catalogue of human offences1 there is not1 indeed1 any that more powerfully affects the mind1 that more outrages all the feelings of the heart1 than the crime of suicide4 ,our laws have branded it with infamy1 and the industry which is exerted by surviving relatives to conceal its perpetration evinces that the shame which is attached to it is of that foul and contagious character1 that even the innocent consider themselves infected by its malignity4 ,much discussion has taken place as to whether self-murder is expressly forbidden in the ,old or ,new ,testament4#af ,paley1 who is a high authority on all questions connected with moral philosophy1 denies that it is4 ,he considers that the article in the decalogue so often brought forward1 8,thou shalt do no murder10 is inconclusive4 8,i acknowledge 7he observes7 that there is to be found neither any express determination of the question1 nor sufficient evidence to prove that the case of suicide was in the contemplation of the law which prohibits murder4 ,any inference1 therefore1 which we deduce from ,scripture1 can be sustained only by construction and implication40 ,to maintain that ,god has not forbidden us to destroy the work of his hands1 because self-murder is not particularly specified1 is to leave us at liberty to commit many other offences which are not named among the prohibitions1 but which are included under general heads4 ,when ,god said to ,noah1 8,whoso sheddeth man's blood1 by man shall his blood be shed1 for in the image of ,god made he man10 it is evident that1 whatever meaning we may attach to the last words1 in whatever sense man is said to be made in the image of ,god1 the reason of the prohibition holds as strong against self-murder as against any other kind of murder4 ,if ,i am commanded not to shed the blood of another man because he is made in the image of ,god1 ,i am not justified in shedding my own blood1 as ,i stand in the same relation to the ,deity as my fellow-men4 ,but there is a particular reason why suicide is not any where expressly forbidden by name2 that is1 that whatever sins and offences ,god1 as a lawgiver1 prohibits1 he does so with a penalty2 he affixes such a punishment to such a crime1 and he who transgresses is to undergo the determined punishment in this world or in the next4 ,neither ,god nor the magistrate can prohibit self-murder with any penalty that can affect the criminal himself2 because of his very crime1 he escapes all temporal punishment in person--he has anticipated the operation of the law4 ,in fact1 he has1 in his own person1 acted the part of the criminal1 judge1 jury1 and executioner2 he is dead before the law can take any cognizance of his offence4 ,no law can be enacted to any purpose without a penalty2 where1 therefore1 there can be no penalty1 there can be no law4 ,self-murder prevents all penalty1 and therefore wants no particular prohibition2 it must therefore be included under general commands1 and forbidden as a sin1 which it is only in the power of ,god to take cognizance of1 in another world4 ,again1 doubtlessly the inspired writer considered suicide of such an atrocious nature that the warnings of conscience were sufficient to prevent its frequency1 and because the voice of nature instinctively cries out against it4 ,that the act of suicide must be most offensive in the sight of ,god is evident1 since it is that which most directly violates those laws by which his providence has formed1 and still directs1 the universe4 ,if any one principle in man is instinctive and implanted in him by the hand of nature1 it is that of self preservation4 ,different religions and different codes have marked out particular duties1 and proscribed particular crimes2 in this1 every religion unites1 every society concurs1 and every individual acknowledges within his own bosom the sacred command4 ,if1 therefore1 to disobey the ordinances of ,god must be sinful in his sight1 if ever the ordinances of men are to be respected1 what must be the guilt of that person who violates the first law of nature1 who disregards the principle that holds human society together1 that fits us for every duty1 and prompts us in the performance of them6 ,but it is not merely against the ordinance of his ,creator that the self-murderer offends1#ag he is guilty of a breach of duty to his neighbour4 ,he plants a dagger not merely in his own breast1 but in that of his dearest1 his tenderest connexions4 ,he wantonly sports with the pangs of sensibility1 and covers with the blush of shame the cheek of innocence4 ,with a degree of ingratitude which excites our abhorrence1 he clouds with sorrow the future existence of those by whom he was most tenderly beloved1 and affixes a mark of ignominy on his unfortunate descendants4 ,he disobeys the first of social laws1 that order by which ,god appropriated his labours to the welfare of society1 and1 because he fancies he can no longer exist with comfort to himself1 disregards all the duties which he owes to others4 ,the alliance between suicide and the murder of others is a closer one than is generally supposed4 ,how many instances are recorded in which suicide and homicide have been conjoined6 ,he who will not scruple to take away his own life1 will not require much reasoning to impel him to sacrifice another's4 ,we refer to the cases of ,mithridates1 king of ,pontus1 and ,nicocles1 as illustrative of this position4 ,many modern instances are recorded of the same character4 ,it was maintained by ,marcus ,aurelius1 that there was no more of evil in parting from life than in going out of a smoky chamber2 and ,rousseau asks1 8,why should we be permitted to cut off a leg1 if we may not equally take away life8 has not the will of ,god given us both80 ,madame de ,stal very properly observes that the following passage in ,scripture replies to this sophism--8,if thy hand offend thee1 cut it off2 if thine eye offend thee1 pluck it out and cast it from thee40 ,temptation is evidently referred to in the above passage1 but it may consistently be used in refutation of ,rousseau's illogical argument4 ,although a man may use any means placed in his power for the removal of physical evils1 he is distinctly prohibited from destroying his existence4 ,the interrogatory argument1 if it can be so denominated1 which is so often used in justification of suicide--8,cannot a man do what he likes with his own80--is based upon an absurd and gross fallacy4 ,man1 during his residence on this earth1 is but a trustee2 his wealth1 his talents1 his time1 and his very life1 are but trust property4 ,he can call nothing truly his own2 he is held accountable for the most apparently trivial action he performs4 ,life is given to him for noble purposes2 it is an emanation from the ,deity himself2 and no circumstances would justify us in asserting that our very existence is placed at our own disposal4 ,how truly has the noble poet observed1 when alluding to the tenure upon which we hold everything during this life-- 8,can despots compass aught that hails their sway1 ,or call one solid span of earth their own1 ,save that wherein at last they crumble bone by bone80 ,this life is one of privation4 ,we are born to misery2 we are led to expect disappointment at every step we take2 blighted expectations1 ruined hopes1 pain1 mental and bodily1 constitute a part and parcel of our very existence4 ,no man was more overwhelmed with any species of misfortune than ,job2 he was emphatically styled 8the man of grief20 and when1 prostrated to the earth by the most poignant misery1 his wife exhorted him to quit life1--to 8curse ,god1 and die10--he replied1 8,what1 shall ,i receive good from the hand of ,god1 and not evil80 ,no suffering1 however acute1 could for one moment justify the commission of self-murder4 8,the concluding scene in the life of ,jesus ,christ10 says ,madame de ,stal1 with a fervid eloquence which does her immortal honour1 8seems peculiarly intended to confute those who contend for the right of destroying life to escape misfortune4 ,the dread of suffering seized him who had willingly devoted himself to death for the good of mankind4 ,he prayed a long time to his ,father in the ,mount of ,olives1 and his countenance was shaded by the anguish of death4 #8,my ,father1' he cried1 #8if it be possible1 let this cup pass from me4' ,thrice with tears was this prayer repeated4 ,all the sorrows of our nature had passed through his divine mind2 like us1 he feared the violence of men2 like us1 perhaps1 regretted those whom he cherished and loved1 his mother and his disciples2 like us1 he loved this earth1 and the celestial pleasures resulting from active benevolence1 for which he incessantly thanked his ,father4 ,but1 not able to avert the destined chalice1 he cried1 #8,oh1 my ,father1 let thy will be done1' and resigned himself into the hands of his enemies4 ,what more can be sought for in the gospel respecting resignation to grief1 and the duty of supporting it with fortitude and patience40 ,poets and orators have entered into a chivalrous rivalry to celebrate the character of the 8bold man struggling with the storms of fate40 ,that adversity refines and ennobles our nature there cannot be a doubt4 ,the most beautiful features of the human mind are developed in suffering2 the ordeal through which we pass1 however repugnant and abhorrent it may be to our feelings1 produces a moral regeneration in the character4 ,we come out of the 8fiery furnace10 like gold and silver1 deprived of much of our dross2 and life1 youthful and innocent life1 again dawns upon us and gladdens our hearts4 ,suicide is an injury to our neighbour and to society4 ,as long as life lasts1--no matter what amount of misery a person may suffer1--he has it in his power to contribute to the happiness of others4 ,by mitigating the distresses of others1 his own will be subdued4 ,let a man writhing under the torture of the gout be brought into contact with a person suffering from the intense agony of tic doloureux1 and he will have a practical illustration of the fact1 that there are others in the world worse off than himself4 ,suicide has been defended as an act of courage4 ,courage1 forsooth6 ,if ever there is an act of cowardice1 it is that exhibited by the person who1 to escape from the disappointments and vexations of the world1 wantonly puts an end to his existence4 ,the man of courage will defy the opinions and scorns of the world1 when he knows himself to be in the right2 will be above sinking under the petty misfortunes that assail him2 will make circumstances bow to him2 will court difficulties and dangers1 in order to shew that he is able to master them4 ,it was a noble sentiment which ,q4 ,curtius put into the mouth of ,darius1 after every ray of hope had abandoned him3--8,i will wait10 cried the king1 addressing his attendants1 8the issue of my fate4 ,you wonder1 perhaps1 that ,i do not terminate my own life2 but ,i choose rather to die by another's crime than by my own40 ,the sentiments of ,cleomenes1 king of ,sparta1 expressed when his fortunes appeared most desperate1 are equally noble and magnanimous4 ,being much urged by a friend to dispatch himself1 he replied--8,by seeking this easy and ready kind of death1 you think to appear brave and courageous2 but better men than you and ,i have been oppressed by fortune1 and borne down by multitudes4 ,he that sinks under toil1 or yields to affliction1 or is overcome by the opinions and reproaches of men1 gives way1 in fact1 to his own effeminacy and cowardice4 ,a voluntary death is never to be chosen as a relief from action1 but as exemplary in itself1 it being base to live or die only for ourselves4 ,the death to which you now invite us is only proposed as a release from present misery1 but conveys with it no signs of bravery or prospects of advantage40 ,euripides put the following words in the mouth of ,hercules3 8,i have considered1 and1 though oppressed with misfortunes1 ,i have determined thus3 ,let no one depart out of life through fear of what may happen to him2 for he who is not able to resist evils will fly1 like a coward1 from the darts of the enemy40 ,when ,buonaparte was told of the prevalent opinion1 that he ought not to have survived his political downfall1 he calmly replied--8,no1 no2 ,i have not enough of the ,roman in me to destroy myself40 ,after reasoning1 with considerable ingenuity1 on the subject of suicide1 he concluded by giving expression to this decided opinion3--8,suicide is a crime the most revolting to my feelings2 nor does any reason present itself to my understanding by which it can be justified4 ,it certainly originates in that species of fear which we denominate cowardice1 7poltronnerie47 ,for what claim can that man have to courage who trembles at the frowns of fortune8 ,true heroism consists in becoming superior to the ills of life1 in whatever shape they may challenge him to the combat40 ,he might have added--8,tu ne cede malis1 sed contr audentior ito40 ,on another occasion1 when talking on the subject of suicide1 ,buonaparte observed1 8,if ,marius had slain himself in the marshes of ,minturn1 he never would have stood the seventh time for consul40 ,after having been some time at ,st4 ,helena1 he one day spoke further on the subject of suicide4 ,he observed3--8,with respect to the ,english language1 ,i have been very diligent4 ,i now read your newspapers with ease2 and must own that they afford me no inconsiderable amusement4 ,they are occasionally inconsistent1 and sometimes abusive4 ,in one paper ,i am called a ,lear2 in another1 a tyrant2 in a third1 a monster2 and in one of them--which ,i really did not expect--,i am described as a coward4 ,but it turned out1 after all1 that the writer did not accuse me of avoiding danger in the field of battle1 or flying from an enemy1 or fearing to look at the menaces of fate and fortune4 ,it did not charge me with wanting presence of mind in the hurry of battle1 and in the suspense of conflicting armies2 no such thing4 ,i wanted courage1 it seems1 because ,i did not coolly take a dose of poison1 or throw myself into the sea1 or blow out my brains4 ,the editor most certainly misunderstands me2 ,i have1 at least1 too much courage for that40#ah ,we think it has decidedly been established in the preceding observations that suicide is a crime clearly prohibited in the ,bible2 that it is1 in every sense of the term1 self-murder2 and that our duty to our ,creator1 to ourselves1 and to society1 loudly calls upon us to denounce it1 and hold it up to the scorn and reprobation of mankind4 ,how terrifically has ,dryden1 in his ,fables1 portrayed the condition of the unfortunate suicide in another world3-- 8,the slayer of himself1 too1 saw ,i there3 ,the gore1 congealed1 was clotted in his hair4 ,with eyes half closed1 and mouth wide ope1 he lay1 ,and grim as when he breathed his sullen soul away40 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,on ,,the ,,influence ,,of ,,certain ,,mental ,,states ,,in ,,inducing ,,the ,,disposition ,,to ,,suicide4 ,moral causes of disease--,neglect of psychological medicine--,mental philosophy a branch of medical study--,moral causes of suicide--,tables of ,falret1 c4--,influence of remorse--,simon ,brown1 ,charles ,,ix4 of ,france--,massacre of ,st4 ,bartholomew--,terrible death of ,cardinal ,beaufort1 from remorse--,the ,chevalier de ,s----4 ,influence of disappointed love--,suicide from love--,two singular cases--,effects of jealousy--,othello--,suicide from this passion--,the ,french opera dancer--,suicide from wounded vanity--,false pride--,the remarkable case of ,villeneuve1 as related by ,buonaparte--,buonaparte's attempt at suicide--,ambition--,despair1 cases of suicide from--,the ,abb de ,ranc--,suicide from blind impulse--,cases--,mathews1 the comedian--,opinion of ,esquirol on the subject--,ennui1 birth of--,common cause of suicide in ,france--,effect of speculating in stocks--,defective education--,diffusion of knowledge--8,socialism0 a cause of self-destruction--,suicide common in ,germany--,werter--,gothe's attempt at suicide--,influence of his writings on ,hackman--,suicide from reading ,tom ,paine's 8,age of ,reason0--,suicide to avoid punishment--,most remarkable illustrations--,political excitement--,nervous irritation--,love of notoriety--,hereditary disposition--,is death painful8 fully considered1 with cases--,influence of irreligion4 ,in our voyage through life1 the passions are said to be the gales that swell the canvass of the mental bark2 they obstruct or accelerate its course1 and render the passage favourable or full of danger1 in proportion as they blow steadily from a proper point1 or are adverse or tempestuous4 ,like the wind itself1 the passions are engines of mighty power and of high importance4 ,without them we cannot proceed1 and with them we may be shipwrecked and lost4 ,curbed in and regulated1 they constitute the source of our most elevated happiness2 but when not subdued1 they drive the vessel on the rocks and quicksands of life1 and ruin us4 8,how few beneath auspicious planets born ,with swelling sails make good the promis'd port1 ,with all their wishes freighted40 ,,young4 8,in this country10 ,dr4 ,j4 ,johnson justly observes1 8where man's relations with the world around him are multiplied beyond all example in any other country1 in consequence of the intensity of interest attached to politics1 religion1 amusement1 literature1 and the arts2 where the temporal concerns of an immense proportion of the population are in a perpetual state of vacillation2 where spiritual affairs excite in the minds of many great anxiety2 and where speculative risks are daily involving in difficulties all classes of society1--the operation of physical causes in the production of disease dwindles into complete insignificance when compared with that of anxiety and perturbation of mind40 8,mens conscia recti in corpore sano10 is ,horace's well-known description of the happy man4 ,lucretius appears to have formed a correct estimate of the most important bodily and mental conditions on which our happiness depends3-- 8,o wretched mortals6 race perverse and blind6 ,through what dread1 dark1 what perilous pursuits ,pass ye this round of being6 ,know ye not1 ,of all ye toil for1 ,nature nothing asks1 ,but for the body freedom from disease1 ,and sweet unanxious quiet for the mind80 ,like human beings1 the sciences are closely connected with1 and are mutually dependent upon1 one another4 ,the link in the chain may not be apparent1 but it has a real and palpable existence4 ,medical and moral science are more nearly allied than we should1 priori1 conclude4 ,we speak of the science of medicine1 not the practice of it2 for1 like judgment and wit1 or1 as the author of the ,school for ,scandal ironically observes1 like man and wife1 how seldom are they seen in happy union4 ,garth feelingly alludes to this unnatural divorce3-- 8,the healing art now1 sick'ning1 hangs its head1 ,and1 once a science1 has become a trade40 ,psychological medicine has been sadly neglected4 ,we recoil from the study of mental philosophy as if we were encroaching on holy ground4 ,so great is the prejudice against this branch of science1 that it has been observed1 that to recommend a man to study metaphysics was a delicate mode of suggesting the propriety of confining him in a lunatic asylum6 ,in order to become a useful physician1 it is necessary to become a good metaphysician2 so says a competent authority4 ,it was not1 however1 ,dr4 ,cullen's intention to recommend that species of philosophy which confounds the mind without enlightening it1 and which1 like an ignis fatuus1 dazzles only to lead us from the truth4 ,to the medical man we can conceive no preliminary study more productive of advantage than that which tends to call into exercise the latent principle of thought1 and to accustom the mind to close1 rigid1 and accurate observation4 ,the science of mind1 when properly investigated1 teaches us the laws of our mental frame1 and shews us the origin of our various modes and habits of thought and feeling--how they operate upon one another1 and how they are cultivated and repressed2 it disciplines us in the art of induction1 and guards us against the many sources of fallacy in the practice of making inferences2 it gives precision and accuracy to our investigations1 by instructing us in the nicer discriminations of truth and falsehood4 ,the value of mental philosophy as a branch of education will be properly appreciated when we consider that this ennobling principle was given to us for the purpose of directing and controlling our powers and animal propensities1 and bringing them into that subjection whereby they become beneficial to the individual and to the world at large1 enabling him to exchange with others those results which the power of his own and the gigantic efforts of other minds have developed2 maintaining and perpetuating the most dignified and exalted state of happiness1 the attribute of social life2 unfolding not only treasures which the concentrated powers of individuals are enabled to discover1 but developing those more quiet and unobtrusive characteristics of virtuous life1 those social affections1 which are alone calculated to make our present state of being happy4 ,independently of the utility of the study1 what a world of delight is open to the mind of that man who has devoted some portion of his time to the investigation of his mental organization6 ,in him we may truly behold-- 8,nature1 gentle1 kind1 ,by culture tamed1 by liberty refreshed1 ,and all the radiant fruits of truth matured40 ,when we take into consideration the tremendous influence which the different mental emotions have over the bodily functions1 when we perceive that violent excitement of mind will not only give rise to serious functional disorder1 but actual organic disease1 leading to the commission of suicide1 how necessary does it appear that he to whose care is entrusted the lives of his fellow-creatures1 should have made this department of philosophy a matter of serious consideration6 ,it is no logical argument against the study of mental science1 to urge that we are in total ignorance of the nature or constitution of the human understanding4 ,we know nothing of the nature of objects which are cognizable to sense1 and which can be submitted to actual experiment1 and yet we are not deterred from the investigation of their properties and mutual influences4 ,the passions are to be considered1 in a medical point of view1 as a part of our constitution4 ,they stimulate or depress the mind1 as food and drink do the body4 ,employed occasionally1 and in moderation1 both may be of use to us1 and are given to us by nature for this purpose2 but when urged to excess1 the system is thrown off its balance1 and disease is the result4 ,to the medical philosopher1 nothing can be more deeply interesting than to trace the reciprocity of action existing between different mental conditions1 and affections of particular organs4 ,thus the passion of fear1 when excited1 has a sensible influence on the action of the heart2 and when the disease of this organ takes place independently of any mental agitation1 the passion of fear is powerfully roused4 ,anger affects the liver and confines the bowels1 and frequently gives rise to an attack of jaundice2 and in hepatic and intestinal disease1 how irritable the temper is6 ,hope1 or the anticipation of pleasure1 affects the respiration2 and how often do we see patients1 in the last stage of pulmonary disease1 entertaining sanguine expectations of recovery to the very last6 ,as the passions exercise so despotic a tyranny over the physical economy1 it is natural to expect that the crime of suicide should often be traced to the influence of mental causes4 ,in many cases1 it is difficult to discover whether the brain1 the seat of the passions1 be primarily or secondarily affected4 ,often the cause of irritation is situated at some distance from the cerebral organ2 but when the fountain-head of the nervous system becomes deranged1 it will react on the bodily functions1 and produce serious disease long after the original cause of excitement is removed4 ,it is not our intention to attempt to explain the modus operandi of mental causes in the production of the suicidal disposition4 ,that such effects result from an undue excitement of the mind cannot for one moment be questioned4 ,independently of mental perturbation giving rise to maniacal suicide1 there are certain conditions of mind1 dependent upon acquired or hereditary disposition1 or arising from a defective expansion of the intellectual faculties1 which originate the desire for self-destruction4 ,these states will all be alluded to in the course of the present inquiry4 ,some idea of the influence of certain mental states on the body will be obtained by an examination of the various tables which have been published1 in this and other countries1 respecting the causes of suicide1 as far as they could be ascertained4 ,the following suicides were committed in ,london1 between the years #aggj and #ahcj3ai-- ,indication of ,causes4 ,men4 ,women4 ,poverty #ije #eaa ,domestic grief #gbh #ebd ,reverse of fortune #cbb #bhc ,drunkenness and misconduct #bhg #bjh ,gambling #aee #ada ,dishonour and calumny #abe #ie ,disappointed ambition #abb #daj ,grief from love #ig #aeg ,envy and jealousy #id #ec ,wounded self-love #ec #ec ,remorse #di #cg ,fanaticism #af #a ,misanthropy #c #c ,causes unknown #acha #cgg -------- -------- ,total #dccgbj #bhec ,according to a table formed by ,falret of the suicides which took place between #agid and #ahbc1 the following results appear3--,of #fghb cases1 #bed were from disappointed love1 and of this number #aeg were women2 #ib were from jealousy2 #abe from being calumniated2 #di from a desire1 without the means1 of vindicating their characters2 #abb from disappointed ambition2 #cbb from reverses of fortune2 #af from wounded vanity2 #aee from gambling2 #bhh from crime and remorse2 #gbc from domestic distress2 #ije from poverty2 #af from fanaticism4 ,in preparing the present work1 we have endeavoured to obtain access to documents which would throw some light on the probable origin of the many cases of self-destruction which have taken place within the last four or five years4 ,in many cases we could obtain no insight into the motives of the individuals2 but in nine-tenths of those whose histories we succeeded in making ourselves somewhat conversant with1 we found that mental causes played a very conspicuous part in the drama4 ,our experience on this point accords with that of many distinguished ,french physicians who have devoted their time and talents to the consideration of the subject4 ,in considering the influence of mental causes1 we shall in the first instance point out the effects of certain passions and dispositions of the individual on the body2 then investigate the operation of education1 irreligion1 and certain unhealthy conditions of the mind which predispose the individual to derangement and suicide4 ,there is no passion of the mind which so readily drives a person to suicide as remorse4 ,in these cases1 there is generally a shipwreck of all hope4 ,to live is horror2 the infuriated sufferer feels himself an outcast from ,god and man2 and though his judgment may still be correct upon other subjects1 it is completely overpowered upon that of his actual distress1 and all he thinks of and aims at is to withdraw with as much speed as possible from the present state of torture1 totally regardless of the future4 8,i would not if ,i could be blest1 ,i want no other paradise but rest40 ,the most painfully interesting and melancholy cases of insanity are those in which remorse has taken possession of the mind4 ,simon ,brown1 the dissenting clergyman1 fancied that he had been deprived by the ,almighty of his immortal soul1 in consequence of having accidentally taken away the life of a highwayman1 although it was done in the act of resistance to his threatened violence1 and in protection of his own person4 ,whilst kneeling upon the wretch whom he had succeeded in throwing upon the ground1 he suddenly discovered that his prostrate enemy was deprived of life4 ,this unexpected circumstance produced so violent an impression upon his nervous system1 that he was overpowered by the idea of an involuntary homicide1 and for this imaginary crime fancied himself ever afterwards condemned to one of the most dreadful punishments that could be inflicted upon a human being4 ,a young lady was one morning requested by her mother to stay at home2 notwithstanding which1 she was tempted to go out4 ,upon her return to her domestic roof1 she found that the parent whom she had so recently disobliged had expired in her absence4 ,the awful spectacle of a mother's corpse1 connected with the filial disobedience which had almost immediately preceded1 shook her reason from its seat1 and she has ever since continued in a state of mental derangement4 ,it is said that the solitary hours of ,charles the ,ninth of ,france were rendered horrible by the repetition of the shrieks and cries which had assailed his ears during the massacre of ,st4 ,bartholomew4#ba ,the death of ,cardinal ,beaufort is represented as truly terrible4 ,the consciousness of having murdered the ,duke of ,gloucester is said to have rendered ,beaufort's death one of the most terrific scenes ever witnessed4 ,despair1 in its worst form1 appeared to take possession of his mind at the last moment4 ,his concluding words1 as recorded by ,harpsfield1#bb were--8,and must ,i then die8 ,will not all my riches save me8 ,i could purchase the kingdom1 if that would save my life4 ,what6 is there no bribing of death8 ,when my nephew1 the ,duke of ,bedford1 died1 ,i thought my happiness and my authority greatly increased2 but the ,duke of ,gloucester's death raised me in fancy to a level with kings1 and ,i thought of nothing but accumulating still greater wealth1 to purchase at last the triple crown4 ,alas6 how are my hopes disappointed6 ,wherefore1 ,o my friends1 let me earnestly beseech you to pray for me1 and recommend my departing soul to ,god60 ,a few minutes before his death1 his mind appeared to be undergoing the tortures of the damned4 ,he held up his two hands1 and cried--8,away6 away6--why thus do ye look at me80 ,it was evident he saw some horrible spectre by his bed-side4 ,this last scene in the ,cardinal's life has been most ably delineated by the immortal ,shakspeare3-- ,,scene--,the ,cardinal's ,bed-chamber4 ,enter ,,king ,,henry1 ,,salisbury1 and ,,warwick4 ,king ,hen4 ,how fares my ,lord8 ,speak1 ,beaufort1 to thy sovereign4 ,cardinal4 ,if thou be'st ,death1 ,i'll give thee ,england's treasure1 ,enough to purchase such another island1 ,so thou wilt let me live1 and feel no pain4 ,king ,hen4 ,ah6 what a sign it is of evil life ,when death's approach is seen so terrible4 ,warwick4 ,beaufort1 it is thy sovereign speaks to thee4 ,cardinal4 ,bring me unto my trial when you will4 ,died he#bc not in his bed8 ,where should he die8 ,can ,i make men live whe'er they will or no8 ,o1 torture me no more1 ,i will confess-- ,alive again8 then shew me where he is3 ,i'll give a thousand pound to look upon him-- ,he hath no eyes1 the dust hath blinded them4-- ,comb down his hair2 look6 look6 it stands upright1 ,like lime-twigs set to catch my winged soul4-- ,give me some drink1 and bid the apothecary ,bring the strong poison that ,i bought of him4 ,king ,hen4 ,o thou eternal ,mover of the ,heav'ns1 ,look with a gentle eye upon this wretch4 ,o1 beat away the busy meddling fiend1 ,that lays strong siege unto this wretch's soul1 ,and from his bosom purge this black despair4 ,warwick4 ,see how the pangs of death do make him grin6 ,salisbury4 ,disturb him not2 let him pass peaceably4 ,king ,hen4 ,peace to his soul1 if ,god's good pleasure be6 ,lord ,cardinal1 if thou think'st on heaven's bliss1 ,lift up thy hand1 make signal of thy hope4-- ,he dies1 and makes no sign--,o ,god1 forgive him6 ,warwick4 ,so bad a death argues a monstrous life4 ,king ,hen4 ,forbear to judge1 for we are sinners all4-- ,close up his eyes1 and draw the curtain close1 ,and let us all to meditation4#bd ,m4 ,guillon relates the following remarkable case3--8,the ,chevalier de ,s---- had been engaged in seventeen #8affairs of honour1' in each of which his adversary fell4 ,but the images of his murdered rivals began to haunt him night and day2 and at length he fancied he heard nothing but the wailings and upbraidings of seventeen families--one demanding a father1 another a son1 another a brother1 another a husband1 c4 ,harassed by these imaginary followers1 he incarcerated himself in the monastery of ,la ,trappe2 but the ,french revolution threw open this asylum1 and turned the chevalier once more into the world4 ,he was now no longer able to bear the remorse of his own conscience1 or1 as he imagined1 the sight of seventeen murdered men1 and therefore put himself to death4 ,it is evident that insanity was the consequence of the remorse1 and the cause of the suicide4 8,no disease of the imagination is so difficult to cure as that which is complicated with the idea of guilt3 fancy and conscience then act interchangeably upon us1 and so often shift their places1 that the illusions of one are not distinguished from the dictates of the other4 ,if fancy presents images not moral or religious1 the mind drives them away when they give pain2 but when melancholy notions take the form of duty1 they lay hold on the faculties without opposition1 because we are afraid to exclude or banish them40#be ,how accurately has the poet depicted the tortures1 the sleeplessness1 of a guilty conscience3-- 8,though thy slumber may be deep1 ,yet thy spirit shall not sleep2 ,there are shades which will not vanish1 ,there are thoughts thou canst not banish2 ,by a power to thee unknown1 ,thou canst never be alone2 ,thou art wrapt as with a shroud1 ,thou art gathered in a cloud2 ,and for ever shalt thou dwell ,in the spirit of this spell40 ,a woman with her husband had been employed in a ,french hospital as servants for a considerable time4 ,having left their situations1 the wife1 thirty years afterwards1 declared she heard a voice within1 commanding her to repair instantly to the chief commissioner of police1 and confess the thefts she had committed during the time she was at the hospital4 ,the fact was1 that she had been guilty of appropriating occasionally to her own use a portion of the food supplied for the patients attached to the ,institution4 ,the commissioner listened to the woman's story1 and her demand that she should be punished1 but refused to take any cognizance of the offence4 ,she returned home1 and for some time was extremely dejected4 ,she became so miserable that existence was no longer desirable2 and as the legal tribunals refused to punish her1 she determined on suicide1 which she committed at the age of fifty-one4 ,it is admitted1 by almost universal consent1 that there is no affection of the mind that exerts so tremendous an influence over the human race as that of love4 8,to love1 and feel ourselves beloved10 is said to constitute the height of human happiness4 ,this sacred sentiment1 which some have debased by the term passion1 when unrequited and irregulated1 produces the most baneful influence upon the system4 8,a youthful passion1 which is conceived and cherished without any certain object1 may be compared to a shell thrown from a mortar by night3 it rises calmly in a brilliant track1 and seems to mix1 and even to dwell for a moment with the stars of heaven2 but at length it falls--it bursts--consuming and destroying all around1 even as itself expires40#bf ,from the constitution of woman1 from the peculiar position which she of necessity holds in society1 we should1 priori1 have concluded that in her we should see manifested this sentiment in all its purity and strength4 ,such is the fact4 ,a woman's life is said to be but the history of her affections4 ,it is the soul within her soul2 the pulse within her heart2 the life blood along her veins1 8blending with every atom of her frame40 ,separated from the bustle of active life--isolated like a sweet and rare exotic flower from the world1 it is natural to expect that the mind should dwell with earnestness upon that which is to constitute almost its very being1 and apart from which it has no existence4 8,alas6 the love of woman1 it is known ,to be a lovely and a fearful thing2 ,for all of theirs upon that die is thrown2 ,and if 'tis lost1 life hath no more to bring ,to them1 but mockeries of the past alone40 ,,byron4 ,the term 8broken heart0 is not a mere poetical image4 ,cases are recorded in which that organ has been ruptured in consequence of disappointed hope4 ,let those who are sceptical as to the fact that physical disease so often results from blighted affection1 visit the wards of our public and private asylums4 ,in those dreary regions of misery they will have an opportunity of witnessing the wreck of many a form that was once beauteous and happy4 ,ask their history1 and you will be told of holy and sincere affection nipped in the bud--of wild and passionate love strangled at its birth--of the death of all human hopes1 of a severance from those about whom every fibre of the soul had entwined itself4 ,silent and sullen grief1 black despair1 8,and laughter loud1 amidst severest woe10 are the painful images that meet the eye at every step we take through these 8hells upon earth40#bg ,in this country1 the great majority of the cases of insanity among women1 in our establishments devoted to the reception of the insane1 can clearly be traced to unrequited and disappointed affection4 ,this is not to be wondered at1 if we consider the present artificial state of society4 ,we make 8merchandize of love20 both men and women are estimated1 not by their mental endowments1 not by their moral worth1 not by their capacity of making the domestic fire-side happy1 but by the length of their respective purses4 ,instead of seeking for a heart1 we look for a dowry4 ,money is preferred to intellect2 pure and unadulterated affection dwindles into nothingness when placed in the same scale with titles and worldly honours1 8,and ,mammon wins his way ,where seraphs might despair40 ,how little do those who ought to be influenced by more elevated motives calculate the seeds of wretchedness and misery which they are sowing for those who1 by nature1 have a right to demand that they should be actuated by other principles6 8,shall ,i be won ,because ,i'm valued as a money-bag8 ,for that ,i bring to him who winneth me10#bh says ,catherine1 in the spirit of honest indignation4 ,it should be remembered that 8wedlock joins nothing1 if it joins not hearts40 ,how many melancholy cases of suicide can clearly be traced to this cause6 ,death is considered preferable to a long life of unmitigated sorrow4 ,when the heart is seared1 when there exists no 8green spot in memory's dreary waste10--when all hope is banished from the mind1 and wretched loneliness and desolation take up their residence in the heart1 need it excite surprise that the quiet and rest of the grave is eagerly longed for6 ,if a mind thus worked upon be not influenced by religious principles1 self-destruction is the idea constantly present to the imagination4 ,of all the sufferings1 however1 to which we are exposed during our sojourn below1 nothing is so truly overwhelming and irreparable as the death of one with whom all our early associations are inseparably linked--one endeared to us by the most pleasing recollections4 ,death leaves a blank in our existence2 a cold shuddering shoots through the frame1 a mist flits before our eyes1 darkening the face of nature1 when the heart that mingled all its feelings with ours lies1 cold and insensible1 in the silent grave4 ,as long as life lasts1 there is hope2 but death snatches every ray of consolation from the mind4 ,the only prop that supported us is removed1 and the mansion crumbles to the dust2 the mind becomes utterly and hopelessly wrecked4 ,to say that this is but the effect on understandings constitutionally weak1 is to say what facts will not establish4 ,the most elevated and best cultivated minds are often the most sensitively alive to such impressions4 ,the following case made considerable noise at ,lyons1 in #aggj4 ,a young gentleman of rank1 of handsome exterior1 possessing considerable mental endowments1 and most respectably connected1 fell in love with a young lady1 who1 like himself1 possessed a handsome person1 in union with accomplishments of a high order4 ,they met2 the passion was reciprocal1 and the gentleman accordingly made an application to her parents to be allowed to consummate their bliss by marriage4 ,the parents1 as parents sometimes do under these circumstances1 refused compliance4 ,the gentleman took it greatly to heart2 it preyed much upon his mind1 and in the midst of his grief he burst a blood-vessel4 ,his case was given over by the medical men4 ,the young lady1 on being made acquainted with his condition1 paid him a clandestine visit1 and they then agreed to destroy themselves4 ,accordingly the lady brought with her1 on her next visit1 two pistols and two daggers1 in order that1 if the pistols missed1 the daggers might the next moment pierce their hearts4 ,they embraced each other for the last time4 ,rose-coloured ribbons were tied to the triggers of the pistols2 the lover holding the ribbon of his mistress' pistol1 while she held the ribbon of his2 both fired at a given signal1 and both fell at the same instant dead on the floor6 ,the case now about to be recorded presents some peculiarly interesting features4 ,an ,english lady1 moving in the first circles of society1 went1 in company with her friends1 to the opera at ,paris4 ,in the next box sat a gentleman1 who appeared1 from the notice he took of the lady1 to be enamoured of her4 ,the lady expressed herself annoyed at the observation which she had attracted1 and moved to another part of the box4 ,the gentleman followed the carriage home1 and insisted upon addressing the lady1 declaring that he had had the pleasure of meeting her elsewhere1 and that one minute's conversation would convince her of the fact1 and do away with the unfavourable impression which his apparent rudeness might have made upon her mind4 ,as his request did not appear at the moment unreasonable1 she consented to see him for a minute by herself4 ,in that short space of time he made a fervent declaration of his affection2 acknowledged that desperation had compelled him to have recourse to a ruse to obtain an interview1 and that1 unless she looked favourably on his pretensions1 he would kill her and then himself4 ,the lady expressed her indignation at the deceit he had practised1 and said1 with considerable firmness1 that he must quit the house4 ,he did so1 retired to his home1 and with a lancet opened a vein in his arm4 ,he collected a portion of blood in a cup1 and with it wrote a note to the lady1 telling her that his blood was flowing fast from his body1 and it should continue to flow until she consented to listen to his proposals4 ,the lady1 on the receipt of the note1 sent her servant to see the gentleman1 and found him1 as he represented1 actually bleeding to death4 ,on the entreaty of the lady1 the arm was bound up and his life saved4 ,on writing to the lady1 under the impression that she would now accept his addresses1 he was amazed on receiving a cool refusal1 and a request that he would not trouble her with any more letters4 ,again driven to desperation1 he resolved effectually to kill himself4 ,he accordingly loaded a pistol and directed his steps towards the residence of his fair amorosa1 when1 knocking at the door1 he gained admission1 and immediately blew out his brains4 ,the intelligence was communicated to the lady1 she became dreadfully excited1 and a severe attack of nervous fever followed4 ,when the acute symptoms subsided1 her mind was completely deranged4 ,her insanity took a peculiar turn4 ,she fancied she heard a voice commanding her to commit suicide1 and yet she appeared to be possessed of sufficient reason to know that she was desirous of doing what she ought to be restrained from accomplishing4 ,every now and then she would exclaim1 8,take away the pistol6 ,i won't hang myself6 ,i won't take poison60 ,under the impression that she would kill herself1 she was carefully watched2 but notwithstanding the vigilance which was exercised she had sufficient cunning to conceal a knife1 with which1 during the temporary absence of the attendant1 she stabbed herself in the abdomen1 and died in a few hours4 ,it appears that the idea that she had caused the death of another1 and that she had it in her power to save his life by complying with his wishes1 produced the derangement of mind under which she was labouring at the time of her death2 and yet she did not manifest1 and it was evident to everybody that she had not1 the slightest affection for the gentleman who professed so much to admire her4 ,possessing naturally a sensitive mind1 it was easily excited4 ,the peculiar circumstances connected with her mental derangement were sufficient to account for the delusions under which she laboured4 ,altogether the case is full of interest4 ,few passions tend more to distract and unsettle the mind than that of jealousy4 ,insanity and suicide often owe their origin to this feeling4 ,one of the most terrific pictures of the dire effects of this 8green-eyed monster0 on the mind is delineated in the character of ,othello4 ,in the ,moor of ,venice we witness a fearful struggle between fond and passionate love and this corroding mental emotion4 ,worked upon by the villainous artifices of ,iago1 ,othello is led to doubt the constancy of ,desdemona's affection2 the very doubt urges him almost to the brink of madness2 but when he feels assured of her guilt1 and sees the gulf into which he has been hurled1 and the utter hopelessness of his condition1 he abandons himself to despair4 ,nothing which the master spirit of ,shakspeare ever penned can equal the exquisitely touching and melting pathos of the speech of the ,moor when he becomes perfectly conscious of the wreck of one around whom every tendril of his heart had indissolubly interwoven itself4 ,to be forcibly severed from one dearer to us than our own existence is a misfortune that requires much philosophy to bear up against2 to be torn from a beloved object by death1 to feel that the earth encloses in its cold embrace the idol of our affections1 freezes the heart2 but to be separated from one who has forfeited all claim to our affection and friendship1 and who still lives1 but lives in dishonour1 must be a refinement of human misery4 ,need we then wonder that1 when influenced by such feelings1 ,othello should thus give expression to the overflowings of his soul3-- 8,oh now1 for ever1 ,farewell the tranquil mind6 farewell content6 ,farewell the plumed troop1 and the big wars1 ,that make ambition virtue6 ,oh1 farewell6 ,farewell the neighing steed1 and the shrill trump1 ,the spirit-stirring drum1 th' ear-piercing fife1 ,the royal banner1 and all quality1 ,pride1 pomp1 and circumstance of glorious war6 ,and1 oh1 you mortal engines1 whose rude throats ,th' immortal ,jove's dread clamours counterfeit1 ,farewell6 ,othello's occupation's gone60 ,it is under the infliction of such a concentration of misery that many a mind is shattered1 and that death is courted as the only relief within its grasp4 ,othello1 having discovered when it was too late that he had wrongly suspected ,desdemona1 and had sacrificed the life of the sweetest creature on earth1 a combination of passions drives him to distraction1 and under their influence he plunges the dagger into his heart4 ,jealousy was not1 as some have supposed1 the exclusive cause of ,othello's suicide4 ,the following singular case attracted considerable notice fifteen years ago4 ,a woman was subjected to much maltreatment by her husband4 ,she was jealous of his attentions to one of the servants1 and she had frequently declared1 that if he persisted in insulting her under her own roof she would either cause his or her own death4 ,on one occasion she was more than usually violent1 and expressed her determination to ruin him4 ,fearful that she would carry her threat into execution1 he had her placed in a room where there was no furniture1 and nothing that she could use for the purpose of self-destruction4 ,her rage was greatly increased by this barbarous treatment1 and her screams were sufficiently loud to alarm the whole neighbourhood4 ,as her husband refused to release her from confinement1 she determined no longer to submit to his brutal control1 and resolved to commit suicide4 ,having no instrument that she could use1 she felt some difficulty in effecting her purpose4 ,she held her breath for some time1 but that did not succeed4 ,she then tried to strangle herself with her hands1 but that mode was equally unsuccessful4 ,her determination was so resolutely fixed1 that in desperation she tore her hair out by the roots4 ,still death did not come to her relief4 ,in vain she searched in every corner of the room for something with which she might effectually take away her life4 ,just as she was beginning to give up the idea as hopeless1 her eye caught a sight of the glass in the window2 she instantly broke a pane1 and with a piece of it endeavoured to cut her throat2 and yet she could not succeed in effecting her horrid purpose4 ,at last1 as a dernier resort1 she resolved to swallow a piece of the broken glass1 hoping by this means to choke herself4 ,she did so1 and the glass stuck in her throat1 and produced the most excruciating agony4 ,her groans became audible2 the husband became alarmed1 and opened the door1 when he found his wife apparently in the last struggles of death4 ,medical relief was immediately obtained1 and although everything that surgical ingenuity could suggest was had recourse to1 she died1 a melancholy spectacle of the effects of unsubdued passion4 ,the two following cases shew how trifling a cause often incites to self-destruction3-- ,madame ,n----1 a once famous dancer at the ,french opera-house1 was taken to task by her husband for not acquitting herself so well in the ballet as she usually did4 ,she exhibited indications of passion at the1 as she thought1 unmerited reproof4 ,when she arrived home1 she resolved to die1 but was much puzzled to effect her purpose4 ,the next morning1 she purchased a potent poison1 but when she returned to her home she found that her husband looked suspiciously at her1 and appeared to watch her movements4 ,she then made up her mind to take the fatal draught in the evening1 as she was going in the carriage to the opera4 ,she accordingly did so2 the poison did not have an immediate effect4 ,the ballet commenced1 and ,madame ,n---- was led on the stage2 and it was not until she had commenced dancing that she began to feel the draught producing the desired effect4 ,she complained of illness1 and was removed to her dressing-room1 where she expired in the arms of her husband1 confessing that she had1 in a fit of chagrin at his rebuke1 swallowed poison6 ,a young gentleman1 of considerable promise1 of high natural and acquired attainments1 had been solicited to make a speech at a public meeting1 which was to take place in the town in which he resided4 ,as he had never attempted to address extemporaneously a public body1 he expressed himself extremely nervous as to the result1 and asked permission to withdraw his name from the published list of speakers4 ,this wish was not1 however1 complied with1 as it was thought that when the critical moment arrived he would not be found wanting even in the art of public speaking4 ,he had prepared himself with considerable care for the attempt4 ,his name was announced from the chair2 when he rose for the purpose of delivering his sentiments4 ,the exordium was spoken without any hesitation2 and his friends felt assured that he would acquit himself with great credit4 ,he had not1 however1 advanced much beyond his prefatory observations1 when he hesitated1 and found himself incapable of proceeding4 ,he then sat down1 evidently excessively mortified4 ,in this state he retired to a room where the members of the committee had previously met1 and cut his throat with his penknife4 ,he wounded the carotid artery1 and died in a few minutes4 ,a case of suicide from mortified pride1 somewhat similar to the last1 occurred some years ago in ,london4 ,a gentleman1 whose imagination was much more active than his judgment1 conceived that he was possessed of histrionic powers equal to those which were exhibited by the immortal ,garrick4 ,a manager of a ,london theatre1 to whom he was introduced1 allowed him to make his dbt at his theatre4 ,as is often the case1 the public formed a different estimate of his abilities to that which the vanity of the young aspirant had induced him to form2 and the consequence was1 that he was well hissed and hooted for his presumption in attempting a character for which his talents so little adapted him4 ,being naturally sensitive1 his failure preyed on his mind2 and under the influence of the mortification1 he hung himself1 leaving in his room the following laconic epistle1 addressed to his mother3-- 8,,my ,,dear ,,mother1--,all my hopes have been ruined4 ,i fancied myself a man of genius2 the reality has proved me to be a fool4 ,i die1 because life is no longer to be supported4 ,look charitably on this last action of my life4 ,adieu60 ,a common cause of suicide is the feeling of false pride4 ,the only reason assigned for the desperate act of ,elizabeth ,moyes1 who threw herself from the ,monument1 was1 that1 owing to the reduced circumstances of her father1 7a baker17 it was determined that she should procure a situation at a confectioner's1 and support herself4 ,this she allowed to prey upon her mind1 although she expressed a concurrence in the propriety of the course suggested4 ,how true it is-- 8,abstract what others feel1 what others think1 ,all pleasures sicken1 and all glories sink40 ,,pope4 ,owing to the fictitious notions abroad in society1 the ridiculously false views which are taken of worldly honours1 the ideas which a sickly sentimentality infuses into the mind1 this feeling is engendered1 to an alarming extent1 through the different ranks of society4 ,this constitutes one great element which is undermining and disorganizing our social condition4 ,a fictitious value is affixed to wealth and position in the world2 it is estimated for itself alone1 all other considerations being placed out of view4 8,none think the great unhappy but the great40 ,vatel committed suicide because he was not able to prepare as sumptuous an entertainment as he wished for his guests4 ,we cannot conceive how this evil is to be obviated1 unless it be possible to revolutionize the ideas which are generally attached to fame and worldly grandeur4 ,it is difficult to persuade such persons that the end of fame is merely 8,to have1 when the original is dust1 ,a name1 a wretched picture1 and worse bust40 ,there is a nameless1 undefinable something1 that the world is taught to sigh after--is always in search of2 a moral ignis fatuus1 which is dazzling to lead it from the road which points to true and unsophisticated happiness4 ,persons naturally proud are less able than others to bear up against the distresses of life2 they are more severely galled by the yoke of adversity2 and hence this passion often produces mental derangement4 ,such characters exhibit a morbid desire for praise2 it acts like moral nourishment to their souls2 it is a stimulus that is almost necessary to their very being1 forgetting that 8,praise too dearly loved1 or warmly sought1 ,enfeebles all eternal weight of thought2 ',till the fond soul1 within itself unblest1 ,leans for all pleasure on another's breast40 ,dr4 ,reid justly observes1 that 8he who enters most deeply into the misfortunes of others1 will be best able to bear his own4 ,a practical benevolence1 by habitually urging us to disinterested exertion1 tends to alienate the attention from any single train of ideas1 which1 if favoured by indolence and self contemplation1 might be in danger of monopolizing the mind1 and occasions us to lose a sense of our personal concerns in an enlarged and liberal sympathy with the general good40 ,villeneuve1 the celebrated ,french admiral1 when he was taken prisoner and brought to ,england1 was so much grieved at his defeat that he studied anatomy in order to destroy himself4 ,for this purpose he bought some anatomical plates of the heart1 and compared them with his own body1 in order to ascertain the exact situation of that organ4 ,on his arrival in ,france1 ,buonaparte ordered that he should remain at ,rennes1 and not proceed to ,paris4 ,villeneuve1 afraid of being tried by a court-martial for disobedience of orders1 and consequently losing his fleet1 7for ,napoleon had ordered him not to sail or to engage the ,english17 determined to destroy himself2 and accordingly took his plates and compared them with the position of his heart4 ,exactly in the centre he made a mark with a large pin2 then fixed it1 as near as he could judge1 in the same spot in his own breast1 and shoved it on to its head2 it penetrated his heart1 and he expired4 ,when the room was opened1 he was found dead1 the pin through his breast1 and a mark in the plate corresponding with the wound4#bi ,it has been said that after the death of ,josephine1 and when ,buonaparte was overwhelmed with misfortunes1 he attempted suicide4 ,those who consider ,napoleon immaculate deny the accuracy of the charge4 ,but in order to give the reader an opportunity of judging for himself1 we lay before him ,sir ,walter ,scott's account of the transaction referred to4 8,buonaparte10 he observes1 8belonged to the ,roman school of philosophy2 and it is confidently reported by ,baron ,fane1 his secretary--though not universally believed--that he designed to escape from life by an act of suicide4 ,the ,emperor1 according to this account1 had carried with him1 ever since his retreat from ,moscow1 a packet containing a preparation of opium1 made up in the same manner with that used by ,condorcet1 for self-destruction4 ,his valet-de-chambre1 in the night of the #abth or #acth of ,april1 heard him arise1 and pour something into a glass of water1 drink1 and return to bed4 ,in a short time afterwards the man's attention was called by sobs and stifled groans2 an alarm took place in the chateau2 some of the principal persons were roused1 and repaired to ,napoleon's chamber4 ,yvan1 the surgeon who had procured him the poison1 was also summoned2 but hearing the ,emperor complain that the operation of the potion was not quick enough1 he was seized with a panic of terror1 and fled from the palace at full gallop4 ,napoleon took the remedies recommended1 and a long fit of stupor ensued1 with profuse perspiration4 ,he awakened much exhausted1 and surprised at finding himself still alive4 ,he said aloud1 after a few moments' reflection1 #8,fate will not have it so2' and afterwards appeared reconciled to undergo his destiny without similar attempts at personal violence40 ,napoleon's illness was1 at the time1 imputed to indigestion4 ,a general of the highest distinction transacted business with ,napoleon on the morning of the #acth of ,april4 ,he seemed pale and dejected1 as from recent and exhausting illness4 ,his only dress was a night-gown and slippers2 and he drank1 from time to time1 a quantity of ptisan1 or some such liquid1 which was placed beside him1 saying he had suffered severely during the night1 but that his complaint had left him4#cj ,we cannot conceive a more piteous condition than that of a man of great ambition without the powers of mind which are indispensable for its gratification4 ,in him a constant contest is going on between an intellect constitutionally weak1 and a desire to distinguish himself in some particular department of life4 ,how often a man so unhappily organized ends his career in a mad-house1 or terminates his miserable existence by suicide6 ,let men be taught to make correct estimates of their own capabilities1 to curb in the imagination1 to cease 8building castles in the air10 if we wish to advance their mental and bodily health4 8,ne sutor ultra crepidam10 said ,apelles to the cobbler4 ,a young man who 8penned a stanza when he ought to engross10 blew out his brains because he had failed in inducing a ,london publisher to purchase an epic poem which he had written1 and which he had the vanity to conceive was equal to ,paradise ,lost1 forgetting that1 in order to be a poet1-- 8,nature's kindling breath ,must fire the chosen genius2 nature's hand ,must string his nerves and imp his eagle wings40 ,that this state of mind predisposes and often leads to the commission of suicide1 numerous cases testify4 ,despair often drives men to suicide4 ,the dread of poverty and want2 the hopes in which we often injudiciously place too much of our happiness entirely blasted2 either honest or false pride humbled by public or private contempt2 ambitious views suddenly and unexpectedly disappointed2 pains of the body1 the loss of those dear and near to us1--tend to originate this feeling1 and induce the unhappy person to seek relief in self-murder4 ,how terrible is the situation of the man exposed to the influence of this passion1 and deprived of the cheering and elevating influence of hope6 ,we had an opportunity1 some years back1 of witnessing the case of a maniac1 whose derangement of mind consisted in his having abandoned himself completely to despair4 ,he laboured under no distinct or prominent delusion1 but his mental alienation consisted in the total absence of all prospect of relief4 ,the iron had entered his very soul2 he appeared as if the hand of a relentless destiny had written on the threshold of his door1 as on the gate of the ,inferno of ,dante1 the heart-rending sentence1 8,abandon all hope60 ,a woman is seduced by some heartless and profligate wretch2 she is in a short time forsaken and left to her fate4 ,her mind recurs to the past2 she recalls to recollection her once happy state of innocence and peace4 ,scorned by the world1 shunned by her relations and friends1 she is driven to a state of agonizing distraction4 ,despair1 in its worst features1 takes possession of her mind1 and under this feeling she puts an end to her existence4 ,a man under the operation of this passion wrote as follows3-- 8,it has pleased the ,almighty to weaken my understanding1 to undermine my reason1 and to render me unfit for the discharge of my duty4 ,my blood rolls in billows and torrents of despair4 ,it must have vent4 ,how8 ,i possess a place to which ,i am a dishonour1 inasmuch as ,i am incapable of discharging it properly2 ,i prevent some better man from doing it more justice4 ,this piece of bread which ,i lament is all that ,i have to support myself and family2 even this ,i do not merit2 ,i eat it in sin1 and yet ,i live4 ,killing thought6 which a conscience hitherto uncorrupted inspires4 ,i have a wife1 also1 and my child reproaches me with its existence4 ,but you do not know1 my dear friends1 that if my unhappy life is not speedily ended1 my weak head will require all your care1 and ,i shall become a burthen rather than an assistance to you4 ,it is better that ,i yield myself a timely sacrifice to misfortune1 than1 by permitting the delusion to continue longer1 ,i consume the last farthing of my wife's inheritance4 ,it is a duty of every person to do that which his situation requires2 reason commands it1 religion approves4 ,my life1 such as it is1 is a mere animal life1 devoid of reason2 in my mind1 a life which stands in opposition to duty is moral death1 and worse than that which is natural4 ,in favour of the few whose life ,i cannot render happy1 it is at least my duty not to become an oppression4 ,i ought to relieve them from a weight which sooner or later cannot fail to crush them40 ,this unfortunate man1 after penning the above account of his morbid feelings1 sent his wife to church on ,sunday1 ,may #acth1 #aghc2 and after writing an addition to his journal1 took a pair of scissors and attempted1 although unsuccessfully1 to terminate his life by cutting his throat4 ,he then opened the arteries at the wrists1 and again failed in destroying himself2 he staggered to the window1 and saw his wife returning home1 upon which he seized a knife used for killing deer1 and stabbed himself in the heart4 ,he was lying weltering in his blood when his wife came in1 but was not quite dead4 ,m4 le ,clarc1 who relates the case1 observes1 that he was a man of understanding1 and of a lively wit4 ,he possessed a great deal of theoretical learning2 his heart was incorruptibly honest4 ,like every calm and determined self-murderer1 he was proud2 but his pride was not the pride of rank1 of riches1 or of learning1 but that divine pride which arises from a consciousness of incorruptible honesty1 and of being possessed of good powers of mind4 ,the office he held was that of an assistant judge in a small college of justice at ,insterberg4 ,his mother had been once deranged in her mind4 ,few persons have given a more striking example of this passion than the ,abb de ,ranc1 when first touched with remorse for the enormity of his past life1 and before the disturbed state of his mind had settled into that turn for religious seclusion and mortification which produced the appalling austerities of ,la ,trappe4 8,to a state of frantic despair10 says ,don ,lancelot1 in his letter to ,la ,mre ,angelique of ,port ,royal1 8succeeded a black melancholy4 ,he sent away all his friends1 and shut himself up in his mansion at ,veret1 where he would not see a creature4 ,his whole soul1 nay1 even his bodily wants1 seemed wholly absorbed in a deep and settled gloom4 ,shut up in a single room1 he even forgot to eat and drink2 and when the servant reminded him that it was bed-time1 he started as from a deep reverie1 and seemed unconscious that it was not still morning4 ,when he was better1 he would often wander in the woods for the entire day1 wholly regardless of the weather4 ,a faithful servant1 who sometimes followed him by stealth1 often watched him standing for hours together in one place1 the snow and the rain beating on his head1 whilst he1 unconscious of his position1 was wholly absorbed in painful recollections4 ,then1 at the fall of a leaf1 or the noise of the deer1 he would awake as from a slumber1 and1 wringing his hands1 hasten to bury himself in a thicker part of the wood1 or else throw himself prostrate1 with his face in the snow1 and groan bitterly40#ca ,how many commit suicide from what is termed a blind impulse6 ,they fancy that an internal voice tells them to kill themselves2 and considering it impossible to resist what they term a destiny1 they do so4 ,a gentleman1 a merchant of the city of ,london1 had been exposed to great mental perturbation2 his nervous system had received a severe shock4 ,he suffered extremely from a dread of going mad4 ,as he was walking home one afternoon1 he heard a voice say1 8,kill thyself60 8,commit suicide60 and from that moment he could not banish the idea from his mind4 ,two or three times he was on the eve of obeying the mandate of this internal voice2 but he fortunately possessed sufficient resolution to resist the temptation4 ,in this state of mind he consulted a physician1 who ordered him to be cupped in the neighbourhood of the head4 ,his bowels were attended to1 and he was recommended to visit some friends in the north of ,scotland1 and to banish from his mind all ideas connected with business4 ,he followed the advice of his judicious physician1 and in a short time he completely recovered4 ,in the midst of health apparently perfect and uniform1 a man was attacked with a sudden disposition to destroy4 ,he seized a stick1 raised it1 struck indiscriminately and broke everything that presented itself to him4 ,after some seconds1 the stick fell from his hands1 and he appeared restored to himself4 ,the man knew nothing of what he had just done4 ,he was reproached1 he was shewn the remnants of the things that he had broken2 he thought they were ridiculing him1 and he was greatly irritated4 ,he was again seized with frenzy1 and killed a person4 ,he was taken before a court of justice1 acquitted on the ground of insanity1 and placed in an hospital4 ,this disposition to destroy returned at distant intervals2 it then came on more frequently2 and finally1 changed into fits of epilepsy4 ,a person seized with this morbid desire is not always unconscious of the approach of the disposition2 he has sometimes a presentiment of it1 perceives its danger1 seeks to combat it1 and frequently succeeds in effecting his purpose4 ,a labourer1 at the end of his day's work1 felt himself seized with an irresistible desire of running2 he rushed upon the quay1 which goes from the ,louvre to the ,grve3 every obstacle was overcome4 ,an attempt was made to stop him1 but it was not successful4 ,at last he dexterously engaged one of his arms in the wheel of a carriage1 which happened to be within his reach4 ,thus withheld1 he recovered his breath1 became calm1 and appeared to have no idea of what had occurred4 ,this feeling was again manifested1 and he was properly sent by his friends to an hospital1 when it was discovered that he had a disease of the spinal marrow4 ,a man arrived upon the ,pont ,neuf2 he rushed violently to the parapet1 and precipitated himself into the ,seine4 ,he was seen by some of the bystanders1 who drew him out of the water and saved his life4 ,after some days of complete restoration1 his friends asked him the reason of his strange conduct4 ,he replied1 8,i cannot give any account4 ,i am in the happiest situation in the world4 ,i have only to play with fortune and with men4 ,i have never been ill4 ,i do not know what troubles may come upon me4 ,i can only recollect my arrival on the ,pont ,neuf1 and my recall to life40 ,the particulars of the following fact are recorded in ,mrs4 ,mathews' life of her husband4 ,mathews the comedian had lived for some days a vapid and inactive life4 ,his spirit had been pressed down1 8cabin'd1 cribb'd1 confin'd40 ,in this state of mind1 a party of gentlemen called upon him1 and proposed a day's excursion4 ,accordingly1 they all mounted their horses4 ,mrs4 ,mathews says--8,my husband's depressed spirits were exhilarated by the beauty of the weather1 and the prospect of a day's pleasure 7free from the restraint of a room1 listening to truisms7 in the open air1 where he would have uncontrolled power to gaze upon his idol1 ,nature1 in her most beautiful form4 ,he had not ridden out of the city for some weeks1 and was in a state of childish delight and excitement4 ,at this moment his eyes turned upon one of the party1 a very little man1 who was perched on a very tall horse1 and who seemed unusually grave and important4 ,mr4 ,mathews looked at him for a moment2 and the next1 knocked him off with a smart blow1 felling him to the ground4 ,the whole party were struck with horror2 but no one felt more shocked than he who had committed the outrage4 ,he dismounted1 picked up the little victim to his unaccountable freak1 declared himself unable to give any motive for the action1 but that it was an impulse he could not resist2 and afterwards1 in relating this extraordinary incident1 he declared his conviction that it was done in a moment of frenzy1 induced by the too sudden reaction from previous stagnation of all freedom and amusement40 ,a young woman1 about twenty years of age1 who had been insane but a short time1 and appeared to be recovering1 after having assisted to whitewash and clean a ward in an asylum in which she was confined1 was sitting1 in the evening1 taking tea with the nurse and several other inmates4 ,she took advantage of the opportunity when the nurse went to the cupboard for some sugar to seize a knife with which some bread had just been cut2 and in the presence of the whole party1 in an instant1 before her hand could be arrested1 cut her throat in so dreadful a manner that she died almost immediately4 ,a patient in the ,asylum at ,wakefield1 the wife of a labourer1 a kind-hearted and clever woman1 was afflicted with such a propensity to destroy that she was almost constantly obliged to be kept in confinement2 and when at liberty1 she could not resist the pleasure of breaking anything she met with4 ,in one instance1 she saw some tea-cups on a table1 and for some time walked backwards and forwards1 and checked the inclination2 but eventually the temptation proved too strong1 and she swept them at once on to the floor4 ,she afterwards regretted the circumstance2 but the impulse was too powerful to be resisted4 ,a monomaniac 7says ,esquirol7 heard a voice within him repeat these words--8,kill thyself6 kill thyself60 ,he therefore committed suicide1 in obedience to this superior power1 whose order he dare not withstand4 ,a man1 under a religious hallucination1 believed himself to be in communication with the ,deity4 ,he fancied he heard a celestial voice saying--8,my son1 come and seat thyself by my side40 ,he opened the window to obey the invitation1 fell down1 and fractured his leg4 ,when he was carried to his bed1 he expressed the greatest astonishment on finding that he had precipitated himself from the window4 ,a young lady of considerable beauty was accosted in the street by a strange gentleman4 ,she took no notice at first of the unwarrantable liberty2 but on finding that he persisted in following her1 she attempted1 by quickening her pace1 to escape4 ,being extremely timid1 and having naturally a very nervous temperament1 she was much excited4 ,the person in the garb of a gentleman followed her for nearly a mile1 and when he saw that she was home1 he suddenly turned down a street1 and disappeared4 ,the young lady expressed herself extremely ill soon after she entered the house4 ,a physician was sent for1 who declared his astonishment at her severe illness from a cause so trifling4 ,during the following night she manifested indications of mental derangement1 with a disposition to commit suicide4 ,a strait-waistcoat was procured1 and all apprehensions of her succeeding in gratifying the propensity of self-destruction was removed4 ,some weeks elapsed before she recovered4 ,to all appearance she was perfectly well4 ,she had no recollection of what had transpired1 and expressed herself amazed when she was told that she had wished to kill herself4 ,two months after she left her bed she was missed4 ,search was made in every direction1 but in vain4 ,after the lapse of two days1 she was discovered floating in a pond of water several miles from her home4 ,in her pocket was discovered a piece of paper1 on which were written the following lines3--8,oh1 the misery and wretchedness ,i have experienced for the last month no one but myself can tell4 ,a demon haunts me--life is insupportable4 ,a voice tells me that ,i am destined to fall by my own hands4 ,i leave this world for another1 where ,i hope to enjoy more happiness4 ,adieu40 ,we have no doubt that in this case1 although the acute symptoms of insanity had subsided1 she had not recovered completely her sane state of mind4 ,none but those conversant with the subject of mental derangement would believe that so trifling a circumstance as that of being spoken to in the street would have produced so violent an attack of maniacal delirium as was witnessed in the case of this poor girl4 ,m4 ,esquirol states that he has never seen an unequivocal instance of any individual drawn to the commission of suicide by a kind of irresistible impulse1 independently of any secret grievance1 real or imaginary4 ,could the secret feelings of these suicides be accurately ascertained1 there would generally1 if not always1 be found some lurking source of discontent1 real or fanciful1 in the breast1 which serve as motives to their suicidal propensity4 ,many instances are on record1 it is true1 where men have put a period to their existence without any apparent visible cause or motive2 but as ,rousseau has justly observed1 8,le bonheur n'a point d'enseigne exterieur3 pour en juger1 il faudrait lire dans le cur de l'homme heureux40 8,individuals10 says ,esquirol1 8who appear outwardly the residence of happiness1 are often inwardly the focus of chagrin1 and tortured with distracting passions4 ,that man can destroy his own life1 being at the same time happy in his mind1 is a phenomenon which human reason cannot comprehend40 ,a diseased temperament1 a serious lesion of one or more of the viscera1 a gradual exhaustion of the energies of the system1 may so aggravate the miseries of life as to hasten the period of voluntary death4 ,but how are we to account for the irresistible propensity to suicide which sometimes exists1 independent of any apparent mental or physical ailments8 ,a melancholic1 whose case was published in ,fourcroy's ,medical ,journal of #agib1 once said1 8,i am in prosperous circumstances2 ,i have a wife and a child who constitute my happiness2 ,i cannot complain of bad health1 and still ,i feel a horrible propensity to throw myself into the ,seine40 ,his declaration was too fatally verified in the event4 ,crichton was once consulted upon the case of a young man1 twenty-four years of age1 in full vigour and health1 who was tormented by periodical accessions of these gloomy feelings and propensities4 ,at those times he meditated his own destruction4 ,but on a nearer view of the fatal act1 he shrunk back into himself1 and recoiled with horror from its execution4 ,without relinquishing his project1 he never had the courage to accomplish it4 8,it is in cases like these10 says ,crichton1 8that energetic measures of coercion1 and the effectual excitement of terror1 should lend their aid to the powers of medicine and regimen40 ,in many cases of suicide1 the act is preceded by a long train of perverted reasoning4 ,these individuals become taciturn1 morose1 pusillanimous1 and distrustful4 ,the future presents itself to their view under the most unfavourable aspect1 and despair becomes painted on their countenances4 ,their eyes become hollow2 they complain of sleeplessness1 and are disturbed by frightful dreams4 ,the bowels are in an inactive state2 the functions of the liver become to a certain extent suspended4 ,it is in this state that they contemplate the idea of suicide2 and the diaries which some have kept of their sensations and thoughts disclose the various kinds of death which they have contemplated and rejected1 one after another1 often for reasons the most preposterous and ridiculous4 ,it is singular that in these journals they generally endeavour to hide their despondency and their mental aberration1 while their moral and intellectual weakness is sure to be betrayed4 ,they often accuse themselves of insanity1 and bewail their unhappy lot2 others argue most ingeniously in favour of their meditated suicide4 ,others again1 subdued as it were by the force of the moral and religious principles which they have imbibed1 represent to themselves that the act they contemplate is contrary to the moral end for which man was created--fatal to the welfare and happiness of their families4 ,then ensues a conflict in their breasts4 ,if reason and religion prevail1 the project is abandoned1--sometimes abandoned altogether4 ,if otherwise1 the suicide is committed4 ,falret knew the case of a woman who exhibited a tendency to suicide1 but who was delivered for a period from the commission of the crime by the principles of religion in which her mind had been educated4 ,a long period elapsed before she could reconcile herself to the act of suicide1 and then she argued herself into it by the following piece of sophistry3--8,there are no general rules without exceptions2 and ,i am the precise exception in this case3 therefore ,i may commit suicide without violating my religious principles40 ,having once conceived the idea of suicide1 the mind is often rendered so miserable in consequence of it1 that the person rushes into the arms of death in order to escape from the terrible state of anticipation4 ,others meditate on the bloody deed for years4 ,rousseau1 after drawing a piteous portrait of his proscribed and solitary condition1 and of the state of his health1 adds1 8,puisque mon corps n'est plus pour moi qu'un embarras1 un obstacle mon repos1 cherchons donc m'en degager le plus tt que je pourrai40 ,tedium vit1 or ennui1 is said to be a frequent cause of suicide4 ,we have heard of an ,englishman who hanged himself in order to avoid the trouble of pulling off and on his clothes4 ,gothe knew a gardener1 and the overseer of some extensive pleasure-grounds1 who once splenetically exclaimed1 8,shall ,i see these clouds for ever passing1 then1 from east to west80 ,so singularly developed was this weariness of life1 this feeling of satiety1 in one of our distinguished men1 that it is said of him that he viewed with dissatisfaction the return of spring1 and wished1 by way of change1 that everything would1 for once1 be red instead of green4#cb 8---- ,within that ample nich1 ,with every quaint device of splendour rich1 ,yon phantom1 who1 from vulgar eyes withdrawn1 ,appears to stretch in one eternal yawn3 ,of empire here he holds the tottering helm1 ,prime-minister in ,spleen's discordant realm1 ,the pillar of her spreading state1 and more1 ,her darling offspring1 whom on earth she bore4 ,for1 as on earth his wayward mother strayed1 ,grandeur1 with eyes of fire1 her form surveyed1 ,and with strong passion starting from his throne1 ,unloos'd the sullen queen's reluctant zone4 ,from his embrace1 conceived in moody joy1 ,rose the round image of a bloated boy3 ,his nurse was1 ,indolence2 his tutor1 ,pomp1 ,who kept the child from every childish romp4 ,they rear'd their nursling to the bulk you see1 ,and his proud parents called their imp--,ennui40 ,hayley's ,triumphs of ,temper4 ,it is rare for an ,englishman to commit suicide from ennui4 ,the ,english are different in this respect from the ,french people4 ,the causes which lead to suicide in this country1 are those connected with sudden reverse of fortune1 or grievous disappointments1 which are allowed to prey upon the mind until the individual seeks relief in the arms of death4 ,in great commercial communities1 where men may be reduced1 in a few minutes1 from affluence to beggary2 where the hopes and aspirations of years are levelled in a moment to the dust1 and the individual finds himself exposed to the insulting pity of friends1 and the searching curiosity of the public1 we need not feel surprise1 when all these circumstances rush upon a man's mind in the sudden convulsion and turbulence of its elements1 that he should welcome the only escape from the abyss into which he has been hurled4 ,it has been stated1 by a competent authority1 that the week following the drawing of the last lottery in ,england1 no less than fifty suicides were committed6 ,m4 ,gase1 in a memoir read before the ,academie ,royale de ,mdecine1 traces the increase of suicide in ,paris to the spirit of gambling which the ,parisians so passionately indulge in4 ,the extended system of speculation in this country approximates in its pernicious effects on the constitution to those which have been considered to result from gambling4 ,the following case1 which was communicated to a popular journal1 by ,dr4 ,j4 ,johnson1 forcibly illustrates how the constitution may be undermined by rash1 inconsiderate conduct1 during the excitement arising from temporary circumstances3-- ,one day1 on the ,stock ,exchange1 when the rumours of failings at home and commotions abroad were producing such alarming vacillations in the public funds that the whole property of a gentleman of high probity1 temperance1 and respectability1 was in momentary jeopardy1 he found himself in so terrible a state of nervous agitation that he was obliged to leave the scene of confusion1 and apply to wine1 though quite unaccustomed to more than a glass or two after dinner4 ,to his utmost surprise1 the wine had no apparent effect1 though he drank glass after glass1 in rapid succession1 until he had finished a whole bottle4 ,not the slightest inebriating influence was induced by this unusual quantity taken before dinner4 ,his nervous agitation was1 however1 calmed1 and he went back to the ,exchange1 and transacted business with steadiness1 composure1 and equanimity4 ,none of the ordinary effects of wine were produced at the time1 but a few days afterwards he was seized with a severe attack of indigestion1 a malady by which he had never been previously affected4 ,this case shews that although mental agitation masks1 or even prevents1 the usual effects of wine1 and other stimulants1 at the time1 and thus enables1 and indeed induces1 men to take more than under ordinary circumstances1 yet the ulterior effects are greatly worse on the constitution than if the stimulants had produced the usual excitement at the moment of their reception into the stomach4 ,it is thus1 we have no doubt1 that the nervous system of thousands in this country is ruined1 and1 in numerous cases1 the seeds of suicidal derangement sown1 and that without the victims being conscious of the channel through which they have been poisoned4 ,defective education is a frequent cause of suicide4 ,at the present day1 the ornamental has taken the place of the substantial2 the showy and specious1 the situation of the solid and virtuous4 ,the endowments of the mind and cultivation of the heart are forced to yield to the external accomplishments and graces of the body1 and polished manners are too generally preferred to sound morals4 ,the importance of fashion is inculcated in opposition to reason2 religion is made to bow down before the shrine of honour2 and the fear of the world is taught to supersede the fear of ,god4 ,but what superstructure can be raised on so sandy a foundation8 ,it can support no incumbent weight2 and1 in consequence1 it cannot be deemed surprising that an inundation of folly and vice1 like a sweeping torrent1 should bear down all before it4 ,the dignity of personal worth and character is a point too little considered4 ,brilliant parts supersede sound judgment2 and disinterested virtue1 integrity1 and public spirit1 are out of character in a nation immersed in voluptuousness4 ,education of a light and frivolous character leads to a vacuity of serious thoughts and solid principles of conduct4 ,luxury and profligacy1 in all ages1 have operated injuriously on the human mind4 ,cato the elder observes that there could be no friendship in a man whose palate had quicker sensations than his brain and heart4 ,the man who has no internal sources of enjoyment to fly to when others fail1--he whose happiness consists in an indulgence in the pleasures of the senses1 when these ephemeral sources of gratification are removed1 will1 to avoid the vacuum which is made in his existence1 readily terminate his own life4 ,there cannot be a doubt but that the general diffusion of knowledge1 and the desire to place within the command of the humblest person the advantages of education1 have not a little tended to promote the crime of suicide4 ,it may be opposed to all our priori reasoning to suppose that1 in proportion as the intellect becomes expanded1 knowledge and civilization diffused1 the desire to commit self-murder would be engendered4 ,it is an indisputable fact1 that insanity1 in all its variations1 is in a ratio to the refinement and civilization of a country4 8,it is clearly proved10 says ,brown1 8that in ,finstre1 where the people are in a deplorable state of ignorance1 and education is entirely neglected1 only twelve in a hundred of the inhabitants being able to write or read1 few suicides occur1 at least only in the proportion of one in #be1jjj4 ,in ,paris1 that focus of all that is brilliant and imposing in science and literature1 the crime is of common occurrence4 ,in ,corze1 where only twelve in the hundred can read or write1 one suicide in #dg1jjj occurs2 and in the ,high ,loire one in #afc1jjj4 ,on the other hand1 in ,oise and ,lower ,seine1 both places in possession of the highest degree of general instruction1 and of the means of advancing in improvement1 suicides occur in every #ejjj or #ijjj inhabitants4 ,in the north of ,france1 ,catholicism has been nearly extirpated1 and there suicide and crime predominate2 south of the ,loire1 on the contrary1 it still retains a strong hold of the affections of the people1 and there suicide1 and its sinister crimes or maladies are comparatively rare4 ,this affords a noble proof that the effects of ,christianity1 in whatever form and under whatever circumstances1 are peace and joy40#cc ,it is our firm belief that the increase of suicide in this country is to a certain extent to be traced to the atrocious doctrines promulgated with such zeal by the sect of modern infidels1 who falsely denominate themselves ,socialists2 a class whose opinions are subversive of all morality and ,christianity1 and which sap the foundation of society itself4 ,it is natural to expect when such principles of infidelity are inculcated1 when men are taught to believe in the non-existence of a ,god1 and to consider they are not accountable agents1 and are under the operation of an organization over which they have no control1 that they should look with philosophic indifference on suicide1 and consider it as a justifiable mode of putting an end to the misery and wretchedness engendered by their own opinions4 ,such doctrines must of necessity be productive of great evil to society2 and it becomes the duty of every ,christian and well-wisher to his fellow-men to hold them up to reprobation4 ,the opinions of ,owen strike at the root of all order1 and of all virtue1 social and public1 and break down every barrier of law and restraint1 making the passions the only standard of right and wrong--the animal appetites the only test of virtue and vice4 ,in the ,bishop of ,exeter's able speech in the ,house of ,lords1 on the subject of ,socialism1 he stated that cases of suicide under circumstances of the most dreadful suffering had occurred1 which had been brought about by ,mr4 ,owen's pernicious doctrines4 ,the learned prelate related the particulars of the following case3--,mr4 ,parke1 a most respectable inhabitant of ,wolverhampton1 had an apprentice1 who had been in the habit of attending ,socialists' meetings1 and hearing their lectures4 ,he purchased all their publications1 and his master's shop not being of that kind to furnish them1 he was obliged to go elsewhere to obtain them4 ,he dined and drank tea as usual with ,mr4 ,parke on the ,sunday1 and left after tea to attend ,st4 ,george's ,church4 ,not coming home at the usual hour1 his master sat up for him until #ab o'clock1 when1 as he had not returned1 he concluded that his relations had detained him4 ,he was1 however1 found dead1 in a sort of lumber room1 the next morning4 ,two bottles of poison were lying by his side2 the one which occasioned his death contained prussic acid2 the other1 nux vomica3 near him were lying four letters1 one addressed to his father1 another to ,mr4 ,parke1 a third to the jury1 and a fourth containing his creed2 in all of which he expressed his disbelief in the ,bible1 considering it 8the most dangerous book that ever was written10 and if ever such a person as ,jesus ,christ lived1 he was the weakest man he ever heard of4 ,in one of the letters he also stated that he had been nurtured in superstition1 7meaning1 that he had been brought up as a member of the church of ,england17 and that when he read ,owen's works he 8shuddered at their common sense40 ,he denied all belief in a future state of retribution2 and as he considered apprenticeship slavery1 he thought it more prudent to suffer pain for a moment than to endure six years' servitude4 ,he earnestly entreated the jury not to bring in a verdict of insanity4 ,it appears from a letter to the ,bishop of ,exeter1 written by the unfortunate youth's uncle1 that he had been from infancy an exceedingly lively boy2 between him and his parents the most glowing affection1 as well as the most boundless confidence1 existed2 but the fatal poison of ,socialism changed a confiding heart into a cold concentration of selfishness4 ,after the verdict of the jury1 the uncle declared aloud1 before a crowded room1 in a most vehement manner1 that1 were he in the presence of the ,queen1 he would proclaim ,owen as the murderer of his nephew4 ,the indifference with which self-murder is looked at in ,germany is to be ascribed in a great measure to the popular productions of that country4 ,we are reluctant to denounce as undoubted causes of suicide the works of men of splendid talents2 but in such a case it would be wrong1 it would be criminal1 to mince the matter1 and plead any excuse for so detestable a work as ,werter1 which has unhinged the minds of thousands1 before they were aware of its impoisoned and insidious tendency4 ,that it is the work of a man of genius only makes its blackening influence the stronger2 as the fascination of the style1 and the intense interest of the narrative1 operate like an infernal spell to smooth the road to self-destruction4 ,its leading theme is1 that human passions1 and particularly love1 are immediately inspired by ,heaven2 and that it would be wrong--nay1 that it is impossible--to resist them2 and consequently1 if a lover meets with disappointment1 his only virtuous course is suicide1 which is triumphantly catalogued among the virtues1 as it was by the heathen morality of the ancients4 ,this work1 together with ,foscolo's imitation of it1 the 8,ultime ,lettere di ,jacopo ,ortis10 and all publications of a similar character1 ought to be repudiated by every sound thinking man4 ,resistance to the dictates of passion1 when it prompts to crime and suicide1 is a most deadly sin against ,werterism2 whilst1 obeying the passions to the letter1 even if they incite to criminal love or self-murder1 gives to its disciple the stamp of one of the virtuous who have courageously braved the laws of good order1 fearlessly dared to trample under foot all the commands of ,god and man1 and stood forth as the redoubted champions of human supremacy and the glorious right of self-destruction4 ,such are the principles of the miscreants who wish to prove that suicide is a virtue2 and1 with the sentiments found in the pages of ,werter1 they rush headlong and unthinkingly into a deep and awful futurity4 ,it is not generally known that ,gothe1 the author of the work alluded to1 attempted suicide4 ,he considered the death of the ,emperor ,otho as worthy of imitation4 ,in contemplating the feelings which influenced that monarch1 he says he convinced himself that if he could not proceed as ,otho had done1 he was not entitled to resolve on renouncing life4 ,he adds1 8,by this conviction1 ,i saved myself from the purpose1 or indeed1 more properly speaking1 from the whim1 of suicide4 ,among a considerable collection of arms1 ,i possessed a costly well-ground dagger4 ,this ,i laid down nightly by my side2 and1 before extinguishing the light1 ,i tried whether ,i could succeed 7 la ,otho7 in sending the sharp point an inch or two deep into my heart4 ,but as ,i truly never could succeed1 ,i at last took to laughing at myself1 threw away all these hypochondriacal crotchets1 and determined to live40 ,in the melancholy case of ,hackman and ,miss ,ray1 the following is the substance of a correspondence which passed between them on the subject of ,werter4 ,hackman was refused the sight of this book by ,miss ,r41 who had a copy of the ,french translation1 because1 as she expresses herself1 she saw too great a similarity between her lover and ,werter1 not only in point of situation1 but in the impetuosity of their tempers4 8,the book you mention10 says ,miss ,r41 8is just the only book you should never read4 ,on my knees1 ,i beg you never to read it6 ,perhaps you have read it2 perhaps--,i am distracted6 ,heaven only knows to whom ,i may be writing this letter40 ,to this1 ,hackman1 who was in ,ireland1 replies3 8,nonsense6 to say it will make me unhappy1 or that ,i shall not be able to read it4 ,must ,i pistol myself because a thick-blooded ,german has been fool enough to set the example1 or because a ,german novelist has feigned such a story40 ,werter was read1 and the effect was most injurious on his mind4 ,whilst confined in ,newgate1 he wrote the following letter3--8,among my papers you will see1 my friend1 some lines ,i wrote on reading ,gothe's ,werter1 translated from ,german into ,french1 which1 whilst ,i was in ,ireland1 ,miss ,r4 refused to lend me4 ,when ,i returned to ,england1 ,i made her let me read it4 ,but ,i never shewed her these lines1 for fear they should make her uneasy4 ,unhappy ,werter6 still less pretence hadst thou for suicide than ,i4 ,after finally seeing thy ,charlotte married to another--marrying her thyself--hadst thou a right over thy existence1 because she was not thy wife8 ,yet wast thou less barbarous than ,i2 for thou didst not seek to die in her presence1--but neither didst thou doubt her love4 ,we can neither of us hope for pardon60 ,the lines were these1 supposed to be found1 after ,werter's death1 upon the ground by the pistol-- 8,if chance some kindred spirit should relate ,to future times unhappy ,werter's fate2 ,should in some pitying1 almost pardoning age1 ,consign my sorrows to some weeping page2 ,and should the affecting page be haply read ,by some new ,charlotte--mine will then be dead4 7,yes2 she shall die--sole solace of my love6 ,and we shall meet--for so she said--above47 ,o ,charlotte6 7,martha--by whatever name1 ,thy faithful ,werter hands thee down to fame17 ,o be thou sure thy ,werter never knows ,the fatal story of my kindred woes6 ,o do not1 fair one1--by my shocking end ,i charge thee6--do not let thy feeling friend ,shed his sad sorrows o'er my tearful tale3 ,example1 spite of precept1 may prevail40 ,it may be mentioned1 as a fact corroborating the opinion1 that productions of an infidel character have a tendency to originate a disposition to suicide by weakening the moral principles2 that when the celebrated and notorious ,tom ,paine's 8,age of ,reason0 was first published1 the papers of the day recorded many cases of self-murder committed by persons who avowed that the idea never entered their heads until they had become familiar with the works of the above-mentioned writer4 ,an individual1 zealous in the diffusion of ,paine's principles1 purchased several hundred copies of his work1 which he most industriously circulated1 gratuitously1 in quarters where he knew the doctrines of ,christianity had already obtained a footing4 ,a copy of the 8,age of ,reason10 elegantly bound1 was received by a young lady who was acting in the capacity of a governess in the family of a gentleman of great respectability4 ,the lady had no conception from whom the present came1 and having heard of the book1 she felt a curiosity to become acquainted with the doctrines which it inculcated4 ,the circumstance of her having received the book was not mentioned to any member of the family with whom she resided2 and in the evening1 when she retired to her own room1 she read it with great attention4 ,the family noticed1 in a few weeks1 a perceptible alteration in the appearance of the young lady4 ,she became extremely thoughtful and contemplative4 ,her health also appeared sensibly affected4 ,the mother of the children whom she was instructing took advantage of the first opportunity of speaking to her on the subject4 ,she expressed herself very unhappy in her mind1 but refused to disclose the cause of her mental uneasiness4 ,it was thought she had formed an attachment1 and was suffering from the effects of disappointed affection4 ,she was questioned on these points1 but persisted in concealing the circumstances which had been operating so injuriously on her mind4 ,the mental dejection increased1 and the result was1 an alarming attack of nervous fever1 of which she was cured by an able physician with much difficulty4 ,when convalescent1 she was noticed one day busily employed in writing1 and when interrupted1 shewed great anxiety to secrete the piece of paper on which she had been transcribing her thoughts4 ,in the course of the evening of the same day1 a deep groan was heard to issue from her room4 ,the servant immediately entered1 when1 to her great horror1 she saw the governess on the floor with a terrible gash in her throat4 ,assistance was directly obtained1 but1 alas6 not in time to save the life of the poor unfortunate girl4 ,on searching her desk1 a sheet of paper was discovered1 on which she had disclosed her reasons for the rash act4 ,she said1 that from the moment she read the 8,age of ,reason10 her mind became unsettled4 ,her previous religious impressions were undermined2 in proportion as she was induced to imbibe the doctrines of ,tom ,paine1 so she became miserable and wretched4 ,from one error she fell into another1 until she actually believed that death was annihilation2 and although she appeared firmly rooted in this belief1 she expressed herself horrified beyond all expression at the bare idea of dissolution4 ,for some time prior to her illness1 she had felt an impulse to sacrifice her life1 but had not the courage to perform the act4 ,after her recovery1 she felt the impulse renewed with increased strength1 until1 with a hope of escaping from an accumulation of misery which was weighing her to the earth1 she determined to commit suicide4 ,she also1 in the document referred to1 asked her friends to forgive her1 and to take warning from her fate4 ,that many rush into suicide in order to escape the just and legal punishment of their crimes cannot be a matter of doubt4 ,many under such circumstances are influenced by a fear of public exposure1 and prefer death to the idea of being compelled to undergo the ordeal of a trial in a court of justice4 ,the following case is but the type of many that could be related3-- ,a young man of family1 the ,hon4 ,mr4 ----1 staying at an inn in ,portsmouth1 previously to sailing for ,india1 where he was going out as an aide-de-camp to ,general----1 with a party of friends1 also officers1 joined company at supper one evening with ,mr4 ,bradbury1 the clown of ,covent ,garden ,theatre1 a person of very gentlemanlike exterior and manners1 and ambitious of the society of gentlemen4 ,he was in the habit of using a very magnificent and curious snuff-box1 and on this occasion it was much admired by the party1 and handed round for inspection from one to the other4 ,mr4 ,bradbury soon after left the inn1 and retired to his lodging1 when he missed his box1 and immediately returned to inquire for it4 ,the gentlemen with whom he had spent the evening had all retired to bed2 but he left word with the porter to mention to the officers early the next day that he had left the box1 and to request them to restore it to him when found4 ,the next morning1 ,mr4 ,bradbury again hastened to the inn1 anxious to recover his property1 and met on his way the ,hon4 ,mr4 ----1 and communicated his loss to him2 when he was informed by that gentleman that a similar circumstance had occurred to himself1 his bed-room having been robbed the night before of his gold watch1 chain1 and seals1 c41 and that he was on his way to a ,jew in the town to apprize him of the robbery1 in order that if such articles should be offered for sale1 he might stop them and detain the person who presented them4 ,this was very extraordinary6 ,mr4 ,bradbury then met the other gentlemen of the party1 and was told by them that their rooms had also been robbed1 one of bank notes to a great amount1 another of a gold watch1 c4 ,the ,hon4 ,mr4 ---- was violently infuriated by his loss2 and as he was bound to sail from ,portsmouth when the ship was ready1 he naturally dreaded being compelled to depart without his property4 ,he hinted1 too1 that he had certain suspicions of certain people4 ,an officer was sent for from ,london4 ,this man came down promptly1 to the great satisfaction of the ,hon4 ,mr4 ----2 and after searching the house and their trunks1 ,rivett 7the officer7 addressed the gentlemen1 observing1 that there was yet a duty unperformed1 and which was a painful one to him--he must search the persons of all present1 and as the ,hon4 ,mr4 ----'s trunks had been the first to be inspected1 perhaps he would allow him to examine him at once4 ,to this he agreed2 but the next moment#j he was observed to look very ill4 ,rivett was proceeding to search him1 as a matter of course1 when he requested that everybody would leave the room1 except the officer and ,mr4 ,bradbury1 which request was immediately complied with4 ,he then fell upon his knees1 entreated for mercy1 and placed ,mr4 ,bradbury's box in his hand1 begging him to forgive him and spare his life4 ,rivett upon this proceeded to search him1 but he resisted2 the object was effected by force1 and the greater part of the property found that had been stolen in the house4 ,the officer1 conceiving that he had not got the whole of the bank notes1 inquired of ,mr4 ---- where the remainder was2 when he pointed to a pocket-book which was under the foot of the bed2 and while ,rivett relaxed his hold of him1 and was in the act of stooping to pick up the book1 ,mr4 ---- caught up a razor and cut his throat4 ,rivett and ,mr4 ,bradbury seized an arm each1 and forced the razor from him2 but he was so determined on self-destruction1 that he twisted his head about violently in different ways1 in order to make the wound larger and more fatal4 ,to prevent him from continuing this1 he was braced up with linen round his neck so tightly that he could not move it4 ,a surgeon of the town1 with two assistants1 came1 and after seeing the wound1 gave it as their opinion that it was possible for him to recover1 and by the assistance of some powerful soldiers holding him1 they dressed the wound4 ,his clothes were then cut off1 and he was carried down stairs into another room4 ,during this operation he coughed violently2 but whether naturally or by design1 to make his wound worse1 was not ascertained4 ,it had1 however1 the effect of setting his wound bleeding again1 and the dressing was obliged to be repeated4 ,the sequel of this distressing case was of an equally melancholy character4 ,poor ,mr4 ,bradbury was standing close to the unfortunate young man when he committed the sudden attempt upon his own life4 ,the horror of the act1 and the shocking appearance of his lacerated throat1 the blood from which flowed out upon ,mr4 ,bradbury1 in short1 this heart-rending result of the previous agitation and discovery1 acted upon the sensibility of ,mr4 ,bradbury to such an extent as to deprive him of reason4 ,this fact was noticeable two days after the above scene1 by his entering a church1 and after the service was ended1 going into the vestry1 and requesting the clergyman to pray for him1 as he intended to cut his throat6 ,this distemper of mind was not too great at first to admit of partial control2 but it daily increased1 and ultimately caused him to be placed under restraint4#cd ,a woman1 about thirty-six years of age1 who had been well educated1 but whose conduct had not been exempt from some irregularities1 in consequence of intemperance and manifold disappointments1 became affected with madness4 ,she was by turns furious and melancholic1 and conceived she had murdered one of her children1 for which she ought to suffer death4 ,she detailed the manner in which she had destroyed the child1 and the motives which actuated her1 so circumstantially1 and with so much plausibility and feeling1 that if it had not been known that her child was living1 the physician under whose care she was placed might have been deceived4 ,by her own hands she had repeatedly endeavoured to terminate her existence1 but was prevented by constant vigilance and due restraint4 ,her disposition to suicide was afterwards relinquished2 but she still persisted that for the murder of the child she ought to suffer death1 and requested to be sent to ,newgate1 in order to be tried1 and undergo the sentence of the law2 indeed1 she appeared to derive consolation from the hope of becoming a public example1 and expiating her supposed crime on the scaffold4 ,while in this state1 and with a hope of convincing her of its safety1 the child was brought to visit her4 ,when she beheld it1 there was a temporary burst of maternal affection2 she kissed it1 and for a few moments appeared to be delighted3 but a look of suspicion quickly succeeded1 and this was shortly followed by a frown of indignation1 which rendered the removal of the child a measure of wholesome necessity4 ,perhaps in no instance was the buoyancy of madness more conspicuous over reason1 recollection1 and feeling4 ,she insisted they had attempted to impose on her a strange child1 which bore a faint resemblance to her own2 however1 by such subterfuges she was not to be deceived2 she had strangled the child until life had totally departed1 and it was not in the order of nature that it should exist again4 ,the effect of this interview was an exasperation of her disorder3 she became more cunning and malignant1 and her desire for an ignominious death was augmented4 ,to render this more certain1 and accelerate her projected happiness1 she enticed into her apartment a young female patient to whom she appeared to be attached1 and having previously platted some threads of her bed-quilt into a cord1 she fixed it round the neck of the young woman1 and proceeded to strangle her4 ,fortunately1 some person entered the room and unloosed the cord in time to save her4 ,when this unhappy maniac was questioned concerning the motive which induced her to attempt the destruction of a person for whom she had manifested kindness1 she very calmly replied1 that as the murder of her own child was disbelieved1 she wished to exhibit a convincing proof of the ferocity of her nature1 that she might instantly be conveyed to ,newgate and hanged1 which she desired as the greatest blessing4 ,with considerable satisfaction1 we may add1 that in a few months1 notwithstanding her derangement had been of three years' duration1 this woman perfectly recovered1 and for a considerable time performed the duties of an important and respectable office4#ce ,the great increase of the crime of suicide has been referred by many able physicians of the present day to the political excitement to which the minds of the people have been exposed of late years4 ,in despotic countries1 suicide and insanity are seldom heard of3 the passions are checked by the nature of the government2 the imagination is not elevated to an unhealthy standard2 every man is compelled to follow the calling in life to which he is born1 and for which he has capacity2 and on this account the evil and corrupt dispositions of the mind are1 to a certain extent1 kept in abeyance4 ,in republican governments1 the greatest latitude is allowed to the turbulent passions2 all mankind are theoretically placed on an equality2 the man whose 8talk is of bullocks0 considers himself as fit to carry on the complicated business of government as he whose education1 associations1 and experience tend to qualify him for the duties of a legislator4 ,in proportion as men are exposed to the influence of causes which excite the passions1 so will they become predisposed to mental derangement in all its forms4 ,the ,french and ,american revolutions increased considerably the crime of suicide4 ,it has been said that during the 8reign of terror0 statistical evidence does not shew that self-murder was more common than at any other period4 ,perhaps the alleged unfrequency of suicide may be attributed to the circumstance of the ,french people having been so busy in killing others that they had no time to think of killing themselves4 ,more than the average number of suicides may not have really occurred during the crisis of the ,revolution1 but it is an undisputed fact that1 both before and after that political convulsion1 self-destruction prevailed to an alarming extent4 ,disappointed hopes1 wounded pride and vanity1 blighted ambition1 loss of property1 death of friends1 disgust of life1 all came into active operation after the turbulence and bloodshed of the ,revolution had somewhat subsided3 these passions1 working upon minds easily excited1 and not under the benign influence of religion1 it was almost natural to expect that great recklessness of life should be exhibited4 ,such facts demonstrate to us the folly of uselessly exciting the passions of the people1 and raising in their minds exaggerated expectations from political changes4 ,the tendency of refined sensibility to become wound up in a paroxysm1 terminating in suicidal attempts1 is strikingly illustrated in a case reported by ,dr4 ,burrows3-- 8,a gentleman of a family of rank1 and distinguished for talent1 married early in life the object of his most ardent affections4 ,he possessed extreme sensibility1 with a most highly cultivated and refined mind4 ,it may be remarked1 as a constitutional peculiarity1 that his natural pulse did not exceed forty beats in a minute4 ,when anything suddenly occurred to agitate him1 it produced an attack of fever1 and his pulse was accelerated in an astonishing degree4 ,though in ordinary affairs he was a man of firm resolution and great spirit1 yet when this fit happened1 he was seized with such a panic1 or impulse1 that he knew not what he did1 and he was unnerved for days4 ,his lady being well acquainted with the infirmities of his constitution1 rendered him1 by her good sense and soothing1 a happier man than he had previously been4 ,most unfortunately1 she died in the first year of her marriage4 ,his grief at her loss was excessive2 and even when time had abated its poignancy1 he continued very miserable4 ,his thoughts were always reverting to the virtues of her whom he had lost1 and the comparative happiness he had enjoyed in her society4 ,he tried everything to divert his melancholy2 but these impulses would follow reflection2 and then his ideas adverted to self-destruction4 ,he reasoned with himself upon the subject till1 he confessed1 he had become an infidel in religion1 and could no longer view the act as wicked4 ,i had10 said ,dr4 ,burrows1 8an opportunity of knowing the exact state of his mind during this struggle1 from perusing some notes which he had written1 describing it4 ,he expressed himself with the utmost tenderness and affection with respect to his departed wife1 and of his intention of soon joining her by a voluntary death2 not1 however1 in heaven1 but in ,elysium4 ,one night1 after having been occupied in reading to some dear relations1 and apparently much enjoying the subject1 he retired to his chamber4 ,he undressed1 and dismissed his valet4 ,his gloomy reflections recurred4 ,one of these strange impulses came over him4 ,he seized a pistol1 and discharged it3 it failed of effect4 ,he fired another3 he wounded himself severely1 but not mortally2 neither was the effusion of blood great4 ,he then called for assistance4 ,little constitutional disturbance followed1 and the wound readily healed4 ,it was during the time he was confined from the effects of this wound that ,dr4 ,burrows was consulted4 ,he could not detect the slightest aberration of the mind1 nor was there a trait in his countenance of a propensity to commit suicide4 ,he freely conversed on his past and present situation and opinions2 was perfectly ready to submit to any supervision ,dr4 ,burrows might advise1 or plan that might be suggested1 to bring him into a better and happier state of mind4 ,by degrees1 he acquired more composure4 ,he afterwards travelled for a year and a half on the ,continent4 ,upon his return1 he seemed much improved in general appearance4 ,nothing1 however1 conquered his constitutional susceptibility40 ,that the ,,love ,,of ,,notoriety often impels to suicide there cannot be a doubt4 ,the man who was killed by attaching himself to a rocket1 and he who threw himself into the crater of ,mount ,vesuvius1 were1 no doubt1 stimulated by a desire for posthumous fame4 ,shortly after the suicide at the ,monument1 a boy made an unsuccessful endeavour to poison himself2 and on being questioned as to his motives1 he said1 8,i wished to be talked of1 like the woman who killed herself at the ,monument60 ,how strange and anomalous are the motives which influence human actions6 ,many are induced to think of suicide from the circumstance of their being conscious that they labour under an hereditary disposition to insanity4 ,we know the case of a lady whose mind has been dwelling upon the subject of suicide for some time1 and she has told her friends repeatedly that she feels assured she shall commit some rash act4 8,the disposition to suicide and insanity is in the family1 and how can ,i fight against my physical organization80 ,such is the mode of reasoning she adopts whenever urgently persuaded to banish from her mind the horrid sensations which are embittering her life4 ,a gentleman1 in full possession of his reasoning faculties1 and a man of considerable powers of intellect1 said to us one day1 in a conversation we had with him on the subject of suicide1 8,you may probably smile when ,i tell you that1 happy and contented as ,i appear to be in my mind at this moment1 ,i feel assured ,i shall fall by my own hands40 ,upon our asking him why he thought so1 he replied1 that a relation of his had killed himself some years previously1 and that he laboured under an hereditary predisposition which nothing would subdue4 ,a woman1 thirty-five years of age1 placed herself1 in #ahba1 under the care of ,m4 ,falret1 for symptoms of phthisis4 ,when nineteen years old1 the death of an uncle1 by his own hands1 made a deep impression on her mind4 ,she heard that insanity was hereditary1 and the idea pursued her that she should one day fall into this melancholy condition4 ,she confessed her apprehensions only to the priests1 who endeavoured to dissipate the mournful impression4 ,in this state she continued for two years1 when the death of her reputed father1 also by suicide1 riveted the conviction on her mind that her own doom was sealed4 ,she was convinced that her blood was corrupted2 and this idea appeared to be confirmed by other circumstances4 ,tortured by this notion1 she resolved to drown herself4 ,after leaving a letter in her chamber1 apprising her friends of the manner of her meditated death1 she plunged into the river2 but being immediately taken out1 she was restored to life4 ,the night following this attempt1 she was harassed with a pain in her head1 and after a short sleep1 awoke1 incapable of recognising any of the friends about her4 ,she was evidently delirious1 but made no allusion to her former melancholy impressions4 ,although previously religious and well-behaved1 she uttered nothing but obscenities4 ,this delirious excitement continued three days1 and was succeeded by melancholy and a disposition to suicide4 ,headache again came on1 with nausea and bilious vomitings1 which1 however1 soon subsided4 ,she became considerably emaciated after this1 and looked the picture of despair2 in fact1 she could not look into the glass at herself without terror4 ,once more she wished the aid of religion1 which afforded her some consolation1 but was insufficient to dissipate entirely her sufferings4 ,meanwhile1 her mother revealed to her the secret that her real father was still alive2 and1 after considerable scepticism on the point1 she consented to an interview with him4 ,the physical resemblance was so striking1 that all doubt was instantly removed from her mind4 ,from that moment all idea of suicide vanished2 her spirits and health became progressively re-established4 ,fourteen years1 says ,falret1 have now elapsed since the attempt at self-destruction4 ,she is the mother of three children1 and1 during her married state1 has been reduced to the greatest penury and distress2 but has never1 since the period alluded to1 entertained the remotest idea of suicide2 on the contrary1 she has proved an exemplary wife and affectionate parent1 having the full possession of her intellectual faculties4#cf ,everything that tends to throw the mind off its healthy balance will1 of course1 predispose to suicide4 ,excessive devotion of the attention to any particular branch of study1 or to business1 often originates cerebral disease and suicidal mania4 ,in alluding to the injurious effects of excessive study1 ,marcilius ,ficinus1 as quoted by ,burton1 justly observes--8,other men look to their tools3 a painter will wash his pencils2 a smith will look to his hammer1 anvil1 and forge2 a husbandman will mend his plough-irons and grind his hatchet1 if it be dull2 a falconer or huntsman will have an especial care of his hawks1 hounds1 horses1 and dogs2 a musician will string and unstring his lute1--only scholars neglect that instrument 7their brain and spirit1 ,i mean7 which they daily use1 and by which they range over all the world1 and which by much study is consumed40 ,the melancholy case of ,william ,eyton ,tooke1 ,esq41 who committed suicide some years ago1 will illustrate the operation of the cause referred to4 8,this gentleman10 says a relative1 in a letter to the ,times newspaper1 explanatory of the causes of ,mr4 ,t4's death1 8from a very early period of life1 devoted himself to the most abstruse inquiries into moral and political philosophy1 and has thus fallen a victim to the absorbing and exclusive nature of the pursuit40 ,one of the witnesses who was examined at the inquest stated1 that the deceased was of an exceedingly studious turn1 and had for many months past been directing his attention particularly to commercial subjects4 ,this subject was his constant study1 and the theme of his conversation4 ,it seemed to engross the whole of his attention1 and his health1 both bodily and mentally1 was evidently impaired by it4 ,a short period before his death1 he was heard frequently to say1 placing his hand upon his head1 8,this subject is too much for me2 my head is distracted60 ,it was under the influence of this over-excited state of brain that he committed suicide4 ,it has been observed1 in another part of this work1 that many commit suicide from the notion that death from natural causes is attended with considerable agony4#cg ,this is the generally received notion1 but it is an erroneous one4 ,those who have often witnessed the act of dying allow that it is not a painful process4 ,in some delicate and irritable persons1 a kind of struggle is indeed sometimes excited when respiration becomes difficult2 but more frequently the dying obviously suffer nothing1 and express no uneasiness4 ,dr4 ,ferriar says1 8,in those who die of chronic diseases1 the gradation is slow and distinct4 ,consumptive patients are sometimes in a dying state for several days2 they appear at such times to suffer little1 but to languish for complete dissolution2 nay1 ,i have known them express great uneasiness when they have been recalled from the commencement of insensibility1 by the cries of their friends1 or the efforts of the attendants to alleviate pain4 ,in observing persons in this situation1 ,i have always been impressed with an idea that the approach of natural death produces a sensation similar to that of falling asleep4 ,the disturbance of respiration is the only apparent source of uneasiness to the dying2 and sensibility seems to be impaired just in proportion to the decrease of that function4 ,besides1 both the impressions of present objects and those recalled by memory are influenced by the extreme debility of the patient1 whose wish is for absolute rest4 ,i could never see the close of life under these circumstances without recollecting those beautiful lines of ,spencer-- 8,sleep after toil1 port after stormy seas1 ,ease after war1 death after life1 doth greatly please40 ,professor ,hufeland1 on the subject of death1 observes1 8that many fear death less than the operation of dying40 ,people1 he continues1 8form the most singular conceptions of the last struggle--the separation of the soul from the body1 and the like2 but this is all void of foundation4 ,no man certainly ever felt what death is2 and insensibly as we enter life1 equally insensibly do we leave it4 ,the beginning and the end are here united4 ,my proofs are as follows3--,first1 man can have no sensation of dying2 for to die means nothing more than to lose the vital powers2 and it is the vital power which is the medium of communication between the soul and the body4 ,in proportion as the vital power decreases1 we lose the power of sensation and consciousness2 and we cannot lose life without1 at the same time1 or rather before1 losing our vital sensation1 which requires the assistance of the tenderest organs4 ,we are taught also by experience that all those who ever passed through the first stage of death1 and were again brought to life1 unanimously asserted that they felt nothing of dying1 but sunk at once into a state of insensibility4#ch 8,let us not be led into a mistake by the convulsive throbs1 the rattling in the throat1 and the apparent pangs of death1 which are exhibited by many persons when in a dying state4 ,these symptoms are painful only to the spectators1 and not to the dying1 who are not sensible of them4 ,the case here is the same as if one1 from the dreadful contortions of a person in an epileptic fit1 should form a conclusion respecting his internal feelings3 from what affects us so much1 he suffers nothing4 8,let one always consider life1 as it really is1 a mean state1 which is not an object itself1 but a medium for obtaining an object1 as the multifarious imperfections of it sufficiently prove3 as a period of trial and preparation1 a fragment of existence1 through which we are to be fitted for1 and transmitted to1 other periods4 ,can the idea1 then1 of really making this transition--of ascending to another from this mean state1 this doubtful1 problematical existence1 which never affords complete satisfaction--ever excite terror8 ,with courage and confidence we may1 therefore1 resign ourselves to the will of that ,supreme ,being who1 without our consent1 placed us in this sublunary theatre1 and give up to his management the future direction of our fate4 8,remembrance of the past1 of that circle of friends who were nearest1 and always will be dearest to our hearts1 and who1 as it were1 now smile upon us with a friendly look of invitation from that distant country beyond the grave1 will also tend very much to allay the fear of death40 ,we recollect attending the case of a young lady labouring under a disease which produced extreme mental and physical suffering1 who exhibited1 a short period before her death1 some singular phenomena4 ,this lady had not been seen to smile1 or to shew any indication of freedom from pain1 for some weeks prior to dissolution4 ,two hours before she died1 the symptoms became suddenly altered in character4 ,every sign of pain vanished2 her limbs1 from being subject to violent spasmodic contractions1 became natural in their appearance2 her face1 which had been distorted1 was calm and tranquil4 ,all her friends supposed that the crisis of the disease had arrived1 and that it had taken a favourable turn1 and delight and joy were manifested by all who were allowed access to her chamber1 and who were made acquainted with the change which had taken place4 ,she conversed most freely1 and smiled as if in a happy condition4 ,we must confess that the case puzzled us1 and that we were for a short time induced to entertain sanguine hopes of her ultimate recovery4 ,but1 alas6 how fragile are all our best hopes6 ,for two hours we sat by the bed1 watching the patient's countenance with great anxiety4 ,every unfavourable indication had vanished2 her face was illuminated by the sweetest smile that ever played on the human countenance4 ,during the conversation we had with her1 she gave a slight start1 and said1 in a tone of great earnestness1 8,did you see that80 ,her face became suddenly altered2 an expression of deep anguish fixed itself upon her features1 and her eyes became more than ordinarily brilliant4 ,we replied1 8,what80 ,she answered1 8,oh6 you must have seen it4 ,how terrible it looked as it glided over the bed4 ,again ,i see it10 she vociferated1 with an unearthly scream1 8,i am ready60 and1 without a groan1 her spirit took its flight6 ,dr4 ,symonds recollects to have heard a young man1 who had been but little conversant with any but civic scenes1 discourse most eloquently1 a short period before his death1 of sylvan glen and bosky dells1 purling streams and happy valleys1 as if his spirit had been already luxuriating itself in the gardens of ,elysium4 ,nothing more frequently prognosticates the approach of death than the appearance of a spectre at the bed-side of the patient4 ,in some cases1 the mind1 when in a happy frame1 dwells with delight on the contemplation of the last struggle1 and has a foretaste of that heavenly joy which is the reward of a well-spent life4 ,the spirits of good men and of angels are said to hover round the departing soul of the ,christian1 as if waiting to bear it to the mansions of bliss3-- 8,saw you not even now a blessed troop ,invite me to a banquet1 whose bright faces ,cast thousand beams upon me1 like the sun8 ,they promised me eternal happiness2 ,and brought me garlands1 ,griffith1 which ,i feel ,i am not worthy yet to wear40 ,,king ,,henry ,,viii4 ,many have1 under the notion that the fear of death is beneficial to the mind1 done their best to keep the idea constantly before them4 8,if ,i must die1 ,i'll snatch at anything ,that may but mind me of my latest breath2 ,death's-heads1 graves1 knells1 blacks1 tombs1 all these shall bring ,into my soul such useful thoughts of death1 ,that this sable king of fears ,shall not catch me unawares40 ,young raised about him an artificial idea of death2 he darkened his sepulchral study1 placing a skull on his table by lamp-light4 ,at the end of an avenue in his garden was placed on a seat an admirable chiaro-oscuro1 which when approached presented only a painted surface1 with an inscription1 alluding to the deception of the things of this world4 ,dr4 ,j4 ,donne1 the celebrated ,english divine and poet1 is said to have longed for the hour of dissolution4 ,previous to his death1 he gave instructions for a monument1 which his friends had declared their intention to erect to his memory4 ,a carver made him in wood the figure of an urn1 and having secured the services of a painter1 the ,doctor ordered the urn to be brought into his chamber4 ,having taken off his clothes1 he procured a white sheet1 which was put on him1 and tied with knots at his hands and feet4 ,in this state he stood upon the urn1 with his eyes closed1 and a portion of the sheet turned aside in order to shew his lean1 pale1 and death-like face4 ,in this posture1 the painter sketched him2 and when the monument was finished1 it was placed by his bed-side1 and was hourly the source of contemplation until his death4 ,the 8lightening up before death10 so often perceptible1 is but the result of venous blood being sent to the brain4 ,when respiration becomes imperfect1 the blood does not undergo the proper chemical change in the lungs 7arterialization71 and its effect on the sentient organ is such as is occasionally witnessed prior to dissolution4 ,abernethy considers the sensations of the dying similar to those experienced by persons labouring under delirium4 ,he relates the case of a man who appeared1 during his delirious state1 to meet with old acquaintances4 ,the companions of his youthful days flocked once more around him--old associations were revived4 8,how are you1 my dear fellow80 he exclaimed4 8,it is long since we met4 ,give us your fist1 my hearty4 ,now1 that is a good joke2 ,i never heard a better4 ,ah6 ah6 ah60 ,we had once the painful duty of watching the expiring struggles of a man whose life had been one long career of vice and debauchery4 ,his death was truly appalling4 ,it was evident1 from the expressions which escaped him when dying1 that his mind had a vivid conception of the scenes in which he had played so conspicuous a part4 8,now for the dice60 he exclaimed1 with the fury of a maniac4 8,that's mine6 ,no6 all1 all is gone6 ,more wine1 d---- you2 more wine6 ,oh6 how they rattle6 ,fiends1 fiends1 assail me6 ,i say1 you cheat6 the cards are marked6 ,now the chains rattle6 ,o death6 ,o death60 and with a terrific groan he breathed his last4 ,among the causes which operate in producing the disposition to commit suicide1 we must not omit to mention those connected with erroneous religious notions4 ,m4 ,falret justly remarks1 that the religious system of the ,druids1 ,odin1 and ,mahomet1 by inspiring a contempt for death1 have made many suicides4 ,the man who believes that death is an eternal sleep1 scorns to hold up against calamity1 and prefers annihilation4 ,the sceptic also often frees himself by self-destruction from the agony of doubting4 ,the maxim of the ,stoics1 that man should live only so long as he ought1 not so long as he is able1 is1 we may observe1 the very parent of suicide4 ,the ,brahmin1 looking on death as the very entrance into life1 and thinking a natural death dishonourable1 is eager at all times to get rid of life4 ,the ,epicureans and ,peripatetics ridiculed suicide1 as being death caused by fear of death4 ,m4 ,falret1 however1 goes perhaps too far when he asserts that the noble manner in which the gladiators died in public1 not only familiarized the ,romans with death1 but rendered the thoughts of it rather agreeable than otherwise4 ,misinterpretations of passages of scripture will sometimes lead those who are piously inclined to commit suicide4 ,m4 ,gillet hung himself at the age of seventy-five1 having left in his own handwriting the following apology3--8,jesus ,christ has said1 that when a tree is old and can no longer bear fruit1 it is good that it should be destroyed40 7,he had more than once attempted his life before the fatal act47 ,dr4 ,burrows attended a nobleman who1 for fear of being poisoned1 though he pretended it was in imitation of our ,saviour's fast1 took nothing but strawberries and water for three weeks1 and these in very moderate quantities4 ,he never voluntarily abandoned his resolution4 ,he was at length compelled to take some nutriment1 but not until inanition had gone too far2 and he died completely attenuated4 ,when sound religious principles produce a struggle in the mind which is beginning to aberrate1 the contest generally ends in suicide4 ,some murder themselves to get rid of the horrid thoughts of suicide2 whilst others brood over them like ,rousseau1 for months and for years1 and at length perpetrate the very action which they dread4 ,a countryman of ,rousseau's1 who advocated suicide as a duty1 and who spent the greater part of a long life in writing a large folio volume to prove the soundness of his doctrine1 thought it his duty1 after he had completed his work1 to give a practical illustration of his principles1 and1 accordingly1 at the age of seventy1 threw himself into the ,lake of ,geneva1 and was drowned4 ,it may appear strange that religion1 the greatest blessing bestowed by ,heaven on man1 should ever prove a cause of one of his severest calamities4 ,but perhaps it would be more accurate to impute such unhappy effects to fanaticism1 or to the total want of religion4 ,instances very frequently occur in practice in which patients have appeared1 some suddenly1 and others gradually1 to be seized with a species of religious horror1 despairing of salvation1 asserting that they had committed sins which never could be forgiven1 who had never previously appeared to be under religious impressions4 ,some of these have been visited by divines of various denominations1 and been induced to hear sermons and read books well calculated to dispel gloomy apprehensions1 and excite religious hope and confidence4 ,with some this has succeeded1 especially when conjoined with medical aid2 but it has been observed1 that in the cases of those who have recovered1 the patients have emerged precisely as they immerged2 for as they before were unconcerned about religious matters1 so they remained after their recovery2 thus the indisposition has been very erroneously imputed to religion when it has no kind of affinity to1 or concern with it4 ,such cases almost invariably exhibit the same symptoms1 which generally turn on these points--despair of temporal support1 or despair of final salvation4 ,but the medical practitioner1 and not the divine1 is the proper person to be consulted in such cases2 and1 however the mind may be affected in them1 the patient is to be relieved by means of medicine4 ,it may be added1 that the agonies of mind under which some persons labour who are called fanatically mad arise from a sense of moral turpitude1 independent of any peculiar religious tenets or opinions4 ,the true doctrines of ,christianity1 when properly inculcated1 never excite a gloomy state of mind4 8,to be religious10 says ,south1 8it is not necessary to be dull40 ,cowper 7perhaps1 however1 the most miserable and melancholy of men7 beautifully says-- 8,true piety is cheerful as the day1 ,will weep indeed1 and heave a pitying groan1 ,for others' woes1 but smile upon her own40 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,imitative1 ,,or ,,epidemic ,,suicide4 ,persons who act from impulse liable to be influenced--,principle of imitation1 a natural instinct--,cases related by ,cabanis and ,tissot--,the suicidal barbers--,epidemic suicide at the ,htel des ,invalides--,sydenham's epidemic--,the ladies of ,miletus--,dr4 ,parrish's case--,are insanity and suicide contagious8 ,the most singular feature connected with the subject of suicide is1 that the disposition to sacrifice life has1 at different periods1 been known to prevail epidemically1 from a perversion1 as it has been supposed1 of the natural instinct of imitation4 ,this is not only the case with reference to suicide1 but is witnessed also in cases of murder4 ,the atrocities of the ,french ,revolution are1 to a certain extent1 to be traced to the influence of this imitative principle4 ,persons whose feelings are not thoroughly under their command1 who act from impulse and not from reflection1 are very prone to be operated upon by the cause referred to4 ,man has been defined an imitative animal2 and in many instances we witness this propensity controlling almost irresistibly the actions of the individual4 ,tissot relates the case of a young woman in whom this faculty was so strongly developed that she could not avoid doing everything she saw others do4 ,cabanis gives the account of a man in whom the tendency to imitate was so strongly marked1 and active1 from disease1 that 8he experienced insupportable suffering0 when he was prevented from yielding to its impulses4 ,a woman1 in the ward of an hospital1 will be seized with an epileptic fit2 in the course of a short period1 other cases will occur in the same ward4 ,a child was brought into one of our metropolitan hospitals1 labouring under a violent attack of convulsions4 ,she had not been in the house five minutes before three children who were present were seized with spasmodic convulsions of a similar character4 ,the commission of a great and extraordinary crime produces not unfrequently the mania of imitation in the district in which it happened4 ,a criminal was executed at ,paris1 not many years ago1 for murder4 ,a few weeks afterwards1 another murder was perpetrated2 and when the young man was asked to assign a reason for taking away the life of a fellow-creature1 he replied1 that he was not instigated by any feeling of malice1 but1 after having witnessed the execution1 he felt a desire1 over which he had no control1 to commit a similar crime1 and had no rest until he had gratified his feelings4 ,it is only on the same principle that we can account for the following singular case of suicide4 ,it is related by ,sir ,charles ,bell1 in his 8,institutes of ,surgery40 ,the surgeon of the ,middlesex ,hospital who preceded ,sir ,charles ,bell went into a barber's shop1 in the neighbourhood of the institution1 to be shaved4 ,as the barber was operating upon his chin1 the conversation turned upon the case of a man who had been admitted the previous day into the hospital1 and who had attempted1 unsuccessfully1 to kill himself1 by cutting his throat4 8,he could easily have managed it10 said the surgeon1 in rather a jocular strain1 8had he been acquainted with the situation of the carotid artery4 ,he did not cut in the proper place40 8,where should he have cut80 asked the barber1 quietly4 ,the surgeon1 not suspecting what was passing through the barber's mind1 gave a popular lecture on the anatomy of the neck--pointed out the exact position of the large vessels1 and shewed where they could easily be wounded4 ,after the conversation1 the barber made some excuse for leaving the room2 and1 not returning as soon as was expected1 the surgeon went to look for him1 when he was discovered in the yard1 behind the house1 with his head nearly severed from his body6 ,the following case is1 perhaps1 more strange and inexplicable than the one just related4 ,the brother of a hairdresser and barber had killed himself by blowing out his brains4 ,the circumstance appeared to affect seriously the mind of his relative4 ,he left his business for a few days2 and then returned1 apparently more tranquil in his mind4 ,in the morning1 several persons came in to be shaved2 and1 all at once1 he felt a strong1 and almost overwhelming1 inclination to cut some one's throat4 ,he fought manfully1 however1 against this horrid desire4 ,during the whole of the earlier part of the day1 he had been able to resist the gratification of the feeling4 ,every time he placed the razor in contact with the throat1 he fancied he heard a voice within him exclaim1 8,kill him6 kill him60 ,in the afternoon1 an elderly gentleman came into the shop to be shaved2 and when the barber had nearly concluded the operation1 he was again seized with the desire2 and1 before he could summon courage enough to suppress it1 he gave the man's throat a tremendous gash2 fortunately1 however1 the wound was not fatal4 ,gall informs us of a man who1 on reading in the newspapers the particulars of a case of murder1 perpetrated under circumstances of peculiar atrocity1 was instantly seized with a desire to murder his servant1 and would have done so1 had he not given his intended victim timely warning to escape4 ,some years ago1 a man hung himself on the threshold of one of the doors of the corridor at the ,htel des ,invalides4 ,no suicide had occurred in the establishment for two years previously2 but in the succeeding fortnight1 five invalids hung themselves on the same cross bar1 and the governor was obliged to shut up the passage4 ,sydenham informs us that1 at ,mansfield1 in a particular year1 in the month of ,june1 suicide prevailed to an alarming degree1 from a cause wholly unaccountable4 ,the same thing happened at ,rouen1 in #ahjf2 at ,stuttgard1 in the summer of #ahaa2 and at a village of ,st4 ,pierre ,montjean1 in the ,valais1 in the year #ahac4 ,one of the most remarkable epidemics of the kind was that which prevailed at ,versailles in the year #agic4 ,the number of suicides within the year was #acjj--;a number out of all proportion to the population of the town4 ,in the olden time1 the ladies of ,miletus1 in a fit of melancholy for the absence of their husbands and lovers1 resolved to hang themselves1 and vied with each other in the alacrity with which they did the deed4 ,in the time of the ,ptolemies1 a stoic philosopher pleaded so eloquently1 one day1 to an ,alexandrian audience on the advantages of suicide1 that he inspired his hearers with his principles1 and a great number voluntarily sacrificed their lives4 ,a clergyman1 master of a very large and popular school1 the locality of which1 for obvious reasons1 it would not do to specify1 recently informed one of his friends that he had discovered a new pupil in the act of practising a disgraceful vice4 8,send him home to his parents1 and say nothing about it10 was the friend's judicious recommendation4 ,the schoolmaster1 however1 placed great confidence in his own eloquence and the corrective powers of the birch4 ,he assembled his boys1 made an excellent harangue on the guilt of the delinquent1 and gave him a sound flogging4 ,the example of crime proved more influential than the example of punishment1 and the vice spread so rapidly that the whole school was broken up in consequence4#ci ,the particulars of the following case are recorded in the 8,american ,journal of the ,medical ,sciences10 by ,dr4 ,parrish4 ,he says1 8,i was called to visit a child in the family of ,j4 ,s41 a respectable gentleman residing in my neighbourhood4 ,on my arrival1 at #c ,p4,m41 ,i found1 on going into the chamber of my patient1 that death had occurred4 ,the patient was a girl in her fifteenth year1 who had been carefully brought up by a family with whom she had lived between seven and eight years4 ,she had generally enjoyed good health1 with the exception of occasional attacks of sickness of the stomach1 and headache4 ,she had just passed the age of puberty1 and possessed a docile disposition4 ,her situation in life1 as far as could be ascertained1 was in every respect agreeable1 and congenial to her wishes4 8,on the morning of the day of her death1 she was engaged as usual in the domestic concerns of the family until eight o'clock1 when she was observed in the yard vomiting4 ,upon inquiring into the history of the case1 ,i found that early in the morning on which the patient died1 she had held a conversation with a little girl residing in the next house1 in which she mentioned having lately read in a newspaper of a man who had been unfortunate in his business1 and had taken arsenic to destroy himself2 she also spoke of an apothecary's shop near by1 and said she frequently went there4 8,the narration of this conversation afforded strong suspicion to my mind that she had committed suicide2 a suspicion which was strengthened by the fact1 that a few months previous ,i had been called upon to visit a person residing in the same house1 who had suffered for some years under mental derangement1 and had recently been discharged from the insane hospital near ,frankford2 he had taken laudanum1 with the intent of destroying himself4 8,this circumstance would naturally produce a strong impression upon the mind of the child1 which was increased1 no doubt1 by the reading of the case detailed in the newspaper4 ,in this way the desire to commit a similar act was kindled up in the mind of the deluded girl1 and thus1 by that inexplicable connexion which1 in some instances at least1 appears to exist between the knowledge of such a horrible act and the desire to perform it1 she was almost irresistibly impelled to the deed4 8,this case is stated as affording strong testimony in favour of a principle which is now beginning to attract the attention of medical men--viz41 that the publicity which is given to cases of suicide1 in the newspapers and by other means1 forms one of the strongest incentives to the commission of the act1 in those who have a secret disposition to destroy themselves4 8,if this be the fact1 a high responsibility rests upon physicians1 so to influence public opinion1 and more especially editors1 as to prevent the narration of the circumstances connected with the death of this unfortunate class4 ,no good can certainly arise 7to the public7 from the exposure of facts which ought to remain concealed in the bosom of distressed families2 while there is reason to believe the list of victims to suicide is annually very much swelled from the course which is now so generally pursued40#dj ,it has been noticed that certain atmospherical phenomena have attended or preceded the suicidal epidemics that have prevailed at various periods4 ,whether these electrical conditions of the air are in any way connected with this peculiar form of contagious malady is a point not easily to be decided4 ,a certain degree of atmospherical moisture appears to favour the spread of the suicidal disposition2 but this may result from the well known influence of moist air on the disposition of the mind1 and may operate by causing a degree of mental despondency and lassitude1 very favourable to the development of the suicidal mania1 particularly after the occurrence of any very remarkable case of self-destruction4 ,it is notorious that nothing is so likely to unsettle the mind1 especially if an hereditary disposition be present1 than constantly associating with lunatics1 and allowing the mind to dwell for any length of time on the subject of insanity4 ,if actual mental derangement does not result from an exposure to the causes referred to1 a certain degree of eccentricity bordering on the confines of aberration is generally perceptible4 ,with our present amount of knowledge of the subtle principle of contagion1 it is difficult to say whether an effluvium may not be generated in such cases which1 under certain conditions of the system1 may communicate disease4 ,we cannot possibly say that this is not the case4 ,if we are justified1 which we by no means are willing to admit1 in the opinion that the disposition to suicide and insanity may be propagated by contagion1 using this term in its usual acceptation1 it is a great consolation to the mind to think that only occasionally does the disease exhibit the slightest approach to virulence1 and that1 unlike many of the admitted contagious maladies1 we may approach the patient without much fear or apprehension4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,suicide ,,from ,,fascination4 ,singular motives for committing suicide--,a man who delighted in torturing himself--,a dangerous experiment--,pleasures of carnage--,disposition to leap from precipices--,lord ,byron's allusion to the influence of fascination--,miss ,moyes and the ,monument--,a man who could not trust himself with a razor--,esquirol's opinion of such cases--,danger of ascending elevated places4 ,how strange1 extraordinary1 and inexplicable are the motives which often lead to the commission of suicide6 ,many have been induced to rush into the arms of death in order to avoid the pain which they fancy accompanies dissolution4 8,hic1 rogo1 non furor est1 ne moriare mori80 ,others have been apparently led to the perpetration of the crime by a desire to ascertain what sensations attended the act of dying2 whilst some have been influenced by a feeling of fascination1 and have stated that they experienced ecstatic delight at the idea of self-immolation4 ,the case of a man is recorded who felt the most exquisite delight in torturing himself4 ,he had often expressed a wish to be hanged1 from the notion that this ,newgate mode of terminating life must give rise to sensations of great pleasure4 ,the idea occurred to him one day of trying the experiment4 ,he procured a piece of cord1 attached it to the ceiling1 and suspended himself from it2 fortunately for the poor infatuated man1 the servant entered the room a few minutes afterwards1 and cut him down4 ,life was not extinct4 ,the man expressed that he felt1 during the few moments that he was hanging1 a thrilling delight1 which no language that he could use could convey anything like an adequate expression of4 ,there was no doubt that this man laboured under an abnormal condition of the mind1 which1 if not amounting to insanity1 certainly approached very nearly the confines of that disease4#da ,a woman was admitted some years back into one of our metropolitan hospitals who had a propensity to cut her person with every sharp instrument that she could procure4 ,it was not her intention to kill herself2 and when reasoned with on the folly of her actions1 she observed that she was impelled by no other motive than the fascinating pleasure she experienced whenever she succeeded in drawing blood4 ,a lady1 a passenger on board of a ship bound for the ,east ,indies1 was frequently heard to express a wish to know what feeling a person experienced in the act of being drowned4 ,she fancied the sensations must be of a pleasurable character4 ,her fellow-passengers laughed at her whenever she alluded to the matter4 ,having introduced the subject again during dinner1 she observed1 8,well1 ,i intend to try the experiment to-morrow morning40 ,the threat only excited the merriment of those who heard it4 ,in the morning1 whilst the passengers were on deck1 the lady plunged into the sea1 to the astonishment of everybody4 ,luckily for her1 the ship was becalmed1 and her life was saved4 ,an extraordinary young man1 who lived at ,paris1 and who was passionately fond of mechanics1 shut himself up one evening in his apartment1 and bound not only his chest and stomach1 but also his arms1 legs1 and thighs1 with ropes full of knots1 the ends of which he fastened to hooks in the wall4 ,after having passed a considerable part of the night in this situation1 he wished to disengage himself1 but attempted it in vain4 ,some neighbouring females1 who were up1 heard his cries1 and1 calling for assistance1 they forced open the door of his room1 when they found him swinging in the air1 with only one arm extricated4 ,he was immediately carried to the lieutenant-general of the police for examination1 when he declared that he had often put similar trials into execution1 as he experienced indescribable pleasure in them4 ,he confessed that at first he felt pain1 but that after the cords became tight to a certain degree1 he was soon rewarded by the most exquisite sensations of pleasure4#db 8,as the chill dews of evening were surrounding our bivouac10 says the author of the 8,recollections of the ,peninsula10 8a staff officer1 with a courier1 came galloping into it1 and alighted at the quarters of our general4 ,it was soon known amongst us that a severe and sanguinary action had been fought by our brother soldiers at ,talavera4 ,disjointed rumours spoke of a dear-bought field1 a heavy loss1 and a subsequent retreat4 ,i well remember how we all gathered round our fires to listen1 to conjecture1 and to talk about this glorious1 but bloody event4 ,we regretted that we had borne no share in the honours of such a day2 and we talked with an undefined pleasure about the carnage4 ,yes6 strange as it may appear1 soldiers1 and not they alone1 talk of the danger of battle fields with a sensation which partakes of pleasure40 ,a watchmaker of ,aberdeen1 who had been looking over the precipices of ,loch-na-,gair1 suddenly felt a desire to precipitate himself from the height1 and having first taken a step or two back for the purpose1 he flung himself off4 ,a gentleman travelling through ,switzerland1 with his wife1 came to an eminence commanding an extensive and beautiful view of the surrounding country4 ,he went1 accompanied by his wife1 to the edge of a mountainous cliff1 and1 turning round to his lady1 he observed--8,i have lived long enough60 and in a moment threw himself down the precipice4 ,it was a notion of this kind which induced ,lord ,byron to observe that he believed no man ever took a razor into his hand who did not at the same time think how easily he might sever the silver cord of life4 ,the noble poet evidently alludes1 in the following stanzas1 to the strange and unaccountable influence of fascination in exciting the mind to commit suicide3-- 8,a sleep without dreams1 after a rough day ,of toil1 is what we covet most1 and yet ,how clay shrinks back from more quiescent clay6 ,the very suicide that pays his debts ,at once1 without instalments1 7an old way ,of paying debts1 which creditors regret17 ,lets out impatiently his rushing breath1 ,less from disgust of life than dread of death4 ',tis round him1 near him1 there1 everywhere2 ,and there's a courage which grows out of fear1 ,perhaps of all most desperate1 which will dare ,the worst to know it3--when the mountains rear ,their peaks beneath your human foot1 and there ,you look down o'er the precipice1 and drear ,the gulf of rock yawns1--you can't gaze a minute ,without an awful wish to plunge within it6 ',tis true1 you don't--but1 pale and struck with terror1 ,retire3 but look into your past impression6 ,and you will find1 though shuddering at the mirror ,of your own thoughts1 in all their self-confession1 ,the lurking bias1 be it truth or error1 ,to the unknown2 a secret prepossession1 ,to plunge with all your fears--but where8 ,you know not1 ,and that's the reason why you do--or do not40 ,a gentleman with whom we are acquainted1 informed us that1 a few days after ,miss ,moyes had thrown herself from the ,monument1 a friend of his had the curiosity to visit the spot1 and on looking down the awful height from which this poor unfortunate girl had precipitated herself1 he felt suddenly an attack of giddiness1 which was succeeded in a moment by one of the most pleasurable sensations he had ever experienced1 accompanied with a desire to jump off4 ,he was not influenced1 apparently1 by any other motive than that of a wish to gratify a feeling of ecstasy which for a minute suspended all the operations of the mind4 ,a gentleman who was by him asked him a question with reference to the height of the ,monument1 and this circumstance recalling him to the exercise of his reasoning faculties1 he immediately left the spot1 shuddering at the recollection of the idea which had momentarily flashed across his mind4 ,the case is related of a man who had this feeling so strongly manifested that he never dared trust himself with a razor4 ,he was not devoid of religious feeling1 and was most happy in his domestic relations4 ,on occasions which required the exercise of moral resolution1 he was never found wanting4 ,he declared his life would not be safe for a day if he were permitted to shave himself4 ,such instances are by no means uncommon1 and require much ingenuity to account satisfactorily for them1 unless they be referred to the effect of fascination4 ,andral observes1 8that there are many men perfectly rational1 and completely undisturbed by care or pain1 who1 singular to state1 have been suddenly seized by a headlong1 groundless inclination to destroy themselves4 ,there are hundreds who cannot approach the brink of a cliff1 or ascend a lofty tower1 without experiencing an almost invincible desire to precipitate themselves to the bottom1 from which fate they only save themselves by an instantaneous effort to retire from the temptation4 ,i knew a gentleman who1 while shaving himself one day1 alone1 was three times so vehemently urged to plunge the razor into his throat1 that he was at length compelled to throw the instrument from him1 in absolute horror and dismay4 ,in rational men1 however1 these trying and dangerous moments are but of very short duration40 ,a sailor informed us that he had often1 when at the top of the mast1 felt disposed to precipitate himself from the giddy eminence1 influenced by no other motive than that of pleasure4 ,in such cases1 what course is the medical man to pursue8 ,it is difficult to give any instructions for the treatment of such cases of mental idiosyncrasy4 ,persons who are subject to feelings of this character should be advised to avoid ascending elevated places4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,of ,,the ,,enthusiasm ,,and ,,mental ,,irritability ,,which1 ,,if ,,encouraged1 ,,would ,,lead ,,to ,,suicide4 ,connexion between genius and insanity--,authors of fiction often feel what they write--,metastasio in tears--,the enthusiasm of ,pope1 ,alfieri1 ,dryden--,effects of the first reading of ,telemachus and ,tasso on ,madame ,roland's mind--,raffaelle and his celebrated picture of the ,transfiguration--,the convulsions of ,malbranche--,beattie's ,essay on ,truth--,influence of intense study on ,boerrhave's mind--,the demon of ,spinello and ,luther--,bourdaloue and his violin--,byron's sensitiveness--,men do not always practise what they preach--,cases of ,smollett1 ,la ,fontaine1 ,sir ,thomas ,more1 ,zimmerman--,tasso's spectre--,johnson's superstition--,concluding remarks4 ,it has been observed that the act of suicide may often originate in a feeling analogous to the enthusiasm exhibited by men of great genius and sensibility4 ,this mental idiosyncrasy1 which borders so closely on the confines of insanity1 has been compared to the narrow bridge of ,al ,sirat1 which leads the followers of ,mahomet from earth to heaven1 but by so narrow a path that the passenger is in momentary danger of falling into the dismal gulf which yawns beneath him4 ,this abnormal condition of the nervous system is1 to a certain extent1 dependent on natural organic structure1 aided materially by an unhealthy exercise of the imaginative faculty4 ,fielding spoke but the history of his own sensations when he declared that he 8had no doubt but the most pathetic scenes had been writ with tears40 ,metastasio was found weeping over his ,olympiad4 ,he says3 8,when ,i apply with attention1 the nerves of my sensorium are put into a violent tumult2 ,i grow as red as a drunkard1 and am obliged to quit my work40 ,pope could not proceed with certain passages of his translation of ,homer without shedding tears4 ,alfieri declares that he frequently penned the most tender passages in his plays 8under a paroxysm of enthusiasm1 and whilst shedding tears40 ,dryden was seized with violent tremors during the composition of his celebrated ode4 ,rousseau1 in conceiving the first idea of his ,essay on the ,arts1 became almost delirious with enthusiasm4 ,madame ,roland has thus powerfully described the ideal presence in her first readings of ,telemachus and ,tasso3--8,my respiration rose1 ,i felt a rapid fire colouring my face1 and my voice changing had betrayed my agitation4 ,i was ,eucharis for ,telemachus1 and ,emenia for ,tancred4 ,having my reason during this perfect transformation1 ,i did not yet think that ,i myself was anything for any one3 the whole had no connexion with myself4 ,i sought for nothing around me2 ,i was they2 ,i saw only the objects which existed for them2 it was a dream without being awakened40 ,raffaelle says1 alluding to his celebrated picture1 the ,transfiguration--8,when ,i have stood looking at that picture1 from figure to figure1 the eagerness1 the spirit1 the close unaffected attention of each figure to the principal action1 my thoughts have carried me away1 that ,i have forgot myself1 and for that time might be looked upon as an enthusiastic madman2 for ,i could really fancy the whole action was passing before my eyes40 ,malbranche was seized with violent palpitations of the heart when reading ,descartes's ,treatise on ,man3-- 8,with curious art1 the brain too finely wrought ,preys on itself1 and is destroyed by thought2 ,constant attention wears the active mind1 ,blots out her powers1 and leaves a blank behind40 ,intense occupation of mind to any particular branch of study1 often brings the mind on the verge of madness4 8,since the #8,essay on ,truth' was printed in quarto10 says ,dr4 ,beattie1 8,i have never dared to read it over4 ,i durst not even read the sheets to see whether there were any errors in the print1 and was obliged to get a friend to do that office for me4 ,these studies came1 in time1 to have dreadful effects upon my nervous system2 and ,i cannot read what ,i then wrote without some degree of horror1 because it recalls to my mind the horrors that ,i have sometimes felt after passing a long evening in these severe studies40 ,boerrhave has related of himself that1 having imprudently indulged in intense thought on a particular subject1 he did not close his eyes for six weeks afterwards4 ,spinello1 having painted the fall of the rebellious angels1 had so strongly imagined the illusion1 and more particularly the terrible features of ,lucifer1 that he was himself struck with such horror as to have been long afflicted with the presence of the demon to which his genius had given birth4 ,swedenburg saw a terrestrial heaven in the glittering streets of his ,new ,jerusalem4 ,malbranche declared he heard the voice of ,god distinctly within him4 ,pascal often was seen to rush suddenly from his chair at the appearance of a fiery gulf by his side4 ,luther maintained that during his confinement the devil used to visit him4 ,hudibras says-- 8,did not the devil appear to ,martin ,luther1 in ,germany1 for certain80 ,he declares that he had many a contest with his satanic majesty1 and that he had always the best of the argument4 ,at one time1 the devil so enraged ,luther that he threw the ink-stand at him1 an action which the ,german commentators greatly applaud1 from a conviction that there is nothing which the devil abhors more than ink4 ,descartes1 after long confinement1 was followed by an invisible person1 calling upon him to pursue the search of truth4 ,mozart's sensibility to music was connected with so susceptible a nervous system that1 in his childhood1 the sound of a trumpet would turn him pale1 and almost induce convulsions4 ,dr4 ,conolly relates an amusing anecdote of the celebrated ,bourdaloue4 ,it is said that the composition of his eloquent sermons so excited his mind that he was unable to deliver them until he discovered some mode of allaying his excitement4 8,his attendants one day were both scandalized and alarmed1 on proceeding to his apartment1 for the purpose of accompanying him to the cathedral1 by hearing the sound of a fiddle1 on which was played a very lively tune4 ,after their first consternation1 they ventured to look through the keyhole1 and were still more shocked to behold the great divine dancing about1 without his gown and canonicals1 to his own inspiring music4 ,of course1 they concluded him to be mad4 ,but1 when they knocked1 the music ceased2 and after a short and anxious interval1 he met them with a composed dress and manner2 and1 observing some signs of astonishment in the party1 explained to them that without his music and his exercise he should have been unable to undertake the duties of the day40 ,in the character of ,lord ,byron we have an apt illustration of the kind of mental irritability and morbid sensitiveness of feeling that so often incites to acts of desperation4 ,it has been said that the noble poet was the child of passion1 born in bitterness and 8nurtured in convulsion40 ,the true state of his mind can best be divined from the delineation of his own sensations as given in ,childe ,harold3-- 8,i have thought ,too long and darkly1 till my brain became ,in its own eddy boiling1 and orwrought ,a whirling gulf of phantasy and flame3 ,and thus untaught in youth my heart to tame1 ,my springs of life were poisoned40 ,byron was subject to attacks of epilepsy2 and perhaps this fact may account for much of the spleen and irritability which he manifested through life1 and which made him so many enemies4 ,it also teaches us an important lesson4 ,we are too apt to form our estimate of character without taking into consideration all those circumstances which are known materially to influence human thought and actions4 ,the state of the organization and the health ought to be maturely weighed before we pronounce authoritatively as to the motives of individuals1 or denounce them for not acting or thinking according to what our preconceived opinions have taught us to consider as orthodox4 ,byron's mind was morbidly alive to impressions4 ,the most trifling circumstance would cause him to swoon4 ,at ,bologna1 in #ahai1 he describes one of his convulsive attacks3--8,last night ,i went to the representation of ,alfieri's ,myrrha1 the last two acts of which threw me into convulsions2 ,i don't mean by that word lady's hysterics1 but an agony of reluctant tears1 and the choking shudder which ,i do not often undergo for fiction40 ,he was seized in a similar manner at seeing ,kean in ,sir ,giles ,overreach2 he was carried out of the theatre in convulsions4 ,from early life1 ,byron exhibited this abnormal excitability4 ,there can be no doubt that it was but the natural effect of a peculiar condition of nervous function2 but1 instead of endeavouring to subdue the feeling1 he did his best to encourage it1 and to fan the fire into a flame4 ,he appears to have been tortured by horrid dreams4 ,he says in his ,journal--8,i awoke from a dream3 well1 have not others dreamed8 ,such a dream6 ,but she did not overtake me6 ,i wish the dead would rest for ever4 ,ugh6 how my blood is chilled6 ,i do not like this dream2 ,i hate its foregone conclusion40 ,the 8,bride of ,abydos0 was written to distract the poet's mind from his dreams4 ,he was in such a nervous state at this period1 that he says if he had not done something1 he must have gone mad1 or have eat his own heart4 ,stendhal1 alluding to ,byron's apparent remorse1 asks1 8,is it not possible that ,byron might have had some guilty stain on his conscience1 similar to that which wrecked ,othello's fame8 ,can it be1 have we sometimes exclaimed1 that1 in a frenzy of pride or jealousy1 he had shortened the days of some fair ,grecian slave1 faithless to her vows80#dc ,it is not just to form our opinions of the character of men by their writings or actions4 ,in the mass1 we are ready to admit that we have no other criteria by which to be guided2 but we may charitably consider that ,byron was not himself the 8dark original he drew40 8,o memory6 torture me no more3 ,the present's all o'ercast-- ,my hopes of future bliss are o'er2 ,in mercy1 veil the past40 ,such were his feelings at the age of seventeen4 ,la ,fontaine penned tales fertile in intrigues1 and yet he was never known1 says ,d',israeli1 to have been engaged in a single amour4 ,smollett was anything but what his writings would lead us to expect4 ,cowley boasted of his mistresses1 and wanted the courage to address one4 ,burton declaimed against melancholy1 and yet he was the most miserable of men4 ,sir ,thomas ,more preached in favour of toleration1 yet in practice was a fierce persecutor4 ,zimmerman1 whilst he was inculcating beautiful lessons of benevolence1 was by his tyranny driving his son into madness1 and leaving his daughter an outcast from home4 ,gothe says1 8,zimmerman's harshness towards his children was the effect of hypochondria1 a sort of madness or moral assassination1 to which he himself fell a victim after sacrificing his offspring40 ,byron occasionally fancied he was visited by a spectre1 which he confesses was but the effect of an overstimulated brain4 ,tasso1 whose fine imagination the passions of hopeless love1 and of grief occasioned by ill treatment1 disordered1 was in daily communication with a spirit4 ,this circumstance is alluded to in the following anecdote of him1 prefixed to ,hoole's translation of his 8,la ,gierusalemme ,liberata40 8,in this place 7at ,bisaccio1 near ,naples7 ,manso had an opportunity of examining the singular effects of ,tasso's melancholy1 and often disputed with him concerning a familiar spirit1 with which he pretended to converse4 ,manso endeavoured in vain to persuade his friend that the whole was the illusion of a disturbed imagination2 but the latter was strenuous in maintaining the reality of what he asserted2 and to convince ,manso1 desired him to be present at one of these mysterious conversations4 ,manso had the complaisance to meet him next day2 and while they were engaged in discourse1 on a sudden he observed that ,tasso kept his eyes fixed upon a window1 and remained in a manner immovable4 ,he called him by his name several times1 but received no answer4 ,at last ,tasso cried out1 #8,there is the friendly spirit1 who is come to converse with me4 ,look1 and you will be convinced of the truth of all that ,i have said4' ,manso heard him with surprise2 he looked1 but saw nothing except the sunbeams darting through the window3 he cast his eyes all over the room1 but could perceive nothing1 and was just going to ask where the pretended spirit was1 when he heard ,tasso speak with great earnestness1 sometimes putting questions to the spirit1 and sometimes giving answers1 delivering the whole in such a pleasing manner1 and with such elevated expressions1 that he listened with admiration1 and had not the least inclination to interrupt him4 ,at last the uncommon conversation ended with the departure of the spirit1 as appeared by ,tasso's words1 who1 turning to ,manso1 asked him if his doubts were removed8 ,manso was more amazed than ever2 he scarce knew what to think of his friend's situation1 and waved any further conversation on the subject40 ,boswell says1 ,dr4 ,johnson mentioned a thing as not unfrequent1 of which he 7,boswell7 had never heard before1--being called1 that is1 hearing one's name pronounced1 by the voice of a known person at a great distance1 far beyond the possibility of being reached by any sound1 uttered by human organs4 ,an acquaintance1 on whose veracity ,boswell says he could place every dependence1 told him that1 walking home one evening to ,kilmarnock1 he heard himself called from a wood1 by the voice of a brother who had gone to ,america1 and the next packet brought the account of that brother's death4 ,macbean asserted that this inexplicable calling was a thing very well known4 ,dr4 ,johnson said1 that one day at ,oxford1 as he was turning the key of his chambers1 he heard distinctly his mother call ,sam6 ,she was then at ,lichfield2 but nothing ensued4 ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds gives an amusing instance of ,dr4 ,johnson's eccentricity4 ,he says1 8,when he and ,i took a journey into the west1 we visited the late ,mr4 ,banks1 of ,dorsetshire4 ,the conversation turning upon pictures1 which ,johnson could not well see1 he retired to a corner of the room1 stretching out his right leg as far as he could reach before him1 then bringing up his left leg1 and stretching his right still further on4 ,the old gentleman observing him1 went up to him1 and in a very courteous manner assured him that1 though it was not a new house1 the flooring was perfectly safe4 ,the ,doctor started from his reverie1 like a person waked out of a sleep1 but spoke not a word40 ,dr4 ,johnson had one peculiarity1 says ,boswell1 of which none of his friends dared to ask an explanation4 ,this was an anxious care to go out or in at a door or passage by a certain number of steps from a certain point1 so that either his right or left foot should constantly make the first actual movement4 ,thus1 upon innumerable occasions1 ,boswell has seen him suddenly stop1 and then seem to count his steps with deep earnestness2 and when he had neglected1 or gone wrong in this sort of magical movement1 he has been noticed to go back again1 put himself in a proper posture to recommence the ceremony1 and having gone through it1 break from his abstraction1 briskly walk on1 and join his companions4 ,an inordinate cultivation of any one faculty of the mind1 but more particularly the imagination1 will tend to produce the peculiarities which have been illustrated in this chapter4 ,a person who accustoms himself to live in a world created by his own fancy--who surrounds himself with flimsy idealities--will1 in the course of time1 cease to sympathize with the gross realities of life4 ,the imaginary intelligences which his own morbid mind has called into existence will exercise a terrific influence over him4 ,a ,german poet commenced writing a poem on the ,deity4 ,he allowed his mind to dwell so intensely on the subject1 that he fancied he was commanded to 8flee from a world of sin and iniquity20 to effect which1 he cut his throat1 and was found dead in bed1 with the razor in one hand and a portion of his poem in the other4 ,the apparitions which the monomaniac fancies to haunt him are as real and sensible existences to him1 as objects are to persons who have a healthy use of the media through which ideas obtain access to the mind4 ,mr4 ,calcraft1 the late member of parliament1 committed suicide4 ,he imagined that a strange unearthly-looking being sat night and day perched at the top of his bed1 watching with earnestness his every movement4 ,this1 which to all around him was an hallucination1 to him was a reality4 ,it is possible for a person of vivid imagination to conjure into apparent existence the most grotesque images of the fancy1 by allowing the mind to dwell with intenseness on a particular train of thought1 and by perfectly abstracting the attention from all materiality4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,physical ,,causes ,,of ,,suicide4 ,influence of climate--,the foggy climate of ,england does not increase the number of suicides--,average number of suicides in each month1 from #ahag to #ahbf--;,influence of seasons--,suicides at ,rouen--,the ,english not a suicidal people--,philip ,mordaunt's singular reasons for self-destruction--,causes of ,french suicides--,influence of physical pain--,unnatural vices--,suicide the effect of intoxication--,influence of hepatic disease on the mind--,melancholy and hypochondriasis1 ,burton's account of--,cowper's case of suicide--,particulars of his extreme depression of spirits--,byron and ,burns's melancholy from stomach and liver derangement--,influence of bodily disease on the mind--,importance of paying attention to it--,a case of insanity from gastric irritation--,dr4 ,johnson's hypochondria--,hereditary suicide1 illustrated by cases--,suicide from blows on the head1 and from moral shocks communicated to the brain--,dr4 ,g4 ,mantell's valuable observations and cases demonstrative of the point--,concluding remarks4 ,the following are the physical causes which are commonly found to operate in producing the suicidal disposition--viz41 climate1 seasons1 hereditary predisposition1 cerebral injuries1 physical suffering1 disease of the stomach and liver complicated with melancholia and hypochondriasis1 insanity1 suppressed secretions1 intoxication1 unnatural vices1 and derangement of the prim vi4 ,these causes can only act by influencing sympathetically the brain and nervous system1 and in that way interfering with the healthy operations of the mind4 ,much will1 of course1 depend upon the physical conformation of the individual exposed to such agents4 ,should he labour under an hereditary predisposition to insanity1 or to suicidal delirium1 a very trifling corporeal derangement may call into existence the self-destructive propensity1 and vice versa4 ,it will be our object to consider seriatim all the physical agents just enumerated4 ,among the causes of suicide1 the foggy climate of ,england has been brought prominently forward4 ,the specious and inaccurate conclusions of ,montesquieu on this point have misled the public mind4 ,the climate of ,holland is much more gloomy than that of ,england1 and yet in that country suicide is by no means common4 ,the reader will perceive from the following tabular statement that the popular notion of the month of ,november being the 8suicide's month0 is founded on erroneous data4 ,the average number of suicides in each month1 from #ahag to #ahbf1 was as follows3-- ,january #bac ,february #bah ,march #bge ,april #cgd ,may #cbh ,june #ccf ,july #cja ,august #bif ,september #bdf ,october #aih ,november #aca ,december #bag -------- #cacc ,it has been clearly established that in all the ,european capitals1 when anything approaching to correct statistical evidence can be procured1 the maximum of suicide is in the months of ,june and ,july2 the minimum in ,october and ,november4 ,temperature appears to exercise a much more decided influence than the circumstances of moisture and dryness1 storms or serenity4 ,m4 ,villeneuve has observed a warm1 humid1 and cloudy atmosphere to produce a marked bad effect at ,paris2 and that so long as the barometer indicated stormy weather1 this effect continued4#dd ,contrary1 however1 to the opinion of ,villeneuve1 it appears that by far the fewer number of suicides occur in the autumn and winter at ,paris1 than in the spring and summer4 ,number of suicides for seven years4 ,in ,spring #iig ,in ,summer #icc ,in ,autumn #fbg ,in ,winter #fdh ,when the thermometer of ,fahrenheit ranges from #hj to #ij suicide is most prevalent4 ,the ,english have been accused by foreigners of being the beau-ideal of a suicidal people4 ,the charge is almost too ridiculous to merit serious refutation4 ,it has clearly been established that where there is one suicide in ,london1 there are five in ,paris4 ,in the year #ahaj1 the number of suicides committed in ,london amounted to #ahh2 the population of ,paris being near #djj1jjj less than that of ,london4 ,from the year #ahbg to #ahcj1 no less than #fijj suicides occurred2 that is1 an average of nearly #ahjj per annum4 ,out of #abj1jjj persons who ensured their lives in the ,london ,equitable ,insurance ,company1 the number of suicides in twenty years was only fifteen2 so much for the ,english being par excellence disposed to suicide4 ,the causes which frequently lead to self-destruction in ,france are1 defective religious education1 ennui1 and loss at dice or cards4 ,in considering the circumstances which produce this disparity in the number of voluntary deaths in the two countries1 we must bear in mind the moral and religious habits of the people4 ,when ,christianity is not acknowledged as a matter of vital importance in the affairs of man2 when morality is considered only as a conventional term1 conveying no definite idea to the mind1 it is natural that there should exist1 co-relative with this tone of feeling1 a marked recklessness of human life4 ,some notion may be formed of the state of religious feeling in ,paris1 when our readers are informed of the existence in the ,french metropolis of a 8society for the mutual encouragement of suicide10 all the members of which1 on joining it1 swear to terminate their existence by their own hands1 when life becomes insupportable4 ,dr4 ,schlegel dwells at much length on the abandoned state of ,paris1 and after giving us some important statistical evidence1 he alludes to the gross immorality of the people1 and denounces the ,french capital as 8a suffocating boiling cauldron1 in which1 as in the stew of ,macbeth's witches1 there simmer1 with a modicum of virtue1 all kinds of passions1 vices1 and crimes40 ,alluding to the peculiarities of the ,french people1 particularly their indifference to human life1 an eminent writer observes1 speaking of their notions of suicide1 that a ,frenchman asks you to see him 8go off10 as if death were a place in the malle poste4 8,will you dine with me to-day80 said a ,frenchman to a friend4 8,with the greatest pleasure2--yet1 now ,i think of it1 ,i am particularly engaged to shoot myself2 one cannot get off such an engagement40 ,this is not the suicide la mode with us4 ,we ape at no such extra civilization and refinement4 ,we can be romantic without blowing out our brains4 ,english lovers do not1 when 8the course of true love0 does not run smooth1 retire to some sequestered spot1 and rush into the next world by a brace of pistols tied with cherry-coloured ribbons4 ,when we do shoot ourselves1 it is done with true ,english gravity4 ,it is no joke with us4 ,we have no inherent predilection for the act2 no 8hereditary imperfection of the nervous juices10 as ,montesquieu1 with all the impudence and gravity of a philosopher1 asserts1 forcing us to commit suicide4 8,life10 said a man who had exhausted all his external sources of enjoyment1 and had no internal ones to fly to1 8has given me a headache2 and ,i want a good sleep in the churchyard to set me to rights10 to procure which1 he deliberately shot himself4#de ,a late ,french writer thus attempts to account for the prevalence of suicide in ,france3--8,the external circumstances which tend to suggest the idea of suicide are very numerous1 at the present day1 in ,france2 but more particularly so in the capital4 ,the high development of civilization and refinement which prevails here--the clash of interests--the repeated political changes--all contribute to keep the moral feelings in a perpetual state of tension4 ,life does not roll on among us in a peaceful and steady current2 it rushes forward with the force and precipitation of a torrent4 ,in the terrible mle1 it often happens that the little minority1 which has obtained a footing high above the multitude for a time1 falls down as suddenly as they have risen4 ,the struggles of life are full of miscalculations1 disappointments1 despair1 and disgust4 ,hence the general source of our frequent suicides4 ,but there are other causes in operation2 and not the least1 the strange turn that plays and spectacles have lately taken4 ,the public taste has undergone a complete revolution in this respect4 ,nothing is more patronized now at the theatre than the display of crime unpunished1 human misery unconsoled1 and a low literature1 impregnated by a spurious philosophy1 declaiming against society1 against domestic life1 against virtue itself2 applauding the vengeance of the assassin1 and recognising genius only as it is seen in company with spleen1 poison1 and pistols4 ,we appeal to all who read the novels of the present day1 and who visit the theatres1 whether what we say is not the fact40 ,it has been questioned whether physical suffering often originates the desire for suicide4 ,too many lamentable cases are on record to prevent us from coming to an opposite conclusion4 ,esquirol has justly observed1 that 8,he who has no intervals of ease from corporeal pain2 who sees no prospects of relief from his cruel malady1 fails at length in resignation1 and destroys his life in order to put a period to his sufferings4 ,he calculates that the pain of dying is but momentary1 and commits the act in a cool and meditated despair4 ,it is the same in respect to moral condition1 that drives the hypochondriac to suicide1 who is firmly persuaded that his sufferings are beyond imagining2 that they are irremediable1 either from some fatal peculiarity in his own constitution1 or the ignorance of his physicians4 ,it is a remarkable feature in hypochondriasis1 and in no other disease1 that there is such a fear of death and a desire to die combined4 ,both fears proceed from the same pusillanimity4 ,finally1 it may be remarked that the hypochondriac talks most of death2 often wishes his attendants to perform the friendly office2 even makes attempts on his own life1 but rarely accomplishes the act4 ,the most trifling motive1 the most frivolous pretext1 is a sufficient excuse for procrastinating1 from day to day1 the threatened catastrophe40 ,the following case occurred in a provincial mad-house1 in ,france4 ,an apothecary who was confined there was haunted with ennui1 and was always begging his companions to put him to death4 ,at length1 an insane patient was admitted1 who instantly complied with the apothecary's request4 ,they both watched an opportunity1 got out of a window in the back yard1 and from thence into the kitchen4 ,they pitched upon the cook's chopper1 and the apothecary laying his head on a block1 his companion deliberately and effectually severed it from his body4 ,he was seized1 and examined before a tribunal1 where he candidly confessed the whole transaction1 and observed that he would again perform the same friendly office for any unhappy wretch who was tired of his existence6#df ,lucinius ,ccinius1 the prtor1 subdued by the pain and ennui of a tedious disease1 swallowed opium4 ,dr4 ,haslam relates the case of a gentleman who destroyed himself to avoid the tortures of the gout4 ,it is recorded that the pain of the same disease drove ,servius the grammarian to take poison4 ,pliny informs us that one of his friends1 ,corellius ,rufus1 having in vain sought relief from the pangs of a disease under which he was labouring1 starved himself to death at the age of sixty-seven4 ,it is related of ,pomponius ,atticus and the philosopher ,cleanthes1 that they both starved themselves to death in order to get rid of physical pain4 ,in the course of these attempts1 the corporeal sufferings were removed--probably in consequence of the great exhaustion and attenuation2 but both individuals persevered till death took place1 observing that as this final ordeal must one day be undergone1 they would not now retrace their steps or give up the undertaking4 ,few1 perhaps1 are aware how frequently suicide results from the habit of indulging1 in early youth1 in a certain secret vice which1 we are afraid1 is practised to an enormous extent in our public schools4 ,a feeling of false delicacy has operated with medical men in inducing them to refrain from dwelling upon the destructive consequences of this habit1 both to the moral and physical constitution1 as openly and honestly as the importance of the subject imperatively demands4 ,medical men are1 in the most enlarged acceptation of the term1 guardians of the public health2 and no fastidious desire to avoid saying what might possibly offend the taste of some1 ought to keep them from discharging what may be termed a sacred duty4 ,the physical disease1 particularly that connected with the nervous system1 engendered by the pernicious practice alluded to1 frequently leads to the act of self-destruction4 ,we have before us the cases of many suicides in whom the disposition may clearly be traced to this cause4 ,this habit most seriously affects the brain and nervous system2 and insanity1 hypochondriasis1 and melancholia1 in their worst forms1 are frequently the baneful consequences4 ,if disease1 structural or functional1 of the abdominal viscera gives rise to the disposition to commit suicide1 it will not require much ingenuity to establish the fact that the habitual indulgence in intoxicating liquors may originate a similar feeling4 ,it has been already established by statistical evidence1 that1 in a very large proportion of the cases of insanity admitted into the asylums and hospitals devoted to the reception of this unhappy class of patients1 the mental impairment can clearly be traced to habits of intemperance4 ,the brain and nervous system become materially affected in those who indulge frequently in 8potations pottle deep40 ,delirium tremens1 softening of the cerebral substance1 palsy1 epilepsy1 extreme hypochondriasis1 are daily witnessed as the melancholy effects of intoxication4 ,m4 ,falret knew the case of a man who always felt disposed to cut his throat when under the influence of spirits4 ,no reasoning could induce him to abstain from his favourite draught4 ,the inevitable consequences were pointed out to him2 he was reasoned with1 and threatened with confinement in a mad-house2 but nothing had the desired effect4 ,one ,sunday evening1 after having drunk several glasses of spirits1 although not sufficient to produce complete inebriation1 he stabbed himself to the heart1 and died in a few minutes4 ,incurable indigestion and organic disease of the liver are very commonly met with in habitual drunkards4 ,in such persons1 the constitution of the mind appears to undergo a complete change4 ,at first it may not be perceptible1 and the patient may not be conscious of it himself1 but the mental disease will1 sooner or later1 unequivocally evince itself4 ,in such cases1 the medical man has fearful odds to contend against4 ,a young man1 who had become insane in consequence of long continued intoxication1 made violent efforts to maim himself1 and especially to pull out his right eye1 which appeared to give him great offence4 ,rest1 temperance1 seclusion1 the application of half a dozen leeches to the temple1 and a few doses of opening medicine1 restored him1 in about a fortnight1 to the full possession of his faculties4 ,many cases of suicide1 in those who have a natural predisposition to it1 arise from the brain sympathizing with the liver2 nor can this be a matter of surprise to any one who has felt the depression of spirits incident to disease of that organ4 ,so many cases have occurred from this cause1 that some writers1 from not finding1 on subsequent dissection1 any organic lesion of the brain1 have referred it to diseased viscera only4 ,but as we find that the insanity ceases when the liver is restored to health1 there is no reason for supposing that the mental alienation is1 in these instances1 any other than the effect of disease of the brain4 ,j4 ,c41 about fifty years of age1 was insane for two years4 ,he was formerly in respectable circumstances1 and employed in the situation of writer in an office4 ,he made several attempts on his life4 ,he had been in the habit of drinking spirits very freely1 and had a disease of the liver which appeared of some standing4 ,at the time of his admission into ,hanwell asylum1 under the care of ,sir ,w4 ,ellis1 he was in a most emaciated state2 his legs scarcely able to support him4 ,his face and body also were covered with an eruption2 tongue furred2 his stools very dark3 he was much depressed1 and always moaning most piteously2 complained of heat and numbness in his head1 and pain in all his limbs4 ,leeches and cold lotions were applied to his head1 his bowels opened by calomel and colocynth1 and he went into the warm bath every other day4 ,he was much relieved by these means4 ,he still continued1 however1 to moan as before4 ,his tongue remained furred1 and stools unhealthy4 ,he took five grains of blue pill every alternate night for some time4 ,these were then left off awhile2 no improvement taking place1 he began the pills again1 and continued them for two months1 with evident advantage4 ,his tongue was clean2 he was less depressed2 became strong1 and gained flesh2 the biliary secretions were much improved4 ,he is now occupied in the office2 and every day1 as the action of the liver seems to improve1 his mind makes a corresponding advance4 ,there is no more frequent cause of suicide than visceral derangement1 leading to melancholia and hypochondriasis4 ,it has been a matter of dispute with medical men whether hypochondriacal affections have their origin in the mental or physical portion of the economy4 ,many maintain that the mind is the seat of the disease2 others1 that the liver and stomach are primarily affected1 and the brain only secondarily4 ,in this disputed point1 as in most others1 truth will generally be found to lie between the two extremities4 ,that cases of hypochondria and melancholia can clearly be traced to purely mental irritation cannot for one moment be disputed2 and that there are many instances in which the derangement appears to have commenced in one of the gastric organs1 is as equally self-evident4 ,whatever may be the origin of these affections1 there can be no doubt of their producing most disastrous consequences4 ,burton's account of the horrors of hypochondria is truly graphic4 8,as the rain10 says ,austin1 8penetrates the stone1 so does this passion of melancholy penetrate the mind4 ,it commonly accompanies men to their graves4 ,physicians may ease1 but they cannot cure it2 it may lie hid for a time1 but it will return again1 as violent as ever1 on slight occasions1 as well as on casual excesses4 ,its humour is like ,mercury's weather-beaten statue1 which had once been gilt2 the surface was clean and uniform1 but in the chinks there was still a remnant of gold3 and in the purest bodies1 if once tainted by hypochondria1 there will be some relics of melancholy still left1 not so easily to be rooted out4 ,seldom does this disease produce death1 except 7which is the most grievous calamity of all7 when these patients make away with themselves--a thing familiar enough amongst them1 when they are driven to do violence to themselves to escape from present insufferable pain4 ,they can take no rest in the night1 or1 if they slumber1 fearful dreams astonish them4 ,their soul abhorreth all meat1 and they are brought to death's door1 being bound in misery and in iron4 ,like ,job1 they curse their stars1 for ,job was melancholy to despair1 and almost to madness4 ,they are weary of the sun1 and yet afraid to die1 vivere nolunt et mori nesciunt4 ,and then1 like sop's fishes1 they leap from the frying pan into the fire1 when they hope to be cured by means of physic--a miserable end to the disease2 when ultimately left to their fate by a jury of physicians1 are furiously disposed2 and there remains no more to such persons1 if that heavenly physician1 by his grace and mercy1 7whose aid alone avails17 do not heal and help them4 ,one day of such grief as theirs is as a hundred years3 it is a plague of the sense1 a convulsion of the soul1 an epitome of hell2 and if there be a hell upon earth1 it is to be found in a melancholy man's heart4 ,no bodily torture is like unto it2 all other griefs are swallowed up in this great ,euripus4 ,i say the melancholy man then is the cream and quintessence of human adversity4 ,all other diseases are trifles to hypochondria2 it is the pith and marrow of them all6 ,a melancholy man is the true ,prometheus1 bound to ,caucasus2 the true ,tityrus1 whose bowels are still devoured by a vulture40 8,dull melancholy---- ,she'll make you start at ev'ry noise you hear1 ,and visions strange shall to your eyes appear4 ,her voice is low1 and gives a hollow sound2 ,she hates the light1 and is in darkness found2 ,or sits by blinking lamps1 or taper small1 ,which various shadows make against the wall4 ,she loves nought else but noise which discord makes1 ,as croaking frogs whose dwelling is in lakes2 ,the raven hoarse1 the mandrake's hollow groan1 ,and shrieking owls1 that fly i'th' night alone2 ,the tolling bell1 which for the dead rings out1 ,a mill1 where rushing waters run about4 ,she loves to walk in the still moonshine light1 ,and in a thick dark grove she takes delight2 ,in hollow caves1 thatch'd houses1 and low cells1 ,she loves to live1 and there alone she dwells40 8,there are individuals who1 from various physical or moral causes10 says ,esquirol1 8fall into a state of corporeal torpor and mental depression4 ,they complain of want of appetite1 dull pain in the head1 sense of heat in the stomach and viscera1 borborygmi1 and constipation of the bowels2 while they exhibit little or no indication of disease4 ,in the female sex1 the natural secretions become suspended4 ,as the complaint advances1 the features alter1 and the countenance exhibits anxiety2 the complexion becomes pale or sallow2 there is a sense of tightness1 or even pain1 in the epigastrium2 a kind of compression in the head1 which prevents them from fixing their attention1 or arranging their thoughts2 a general torpor or lassitude1 which keeps them inactive4 ,they dislike to move out1 and love to loll about on a sofa2 they are irritated if you advise them to take exercise2 they abandon their ordinary avocations1 neglect their domestic concerns1 become indifferent to their nearest connexions2 in short1 they will neither converse1 nor study1 nor read1 nor write1 shunning society1 and being impatient of the inquiries and importunities of friends4 ,in this state they become filled with gloomy ideas 7ides noires71 despair of ever being better1 desire or even invoke death1 and sometimes destroy themselves1 from a conviction that they are no longer capable of fulfilling their duties in society4 ,these people are perfectly sane on all subjects of conversation2 their impulse to suicide being strong in proportion to the activity of their former avocations1 and the importance of their former duties4 ,i have seen their disease 7for it is a disease7 continue for months1 and even years4 ,i have seen it alternate with mania and with perfect health4 ,i have seen patients who would be six months of the year maniacal or in sound health1 and the other six months tormented with these gloomy ideas and impulses to suicide40 ,in confirmation of this view of ,esquirol's1 the following cases are related3#dg--;,a gentleman of apparently sound constitution1 aged #cb1 was married to a woman whom he affectionately loved4 ,his affairs became deranged a few years after his marriage1 which greatly discouraged him1 and rendered him inactive1 but without apparently affecting his health4 ,he now embarked in a speculation which promised much advantage1 and at first applied himself to business with unremitting assiduity4 ,in the course of a month he encountered some difficulties1 which depressed him beyond measure4 ,he considered himself ruined1 refused to quit his bed1 and would not superintend his workmen1 from a conviction that he was no longer capable of directing their operations4 ,he complained of headache1 heat in his stomach1 c4 ,his affection for his wife and children1 his pecuniary interests1 all failed to rouse him from this moral and physical prostration4 ,he reasoned sanely on the critical state of his affairs1 and yet made no effort to rescue himself from his difficulties4 ,eight days passed in this way1 when all at once he sprung from his bed in perfect integrity of mind and body4 ,he resumed instantaneously all his activity for business1 all his affection for his family4 ,the same state1 however1 recurred ten or twelve times since1 at irregular intervals1 caused in general by trifling contrarieties of business1 which1 under other circumstances1 would be considered as nothing4 ,during several of these paroxysms he had impulses to suicide2 but this dreaded catastrophe has not yet taken place4 ,a female was admitted into the ,salpetriere on the #bc;d of ,september1 #ahai1 in the #cdth year of her age1 and fourteen years after marriage4 ,at the age of #ba she had a child1 after which she was affected with an ulcer in the foot1 which was healed in six months4 ,from this time she was troubled with cardialgia1 at first slight1 but afterwards with intense pain and vomiting of her food4 ,at the age of #cc she became irresolute in her ideas and actions4 ,she expressed an aversion for those things which she had been previously pleased with1 and was occasionally incoherent4 ,after suffering from other derangements of her general health1 she abandoned her household affairs1 became quite despondent1 and tried more than once to commit suicide4 ,in this state she was admitted into the hospital1 and was put upon diluents1 low diet1 c4 ,as she shewed indications of having recovered1 she was allowed to return to her family2 but in a short period she was harassed with gloomy ideas1 despaired of recovery1 and expressed a desire to quit life1 the duties of which she said she was no longer able to fulfil4 ,in the case of ,cowper1 we have a melancholy instance of hypochondriasis leading to suicidal mental derangement4 ,that the poet's mind was unsound when he attempted to kill himself1 must be evident to those who are conversant with the history of his life4 ,he never appears to have been free from hypochondriacal disorder4 ,in a letter to ,lady ,hesketh1 he says1 8,could ,i be translated to paradise1 unless ,i could leave my body behind me1 my melancholy would cleave to me there40 ,a friend procured him the situation of reading clerk to the ,house of ,lords1 forgetting that the nervous shyness which made a public exhibition of himself 8mortal poison10 would render it impossible for him ever to discharge the duties of his office4 ,this difficulty presented itself to the mind of the poet1 and gloom instantly enveloped his faculties4 ,at his request1 his situation was changed to that of clerk of the journals2 but even before he could be installed into office he was threatened with a public examination before the ,house4 ,this made him completely wretched2 he had not resolution to decline what he had not strength to do3 the interest of his friend1 and his own reputation and want of support1 pressed him forward to an attempt which he knew from the first could never succeed4 ,in this miserable state1 like ,goldsmith's traveller1 8,to stop too fearful1 and too faint to go10 he attended every day for six months at the office where he was to examine the journals in preparation for his trust4 ,his feelings were like those of a man at the place of execution1 every time he entered the office door2 and he only gazed mechanically at the books1 without drawing from them the least portion of information he wanted4 ,as the time of his examination approached1 his agony became more and more intense2 he hoped and believed that madness would come to relieve him2 he attempted also to make up his mind to suicide1 though his conscience bore stern testimony against it2 he could not by any argument persuade himself that it was right2 but his desperation prevailed1 and he procured from an apothecary the means of self-destruction4 ,on the day before his public appearance was to be made1 he happened to notice a letter in the newspaper1 which to his disordered mind seemed like a malignant libel on himself4 ,he immediately threw down the paper1 and rushed into the fields1 determined to die in a ditch2 but the thought struck him that he might escape from the country4 ,with the same violence he proceeded to make hasty preparations for his flight2 but while he was engaged in packing his portmanteau his mind changed1 and he threw himself into a coach1 ordering the man to drive to the ,tower wharf1 intending to throw himself into the river1 and not reflecting that it would be impossible to accomplish his purpose1 in that public spot1 unobserved4 ,on approaching the water1 he found a porter seated upon some goods2 he then returned to the coach1 and drove home to his lodgings in the ,temple4 ,on the way1 he attempted to drink the laudanum1 but as often as he raised it1 a convulsive agitation of his frame prevented its reaching his lips2 and thus1 regretting the loss of the opportunity1 but unable to avail himself of it1 he arrived half dead with anguish at his apartments4 ,he then closed the door and threw himself on the bed1 with the laudanum near him1 trying to lash himself up to the deed2 but a voice within seemed constantly to forbid it2 and as often as he extended his hand to the poison1 his fingers were contracted1 and held back by spasms4 ,at this time some of the inmates of the place came in1 but he concealed his agitation2 and as soon as he was left alone1 a change came over him1 and so detestable did the deed appear1 that he threw away the laudanum1 and dashed the phial to pieces4 ,the rest of the day was spent in heavy insensibility1 and at night he slept as usual2 but on waking at three in the morning1 he took his penknife and laid with his weight upon it1 the point being directed towards his heart4 ,it was broken1 and would not penetrate4 ,at day-break he rose1 and passing a strong garter round his neck1 fastened it to the frame of his bed4 ,this gave way with his weight2 but on securing it to the door1 he was more successful1 and remained suspended until he had lost all consciousness of existence4 ,after a time1 the garter broke1 and he fell to the floor1 so that his life was saved2 but the conflict had been greater than his reason could endure4 ,he felt a contempt for himself not to be expressed or imagined4 ,whenever he went into the street1 it seemed as if every eye flashed upon him with indignation and scorn4 ,he felt as if he had offended ,god so deeply that his guilt could never be forgiven1 and his whole heart was filled with pangs of tumultuous despair4#dh ,when ,cowper had once admitted the thought of self-destruction1 he could not go into the street without meeting with something to tempt or drive him to the act4 ,it seemed to him as if the whole world had conspired to make death by his own hand inevitable4 ,when he ventured into the streets1 after the failure of all his efforts1 a ghastly shame and alarmed suspicion were his torments2 and perhaps nothing in ,cowper's autobiography goes deeper into the heart than the following description of his sufferings4 8,i never went into the street but ,i thought the people stood and laughed at me1 and held me in contempt2 and could hardly persuade myself but that the voice of conscience was loud enough for any one to hear it4 ,they who knew me1 appeared to avoid me1 and if they spoke to me1 seemed to do it in scorn4 ,i bought a ballad of one who was singing it in the street1 because ,i thought it was written on me4 ,i dined alone1 either at a tavern1 where ,i went in the dark1 or at the chop-house1 where ,i always took care to hide myself in the darkest corner of the room4 ,i slept generally an hour in the evening1 but it was only to be terrified in dreams2 and when ,i awoke1 it was some time before ,i could steadily walk through the passage into the dining-room4 ,i reeled and staggered like a drunken man4 ,the eyes of man ,i did not fear2 but when ,i thought that the eyes of ,god were upon me1 7which ,i felt assured of17 it gave me the most intolerable anguish4 ,if1 for a moment1 a book or a companion stole away my attention from myself1 a flash from hell seemed to be thrown into my mind immediately2 and ,i said within myself1 #8,what are these things to me1 who am damned8'0 ,cowper is not the only instance1 however1 of a man of exquisite taste and genius whose life has been rendered miserable by hypochondria4 ,we have alluded elsewhere to ,byron's morbid sensitiveness1 and the reader's attention is now called to the influence of hypochondriasis on the poet's mind4 ,he says in his journal1 8,what can be the reason ,i awake every morning in actual despair and despondency80 ,he had a great apprehension of insanity4 ,in order to overcome his melancholy1 considering that his diet had much to do with it1 he put himself under a strict regimen1 avoiding most scrupulously all animal food4 ,he states that his diet for a week consisted of tea and six dry biscuits per diem4 ,after having indulged in an ordinary dinner1 he writes1 8,i wish to ,god ,i had not dined now2 it kills me with heaviness2 and yet it was but a pint of bucellas1 and fish4 ,oh1 my head6 how it aches6--the horrors of indigestion60 ,again he says1 8,this head was given me to ache with40 ,after a severe fit of indigestion1 he writes1 8,i've no more charity than a vinegar cruet4 ,would that ,i were an ostrich1 and dieted on fire-irons6 ,o fool6 ,i shall go mad60 ,burns suffered much from indigestion1 producing hypochondria4 ,writing to his friend1 ,mr4 ,cunningham1 he says1 8,canst thou not minister to a mind diseased8 ,canst thou speak peace and rest to a soul tost on a sea of troubles1 without one friendly star to guide her course1 and dreading that the next surge may overwhelm her8 ,canst thou give to a frame tremblingly alive to the tortures of suspense the stability and hardihood of a rock that braves the blast8 ,if thou canst not do the least of these1 why wouldst thou disturb me in my miseries with thy inquiries after me80 ,from early life1 the poet was subject to a disordered stomach1 a disposition to headache1 and irregular action of the heart4 ,he describes1 in one of his letters1 the horrors of his complaint3--8,i have been for some time pining under secret wretchedness4 ,the pang of disappointment1 the sting of pride1 and some wandering stabs of remorse1 settle on my life like vultures1 when my attention is not called away by the claims of society1 or the vagaries of the muse4 ,even in the hour of social mirth my gaiety is the madness of an intoxicated criminal under the hands of an executioner4 ,my constitution was blasted ab origine with a deep incurable taint of melancholy that poisoned my existence40 ,nothing can be more interesting to a physician who is endowed with only a moderate share of the spirit of observation than to watch the progress of hypochondriasis in a number of patients1 especially in regard to its effect on the mind4 ,they always struggle1 more or less in the beginning1 with the lowness and dejection which affect them2 and it is not until many a severe contest has taken place between their natural good sense and the involuntary suggestions which arise from the obscure and painful feelings of the diseased nerves1 that a firm belief in the reality of such thoughts gains a full conquest over their judgment4 ,a firm belief in any one perception never takes place until it has acquired a certain degree of force2 and as all impressions which arise from the viscera of the abdomen are naturally obscure1 we see the reason why these must continue for a great length of time1 or be often repeated1 before they can withdraw a person's attention from the ordinary impression of external objects1 which are clear and distinct1 and before they acquire such a degree of vividness as to destroy the operations of reason4 ,we meet every day with hypochondriacs in whom the disease is just beginning to be formed1 and who1 being possessed of a good understanding1 seem unwilling to tell1 even to their medical friends1 the singular1 and often melancholy1 thoughts with which they are tormented4 ,they acknowledge them to be unreasonable1 and yet insist that they cannot help believing in them4 ,a very curious display of this kind of struggle between the habitudes of reason and the approach of delirium is to be found in the diary of an hypochondriac1 from which we make the following extract3-- 8,on the #adth of ,november1 the idea that some person intended to kill me sprung up suddenly and involuntarily in my mind1 and yet1 ,i must confess1 there was no reason why ,i should have harboured this thought1 for ,i am convinced that no one ever formed such a cruel design against me4 ,people who had a stick in their hands ,i looked on as murderers4 ,as ,i was walking out of town1 a countryman happened to follow me1 and ,i was instantly filled with the greatest apprehension1 and stood still to let him pass4 ,i asked the fellow in a threatening voice1 and with a view of intimidating him from his purpose1 what was the name of the town before us4 ,the man answered my question and walked on1 and ,i found great relief1 because he was no longer behind me4 8,in the evening1 ,i observed some water in the glass out of which ,i commonly drink1 and ,i instantly believed it was poisoned4 ,i therefore washed it carefully out1 and yet ,i knew1 at the same time1 that ,i myself had left the water in it4 8#ahth ,november4--,at particular periods ,i believe all mankind have conspired to murder me4 ,i think ,i am deprived of my office2 that ,i am doomed to die of hunger2 and1 to add to all this1 ,i am tormented with horrid doubts concerning futurity1 and these thoughts persecute me like furies4 ,those whom ,i used to love most1 ,i now hate4 ,i avoid my best friends1 and my dear wife appears to me a much worse kind of woman than she really is4 8,i cannot describe the exertion it requires to conquer in society the aversion ,i feel to my fellow-creatures1 and to prevent my ill-humour from breaking out against the most innocent people4 ,when it really does so1 ,i spare no one4 ,i am sorry for it afterwards1 but then ,i am too proud to acknowledge my error4 8,i find myself so enraged on seeing a stupid1 vacant countenance1 that ,i have almost an irresistible inclination to box the person's ears to whom it belongs3 the refraining from it is a severe effort4 8#bjth ,november4--,a boy with a face like a satyr met me1 and occasioned me the greatest uneasiness4 ,although he did nothing to displease me1 ,i was forced to go to him1 and tell him that ,i was sure he would die on the gallows4 8#bcrd ,november4--,my sensibility is often extreme1 and then my best friends become insupportable to me4 ,to their expressions of regard ,i am either purposely cold or else ,i answer by rude and offensive speeches4 ,i can seldom explain to myself the reason of this too great sensibility4 ,if two people whisper to each other in my presence1 ,i grow uneasy1 and lose all command of mind1 because ,i think they are speaking ill of me2 and ,i often assume a satirical manner in company1 in order to frighten them4 ,anxiety1 dreadful anxiety1 seizes me1 if a person overlooks my hand at cards1 or if a person sits down beside me when ,i am playing the harpsichord40 8,from numerous facts which have come within my own observation10 says a distinguished living medical authority1#di 8,i am convinced that many strange antipathies1 disgusts1 caprices of temper1 and eccentricities which are considered solely as obliquities of intellect1 have their source in corporeal disorder4 8,the great majority of these complaints1 which are considered as purely mental1 such as irascibility1 melancholy1 timidity1 and irresolution1 might be greatly remedied1 if not entirely removed1 by a proper system of temperance1 and with very little medicine4 ,there is no accounting for the magic-like spell which annihilates for a time the whole energy of the mind1 and renders the victim of dyspepsia afraid of his own shadow1 or of things1 if possible1 more unsubstantial than shadows4 8,it is not likely that the great men of the earth should be exempt from these visitations any more than the little2 and if so1 we may reasonably conclude1 that there are other things beside #8conscience' which #8make cowards of us all1' and that1 by a temporary gastric irritation1 many an #8enterprise of vast pith and moment' has had #8its current turned away1' and #8lost the name of action4' 8,the philosopher and the metaphysician1 who know but little of these reciprocities of mind and matter1 have drawn many a false conclusion from1 and erected many a baseless hypothesis on1 the actions of men4 ,many a happy thought has sprung from an empty stomach2 many a terrible and merciless edict has gone forth in consequence of an irritated gastric nerve4 ,thus health may make the same man a hero in the field whom dyspepsia may render imbecile in the cabinet40 ,the following case will shew how powerfully indigestion may affect the mind's operations3-- ,a young lady1 after eating some heavy paste1 was attacked by a sensation of burning heat at the pit of the stomach1 which increased till the whole of the upper part of the body1 both externally and internally1 appeared to her to be all in flames4 ,she rose up suddenly1 left the dinner table1 and ran into the street1 from which she was immediately brought back4 ,she soon came to herself1 and thus described her horrible ideas4 ,she declared that she had been very wicked1 and had been dragged into the flames of hell4 ,she continued in a precarious situation for some time4 ,whenever she experienced the burning sensation of which she first complained1 the same dreadful thoughts occurred to her mind4 ,she seized hold of whatever was nearest to prevent her from being forced away2 and such was her alarm that she dreaded to be alone4 ,this lady had long been distressed by family concerns1 and harassed by restless and sleepless nights1 which greatly affected her health4 ,dr4 ,johnson used to declare that he inherited 8a vile melancholy0 from his father1 which made him 8mad all his life1 or1 at least1 not sober40 ,insanity was his constant terror4 ,boswell says that1 at the period when this great philosopher was giving to the world proofs of no ordinary vigour of understanding1 he actually fancied himself insane1 or in a state as nearly as possible approaching to it4 ,murphy says1 8,for many years before ,johnson's death1 so terrible was the prospect of final dissolution that when he was not disposed to enter into the conversation which was going forward1 he sat in his chair1 repeating the well-known lines of ,shakspeare-- 8,to die1 and go we know not where40 ,like ,metastasio1 he would not1 if he could help it1 permit the word death to be pronounced in his presence4 ,boswell once introduced the topic in the course of conversation1 which made ,johnson highly indignant4 ,he observed1 that he never had a moment in which it was not terrible to him4 ,three or four days before he died1 he declared that he would give one of his legs for a year more of life4 ,the ruling passion was exhibited strong in death4 ,at ,dr4 ,johnson's own suggestion1 the surgeon was making slight punctures in the legs1 with the hope of relieving his dropsical affection1 when he cried out1 8,deeper6 deeper6 ,i want length of life1 and you are afraid of giving me pain1 which ,i do not value40 ,if we had not a thorough conviction that this fear of death was but the result of physical disease1 which no moral and religious principles could subdue1 ,dr4 ,johnson's conduct towards the end of his life would excite a feeling in our mind towards him very opposite to that of respect4 ,with reference to suicide1 there is no fact that has been more clearly established than that of its hereditary character4 ,of all diseases to which the various organs are subject1 there are none more generally transmitted from one generation to another than affections of the brain4 ,it is not necessary that the disposition to suicide should manifest itself in every generation2 it often passes over one1 and appears in the next1 like insanity unattended with this propensity4 ,but if the members of the family so predisposed are carefully examined1 it will be found that the various shades and gradations of the malady will be easily perceptible4 ,some are distinguished for their flightiness of manner1 others for their strange eccentricity1 likings and dislikings1 irregularity of their passions1 capricious and excitable temperament1 hypochondriasis and melancholia4 ,these are often but the minute shades and variations of an hereditary disposition to suicidal madness4 ,a gentleman suddenly1 and without any apparent reason1 cut his throat4 ,the father had always been a man of strong passions1 easily roused1 and when so1 was extremely violent4 ,the brother was a man of impulse2 he always acted by fits and starts1 and therefore never could be depended upon4 ,the sister had a strange1 unnatural1 and superstitious horror of particular colours and odours4 ,a yellow dress caused a feeling approaching to syncope1 and the smell of hay produced great nervous excitement4 ,the grandfather had been convicted of homicide1 and had been confined for two years in a mad-house4 ,andral relates the case of a father who died from the effects of disease of the brain2 the mother died sane4 ,they had six children1 three boys and three girls4 ,of the boys1 the eldest was a man of original mind2 the second was very extravagant in his habits1 and was ultimately confined in a mad-house2 the third was extremely violent in his temper4 ,of the girls1 one had fits of apoplexy1 and became insane2 the other died at her accouchement1 with symptoms of derangement2 the third died of cholera1 not1 however1 until she exhibited indications of mental aberration4 ,a case more singular than the last is recorded4 ,all the members of a particular family1 being hereditarily disposed1 exhibited1 when they arrived at a certain age1 a desire to commit self-destruction4 ,it required no exciting cause to develope the fatal disposition4 ,no wish was expressed1 or attempt made1 to overpower the suicidal inclination1 and the greatest industry and ingenuity were exercised by the parties in order to effect their purpose4 ,in two cases1 the propensity was subdued by proper medical and moral treatment2 but1 just in proportion to its being suppressed1 did the idea of suicide appear to fix itself resolutely in the mind4 ,the desire came upon the individuals like the attacks of intermittent fever4 ,a4 ,k41 a man aged #eg1 was twice married4 ,he was a shoe-maker by trade2 but not having received any education1 his wife was compelled to attend to all his accounts4 ,he had experienced1 when young1 a blow on the head1 which occasionally gave him pain4 ,he became very intemperate in his habits1 and at particular intervals he exhibited an uncontrollable temper1 quarrelled with everybody1 neglected his business1 abused his wife1 and became extravagant and melancholy4 ,during the paroxysm he would exclaim--8,oh1 my unlucky head6 ,i am again a lost man60 ,when the attack subsided1 he returned to his business1 was affectionate to his wife and family1 most humbly begged her pardon for having ill-treated her1 and expressed the greatest contrition for his conduct4 ,these attacks came on at regular intervals4 ,he procured a piece of rope for the purpose of hanging himself1 and for some months carried it about with him in his pocket for that purpose4 ,during one of his fits he effected his object4 ,his grandfather had strangled himself1 and his brother and sister had attempted suicide4 ,dr4 ,gall knew several families in which the suicidal propensity prevailed through several generations4 ,among the cases he mentions is the following very remarkable one3--8,the ,sieur ,ganthier1 the owner of various houses built without the barriers of ,paris1 to be used as entrepts of goods1 left seven children1 and a fortune of about two millions of francs to be divided among them4 ,all remained at ,paris1 or in the neighbourhood1 and preserved their patrimony2 some even increased it by commercial speculations4 ,none of them met with any real misfortunes1 but all enjoyed good health1 a competency1 and general esteem4 ,all1 however1 were possessed with a rage for suicide1 and all seven succumbed to it within the space of thirty or forty years4 ,some hanged1 some drowned themselves1 and others blew out their brains4 ,one of the first two had invited sixteen persons to dine with him one ,sunday4 ,the company collected1 the dinner was served1 and the guests were at the table4 ,the master of the house was called1 but did not answer2 he was found hanging in the garret4 ,scarcely an hour before1 he was quietly giving orders to the servants1 and chattering with his friends4 ,the last1 the owner of a house in the ,rue de ,richelieu1 having raised his house two stories1 became frightened at the expense1 imagined himself ruined1 and was anxious to kill himself4 ,thrice they prevented him2 but soon after1 he was found dead1 having shot himself4 ,the estate1 after all the debts were paid1 amounted to three hundred thousand francs1 and he might have been forty-five years old at the time of his death40 ,falret1 whose researches have thrown much light on this affection1 believes that it is more disposed to be hereditary than any other kind of insanity4 ,he saw a mother and her daughter attacked with suicidal melancholy1 and the grandmother of the latter was at ,charenton for the same cause4 ,an individual1 he says1 committed suicide in ,paris4 ,his brother1 who came to attend the funeral1 cried out on seeing the body--8,what fatality6 ,my father and uncle both destroyed themselves2 my brother has imitated their example2 and twenty times during my journey hither ,i thought of throwing myself into the ,seine60 ,gall also relates the case of a dyer1 of a very taciturn humour1 who had five sons and a daughter4 ,the eldest son1 after being settled in a prosperous business with a family around him1 succeeded1 after many attempts1 in killing himself by jumping from the third story of his house4 ,the second son1 who was rather taciturn1 had some domestic troubles1 lost part of his fortune at play1 and strangled himself at the age of thirty-five4 ,the third threw himself from the window into his garden1 but did not hurt himself2 he pretended he was trying to fly4 ,the fourth tried one day to fire a pistol down his throat1 but was prevented4 ,the fifth was of a bilious1 melancholic temperament1 quiet1 and devoted to business2 he and his sister shewed no signs of being affected with their brothers' malady4 ,one of their cousins committed suicide4 ,among the physical causes of self-destruction1 insidious affections of the brain must stand prominently forward4 ,it is not often that the physician is permitted to examine after death the state of this organ2 but there can be no doubt that1 in the great majority of instances1 the brain will be found to have undergone a serious structural alteration4 8,during the last twenty-five years10 says ,dr4 ,g4 ,mantell1 8many cases of suicide have come under my notice in which the mental hallucination which led to self-destruction has depended on lesions of the brain1 occasioned by slight or neglected injuries of the head1 to which neither the patient nor his friends attached any importance4 ,in several instances of self-destruction1 without any assignable moral cause1 and in which no previous signs of fatuity or insanity were manifested1 ,i have found1 upon a post mortem examination1 either circumscribed induration or softening of the brain1 or thickening and adhesions of some portions of its membranes4 ,the conviction was forced upon my mind that very many of the so called nervous or hypochondriacal affections1 which are generally considered as imaginary and dependent on mental emotions1 are ascribable to physical causes1 and frequently originate from slight lesions of the brain40 ,the learned doctor relates the following cases in illustration of his views3-- 8,a respectable tradesman1 between fifty and sixty years of age1 of temperate habits1 was knocked down during an electioneering contest1 and struck his head on the ground4 ,he was stunned for a few minutes by the shock1 and slightly bruised above the right temple1 but experienced no further inconvenience1 and the circumstance was considered of no consequence4 8,about six months after the event1 he was seized1 one evening1 with rigors and a pain over the right brow2 a smart reaction took place1 which terminated in perspiration1 and the following morning1 the symptoms disappeared4 ,a similar paroxysm came on daily for five or six days2 the attack was considered intermittent1 and1 ,i believe1 bark was freely administered4 ,at the end of a week1 the patient was well4 ,after this period1 he was subject to occasional pain over the right brow1 accompanied with great mental despondency1 the prevailing apprehension being that of eternal damnation4 ,this state would continue for an uncertain time1 the duration varying from a few days to three weeks2 and by slow degrees he would lose all trace of disease1 regain his accustomed cheerfulness1 and be able to transact the affairs of an extensive business4 8,about two years from the occurrence of the accident1 ,i saw him1 at the request of his friends1 while he was labouring under great despondency1 which his relations assured me arose from some religious opinions he had imbibed2 and ,i found that the medical treatment had been in accordance with such a notion4 ,my inquiries led to the detection of the injury he had received two years previously1 but neither the patient nor his friends would allow that there was any connexion between the blow and the symptoms under which he now suffered4 ,both general and local bleeding appeared to me necessary2 a strict regimen was adopted1 and he regained his usual flow of spirits1 and expressed himself much better than he had been for years4 ,the occasional use of leeches1 and a rigid abstinence from fermented liquors1 spirits1 and stimuli of all kinds1 maintained this favourable condition for a considerable time2 but his occupation led him to occasional excess in diet1 and a moderate quantity of wine or beer invariably brought on despondency and its accompanying hallucination2 in other words1 when the system was kept in a tranquil state1 the cerebral functions were not impaired2 but when excited1 the morbid manifestations of the mind were produced4 8,during one of these attacks he cut his throat1 and expired in the course of a few hours4 ,a short time previous to his death1 when greatly exhausted by the loss of blood from his wound1 his intellect was unclouded1 and he expressed to me his astonishment at what he had done1 and assured me he had no reason for acting thus2 but it was an impulse which he could not resist4 8,the only abnormal appearance upon inspecting the body after death was1 a circumscribed adhesion of the dura mater to the pia mater1 to the extent of about two inches in diameter1 over the upper and anterior portion of the right hemisphere of the brain1 opposite to the spot where the blow of the head had been inflicted some years previously4 8,i will not presume to offer any comment on a case which ,i am well aware presents nothing unusual1 my only object being that of calling particular attention to those slight injuries of the head which1 although unmarked by any striking symptoms at the moment of their occurrence1 may give rise to the most distressing results years after their infliction1 and when the original cause of disordered action is forgotten1 and can no longer be detected2 and of pointing out the possibility that many cases of suicide1 apparently referrible to moral causes only1 may be found to result solely from physical derangement of the organ through which the manifestations of the mind must be displayed4 ,it is under circumstances of this kind that the medical philosopher1 in his painful duty of exploring the relics of mortality1 may have the high gratification of protecting the memory of an unfortunate individual from the censure of a world but too apt to judge harshly1 and thus afford a lasting consolation to those by whom that memory will be cherished and revered40 ,no complaints can be more insidious than those connected with the brain4 ,an apparently slight blow on the head in early life has been known1 if not to give rise at the time to actual disease of the sentient organ1 to predispose the person to attacks of cerebral derangement when exposed to the influence of causes so trivial as to be incapable1 under any other circumstances1 of producing any effect4 ,the following case will demonstrate that moral irritation may derange the structure of the brain as effectually as any physical injury3-- ,a gentleman in early life was exposed for a few weeks to an amount of mental excitement almost sufficient to bring on a severe maniacal attack4 ,he complained for some time of a sensation in his head as if some person was hammering on his brain4 ,in the course of a few years he apparently recovered4 ,during a tour through ,italy1 he had a renewal of his old sensation1 and became liable to head-aches1 giddiness1 and severe attacks of indigestion4 ,he placed himself under the care of an ,italian physician of eminence1 who did his best to restore him to health4 ,instead of improving1 the symptoms of his disease became more apparent2 and one morning he was found dead on the floor of his dressing-room1 having with a penknife effectually divided the carotid artery4 ,on examining the brain1 extensive ramollissement was discovered4 ,in this case the structural disease originated in a moral shock1 the effects of which remained suspended for some years1 and then gave rise to the train of symptoms that drove the unfortunate man to terminate his life4 ,it is one of the most important facts connected with this subject1 that mental excitement may produce as extensive and serious organic disease as that which so commonly follows the receipt of physical injury4 ,with a knowledge of this fact1 how cautious we ought to be in pronouncing an opinion as to the absence of disease of the brain in cases of suicide resulting from an apparently trifling departure from mental quietude1 without being intimate with the previous history of the individual4 8,the ,english10 says ,montesquieu1 8frequently destroy themselves without any apparent cause to determine them to such an act1 and even in the midst of prosperity4 ,among the ,romans1 suicide was the effect of education2 it depended upon their customs and manner of thinking3 with the ,english1 it is the effect of disease1 and depending upon the physical condition of the system40 ,a young man1 twenty-two years of age1 was intended by his parents for the church4 ,he disliked the profession exceedingly1 and absolutely refused to take orders4 ,for this act1 at once of integrity and disobedience1 he was forced to quit his father's house1 and to exert his inexperienced energies for a precarious subsistence4 ,he turned his thoughts to several different employments2 and1 at length1 he went to reside with a family1 where he was treated with great kindness1 and where he appeared to enjoy a degree of tranquillity4 ,his enjoyment1 however1 was not of long continuance1 for his imagination was assailed by gloomy and distressing reflections4 ,his life became more and more burdensome to him1 and he considered by what method he should put an end to it4 ,he one day formed the resolution of precipitating himself from the top of the house1 but his courage failed him1 and the execution of the project was postponed4 ,some days after1 he took up a pistol with the same design of self-destruction4 ,his perplexities and terrors returned4 ,a friend of this unhappy youth called upon ,pinel one day to inform him of the projected tragedy4 ,every means of prevention were adopted that prudence could suggest1 but the most pressing solicitations and friendly remonstrances were in vain4 ,the propensity to suicide unceasingly haunted him1 and he precipitately quitted the family from whom he had experienced so many proofs of friendship and attachment4 ,financial considerations prohibited the suggestion of a distant voyage or a change of climate4 ,he was therefore advised1 as the best substitute1 some constant and laborious employment4 ,the young melancholic1 sensibly alive to the horror of his situation1 entered fully into ,pinel's views1 and procured an engagement at ,bled ,harbour1 where he mingled with the other labourers with a full determination to deserve his stipulated wages4 ,but1 completely fatigued and exhausted by the exertion of the first two days of his engagement1 he was obliged to have recourse to some other expedient4 ,he entered into the employment of a master-mason1 in the neighbourhood of ,paris1 to whom his services were peculiarly acceptable1 as he devoted his leisure hours to the instruction of an only son4 ,no situation1 apparently1 could have been more suitable to his case than one of this kind1 admitting of alternate mental and bodily exercise4 ,wholesome food1 comfortable lodgings1 and every attention due to misfortune1 seemed rather to aggravate than to divert his gloomy propensities4 ,after the expiration of a fortnight1 he returned to his friend1 and1 with tears in his eyes1 acquainted him with the internal struggles which he felt1 and the insuperable disgust of life1 which bore him irresistibly to self-destruction4 ,the reproaches of his friend affected him exceedingly1 and1 in a state of the utmost anxiety and despair1 he silently withdrew1 probably to terminate a hated existence by throwing himself into the ,seine4 ,when laying down rules for the physical treatment of suicide1 we have developed our view as to the influence of derangement of the prim vi1 suppressed secretions1 c41 on the healthy state of the mind2 and we have only to refer the reader to that portion of the work for information on these points4 ,in discussing the important question whether suicide invariably results from mental derangement1 numerous instances have been brought forward that may be undoubtedly traced to that cause1 therefore it will not be necessary to recapitulate in this chapter what has been there advanced4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,moral ,,treatment ,,of ,,suicidal ,,mania4 ,diseases of the brain not dissimilar to affections of other organs--,early symptoms of insanity--,the good effects of having plenty to do--,occupation--,dr4 ,johnson's opinion on the subject--,the pleasure derived from cultivating a taste for the beauties of nature--,effect of volition on diseases of the mind--,silent grief injurious to mental health--,treatment of ennui--,the time of danger1 not the time of disease--,the ,walcheren expedition--,the retreat of the ten thousand ,greeks under ,xenophon--,influence of music on the mind in the cure of disease--,cure of epidemic suicide--,buonaparte's remedy--,how the women of ,myletus were cured of the disposition to suicide1 and other illustrations--,cases shewing how easily the disposition to suicide may be diverted--,on the cure of insanity by stratagems--,on the importance of removing the suicidal patient from his own home--,on the regulation of the passions4 ,in treating this most important class of affections1 we must dismiss from our minds all those pre-conceived notions which we have been led to form of what constitutes mental derangement4 ,we must view the subject as medical philosophers in the most liberal acceptation of the term1 and not as nisi prius barristers2 we must consider ourselves at the bed-side of a suffering patient1 demanding from our skill that relief which he is led to believe we have in our power to afford1 and not as in a court of justice1 undergoing an examination at the hands of a lawyer anxious to establish his case2 and1 above all1 we must apply to the disease of the brain and its disordered manifestations those pathological principles which guide us in the elucidation of the affections of other organs4 ,if we consider insanity not as a specific disease invariably exhibiting the same phenomena1 but as it really is1 the effect of a disordered condition of the sentient organ1 having an incipient1 as well as an advanced stage1 we may1 by a judicious application of the principles of therapeutics1 succeed in many cases in crushing the disposition to suicide before it has taken a formidable hold of the constitution4 ,in the great majority of cases the premonitory indications are well marked and unequivocal4 ,the experienced physician and accurate observer will be able to detect1 before the mental alienation becomes apparent to others1 the early dawnings of derangement4 ,he knows that it is frequently manifested by some change in the person's usual healthy habits of thinking and acting1--by the exhibition of odd fancies and whims4 ,although surrounded by everything calculated to contribute to his happiness1 he is the most miserable of human beings4 ,trifles annoy and irritate him2 he sees in his dearest friends his deadliest enemies2 talks of conspiracies1 of plots1 and stratagems2 becomes suspicious of everything and everybody2 his former objects of pleasure afford him no delight2 he avoids society1 and is occasionally heard muttering strange things to himself4 ,in the majority of cases these are the early dawnings of cerebral disease leading to unequivocal insanity1 and yet so tied down are we to definitions1 arbitrary standards and poetical tests1 that we will not admit derangement of mind to be present until the symptoms are so self99 evident and glaring that the condition of the mind becomes apparent to the most superficial observer4 ,when this view of insanity is recognised as orthodox1 and moral treatment adopted in the early stages of the disease1 much good may be expected to result4 ,how often do we see in society1 and during the intercourse of private friendship1 individuals complaining of the severest mental sufferings1 the effect of morbid alterations of feeling almost in every respect similar to insanity1 dependent upon the same causes1 manifesting the same symptoms1 and removed by the same remedial agents4 ,how are these mental ailments treated8 ,the poor sufferer is perhaps smiled at2 he is considered to be fanciful1 and no regard is paid to the cerebral affection4 ,the disease is allowed to advance until other faculties of the mind are implicated1 and then the mental alienation exhibits itself so unequivocally that no one doubts its existence4 ,the success of the mental treatment of suicide will be mainly dependent on our paying strict attention to those apparently trifling alterations of temper and disposition1 those deviations from the usual mode of thinking and acting1 which so often predicate the presence of the incipient stage of insanity4 ,an invincible love of solitude exhibited in a patient considered as labouring under an hypochondriacal affection1 and who1 when induced to converse1 complains of being constantly pestered with one or two trains of ideas from which he cannot for a moment escape1 although his efforts are great and unremitting1 let his friends beware4 ,these changes are1 however1 but rarely noticed1 until some alarming event causes every friend to lament the want of timely attention4 ,occupation is an infallible specific for many of the imaginary and real ills of life4 ,in cases where the mind is sinking under the influence of its own weight1 and the fancy is allowed to dwell uninterruptedly on the ideas of its own creation1 until the individual believes himself to stand apart from all the world1 the very personification of human misery and wretchedness1 the physician can recommend no better remedy than constant and steady occupation for the mind and body4 ,burton concludes his able work on ,melancholy with this valuable piece of advice3--8,be not solitary2 be not idle40 ,dr4 ,reid recommended a patient1 labouring under great mental depression1 to engage in the composition of a novel1 which1 during the time he was occupied in the task1 effected much good4 ,by interesting himself in the distresses of fictitious beings1 he diverted his attention from sufferings which were no less the offspring of the imagination4 ,it has been suggested with great truth that the habit of gaming1 prevalent as it is among persons in the upper ranks of life1 is not to be attributed exclusively to a feeling of avarice4 ,the man who is surrounded by everything to make his condition in life happy1 as far as wealth is concerned1 does not fly to dice for the purpose of aggrandisement1 but he does so to seek refuge from the miseries of indolence and vacuity2 from the gnawings of his own mind2 from an eager desire to expose himself to that mental agitation which nature tells him is so necessary to make life supportable4 8,a woman is happier than a man10 says ,dr4 ,johnson1 8because she can hem a pocket-handkerchief40 ,our faculties1 like the vulture of ,prometheus1 devour our souls1 if they have no action beyond ourselves4 8,real lassitude is always mingled with grief10 says an eminent female genius2 and ,madame de ,stal considers the observation a profound one4 8,the man in the ,spectator who hanged himself to avoid the intolerable annoyance of having to tie his garters every day of his life1 is but a satire on the misery of many who1 having no useful occupation1 find the flight of time marked only by the swift repetition of petty troubles4 8,the restlessness of ,rousseau1 his discontented and morbidly irritable disposition1 was closely allied to insanity2 and the painful struggles of ,lord ,byron1 when #8came the fit again1' are detailed in words which shew too plainly how they disturbed and threatened the integrity of his judgment4 ,in such natures1 every strong emotion1 or the occurrence of disease1 may destroy the delicate balance1 and make a ruin of a mind which even in ruins continues to excite a mournful admiration4 ,the diversion of social intercourse1 which to other men is necessary to prevent mental torpor1 becomes to them a source of irritation by impeding the workings of their imagination3 they find that1 when alone1 all the nobler aspirations of the soul are free1 and images of beauty1 and virtue1 and wisdom1 occupy the mind4 ,society transforms them into a being they despise1 deprives them of all their high and valued thoughts1 and it enables them to feel what slight circumstances1 acting on the man without1 may affect the man within4 ,but the pleasures of solitude are transient2 their train is followed by baseless fancies1 by fears undefined1 by griefs unexpressed1 and black despondency1 from which society can alone relieve4 ,we learn1 from observing such effects1 arising from such causes1 the advantage of mixed and varied occupations1 suited to a being not made solely for contemplation or for action2 and we may gather rules from these observations1 the application of which to minds in a morbid state is very direct40#ej ,with no less beauty than truth has the author of ,rasselas depicted the insanity of the astronomer as gradually declining under the sanative influence of society and mental gratification4 ,the sage confesses1 that since he has mixed in the gay scenes of life1 and divided his hours by a succession of amusements1 he found the notion of his influence over the skies gradually fade away1 and began to trust less to an opinion which he could never prove to others1 and which he now found subject to variations from causes in which reason had no part4 8,if10 says he1 8,i am accidentally left alone for a few hours1 my inveterate persuasion rushes upon my soul1 and my thoughts are chained down by an uncontrollable violence2 but they are soon disentangled by the prince's conversation1 and are instantaneously released by the entrance of ,pekuah4 ,i am like a man habitually afraid of spectres1 who is set at ease by a lamp1 and wonders at the dread which harassed him in the dark40 ,it is difficult to lay down general rules for the treatment of particular cases of melancholia with a tendency to suicide4 ,travelling1 agreeable society1 works of light literature1 should be had recourse to1 in order to dispel all gloomy apprehensions from the mind4 ,in persons predisposed to insanity1 or who manifest some slight indication of disease1 how important it is to endeavour to call into exercise the higher faculties of the mind1--the judgment and reasoning powers1--and thus preserve the intellectual faculties in a healthy state of equilibrium4 ,there is much wisdom in ,lord ,bacon's advice1 that 8if a man's wits be wandering1 he should study the mathematics40 ,the patient should be taught to derive a pleasure from the contemplation of those objects that afford variety1 and that are always within his reach4 ,a beneficent ,creator has wisely placed around us endless sources of the purest and most elevating enjoyments4 ,in a ratio to our intellectual attainments1 so are we enabled to derive pleasure from circumstances that appear trifling and foolish to others4 ,mungo ,park could1 in the solitude of an ,african desert1 when exposed to the most distressing circumstances1 derive a most exquisite pleasure from the sight of a small flower4 ,how fully can we enter into the feelings of the man who1 after being prostrated to the earth by an accumulation of worldly disappointments1 yet spoke in a tone of noble triumph at his having retained1 amidst the wreck of all his hopes1 a perception of the beauties of nature6 8,i care not1 ,fortune1 what you me deny2-- ,you cannot rob me of free ,nature's grace2 ,you cannot shut the windows of the sky1 ,through which ,aurora shews her bright'ning face2 ,you cannot bar my constant feet to trace ,the woods and lawns by living stream at eve3 ,let health my nerves and finer fibres brace1 ,and ,i these toys to the great children leave3 ,of fancy1 reason1 virtue1 nought can me bereave40 ,a devotion to the common pleasures of sense is better than a state of absolute indifference2 for even if these give no kind of pleasure1 whilst all higher pursuits are neglected1 there is danger lest a man become of the same opinion as ,dr4 ,darwin's patient1 8that all which life affords is a ride out in the morning1 and a warm parlour and a pack of cards in the afternoon20 and1 like him1 finding these pleasures not inexhaustible1 should shoot himself because he has nothing better to do6 ,the miserable man should endeavour to make himself practically acquainted with the distresses of others4 ,however desperate the circumstances of a person may be1 he may still have it in his power to whisper a word of consolation to one whose situation may be more humiliating than his own4 ,human nature is accused of much more selfishness than it has any just claim to2 a thousand kindly emotions break in upon and redeem our daily and interested life4 8,the poorest poor ,long for a moment in a weary life ,when they can know and feel that they have been ,themselves the fathers and the dealers out ,of some small blessings2 have been kind to such ,as needed kindness2 for this single cause1 ,that we have all one human heart40#ea ,how few have anything like a proper conception of the power which the will can be made to exercise over the physical and mental ailments4#eb ,the stimuli which we all more or less have at command1 if properly directed1 will often subdue the early dawnings of disease1 which1 if permitted to take its own course1 would have assumed a most formidable character4 ,it is our duty to combat with the first menace of disordered feeling4 ,once the enemy is allowed to take up a favourable position1 it will be fruitless to enter single-handed into the contest4 8,i will be good10 says the child1 when he sees the rod ready to direct the will into the way of goodness2 and 8,i will be cheerful10 ought the dull and dyspeptic to say1 who observes a cloud of hypochondriacal fancies ready to burst upon his head4 ,it may be said it is useless to struggle against the natural tendencies of the mind and body1 or to declare war with habits which have become firmly rooted in the constitution4 ,in reply to this we would say1 let not the patient yield to the influence of those causes which have formed the habit2 let him not hug to his bosom the viper which is preying upon his mind2 let him not exclaim to gloom1 8,henceforth be thou my god40 ,the hypochondriac may say1 when advised to rouse himself from his state of mental despondency1 and to exhibit the attributes of a free agent-- 8,go1 you may call it madness1 folly2 ,you shall not chase my gloom away3 ,there's such a charm in melancholy1 ,i would not1 if ,i could1 be gay40 ,but it is exercising a conscientious duty to resist the encroachments of those ideal pleasures which sap the foundation of our moral constitution4 ,i am inclined to concur in the opinion expressed by the late ,dr4 ,uwins1 that when melancholy is stripped of all its ornamental and poetical accompaniments1 it will be found to be based in a great measure upon pride1 selfishness1 and indolence4 ,this benevolent physician observes--8,i cannot conceive a more delightful spectacle than that of an individual1 whose constitutional cast is melancholy1 warring against his temperament1 and determining to enter with hilarity into the scenes and circumstances of social life40 ,dr4 ,haindorft1 in his ,german translation of ,dr4 ,reid's 8,essay on ,hypochondriasis10 in alluding to the possibility of the patient labouring under hypochondria being able1 by an exercise of the power of volition1 to control his morbid sensations1 justly observes--8,we should have fewer disorders of the mind if we could acquire more power of volition1 and endeavour1 by our own energy1 to disperse the clouds which occasionally arise within our own horizon2 if we resolutely tore the first threads of the net which gloom and ill-humour may cast around us1 and made an effort to drive away the melancholy images of a morbid imagination by incessant occupation4 ,how beneficial would it be to mankind if this truth were universally acknowledged and acted upon--viz41 that our state of health1 mental as well as bodily1 principally depends upon ourselves60 8,by seeming gay1 we grow to what we seem40 ,it was the remark of a man of great observation and knowledge of the world--8,only wear a mask for a fortnight1 and you will not know it from your real face40 8,i am determined to believe myself a happy man10 said a poor fellow1 sunk in the lowest stage of melancholy1 to ,esquirol2 and he did endeavour to triumph over his gloomy apprehensions1 and for a short period he enjoyed the sunny aspect of life2 but not having sufficient resolution to continue this effort of volition1 he again gave way to despair4 ,a thousand years before the ,christian era1 there were1 at the two extremities of ,egypt1 temples devoted to ,saturn1 to which those labouring under hypochondriasis resorted in quest of relief4 ,some cunning priests1 profiting by the credulity of these patients1 associated with the pretended miracles of their powerless divinities and barren mysteries1 natural means by which they always solaced their patients1 and succeeded often in effecting cures by amusing the mind1 and withdrawing the attention from the contemplation of physical suffering4 ,the patients were religiously subjected to a variety of diversions and recreative exercises4 ,voluptuous paintings and seducing images were exposed to their view2 agreeable songs and melodious sounds perpetually charmed their ears2 gardens of flowers and ornamental groves furnished delightful walks and delicious perfumes4 ,every moment was consecrated to some diverting scene and amusement1 which had a most beneficial result on the diseased mind1 interrupted the train of melancholy thought1 dissipated sorrow1 and wrought the most salutary changes on the body through the agency of the mind4 ,the ,egyptian physicians recommended their patients to repair to these famous temples1 as the faculty of the present day suggest a trip to a fashionable spa4 ,that many suicides result from an indulgence in long-continued and corroding grief must be apparent to all who have given this subject any consideration4 ,the medical man will find it difficult to manage such patients4 ,everything should be done to rouse the person from his state of mental abstraction4 ,the immortal poet had a just conception of the baneful influence of silent grief on the mind and body2 he makes ,malcolm say1 imploringly1 to ,macbeth1 8,give sorrow words2 the grief that does not speak ,whispers the o'er-wrought heart1 and bids it break40 ,an eminent ,london physician communicated to me the particulars of the following case3--,a young lady1 connected with a family of rank1 and possessing great accomplishments1 had formed1 unknown to her parents1 a secret attachment to a gentleman who often visited the house4 ,when it was discovered1 he was requested to abandon all notions of the lady1 as it was the determination of her relations to refuse their consent to an alliance with him4 ,both parties took it much to heart4 ,the lady suffered from a severe attack of nervous disorder1 which terminated in suicidal mania4 ,she endeavoured several times to jump out of the window1 and would have done so had she not been most carefully watched4 ,her symptoms were most distressing4 ,the mind appeared to be weighed down to the earth by an accumulation of misery and wretchedness1 which she was unable to shake off4 8,oh6 could ,i but be happy60 she would exclaim4 8,will no one come to my relief8 ,what can ,i do80 ,she would walk about the room1 occasionally giving utterance to expressions similar to those just quoted4 ,more than once she observed1 that1 could she cry1 she felt assured her mind would be relieved2 but not a tear could she shed4 ,after a fearful struggle for some time1 one evening1 as she was retiring to rest1 she burst into a flood of tears4 ,the effect was most beneficial2 from that moment she began to recover4 ,the copious lachrymal secretion had the effect of relieving the cerebral congestion1 and in this way the brain was restored to the performance of its healthy functions4 ,it is difficult to lay down any particular instructions for the treatment of ennui4 ,how is it possible to restore enjoyment to a man who has quite exhausted it8 ,in such cases the advice which ,fnlon gives to ,dionysius the tyrant1 by the mouth of ,diogenes1 will naturally apply1--8,to restore his appetite1 he must be made to feel hunger2 and to make his splendid palace tolerable to him1 he must be put into my tub1 which is at present empty40 ,a lady became insane in consequence of a sudden and unexpected acquisition of wealth4 ,in a few months she was reduced1 by the failure of the house in which all her property was embarked1 to complete indigence4 ,being compelled to work for her daily bread1 her reason was soon restored4 ,the great preservative from tedium vit is1 in keeping the mind and body in a state of healthy activity4 ,how true it is-- 8,that many ills o'er which man grieves1 ,and still more woman1 spring from not employing ,some hours to make the remnant worth enjoying40 ,,byron4 ,in the army1 it is proverbial that the time of fatigue and danger is not the time of disease2 it is during the inactive and listless months of a campaign that crowds of patients pass to the hospitals4 ,in both these cases it is the active exercise of the mind giving strength to the brain1 and through it1 healthy vigour to the body1 which produces the effect4 ,shakspeare has not been unobservant of the consequences of excitement of mind on the bodily functions4 ,in ,king ,henry ,,iv41 when ,northumberland is told of the fatal tidings from ,shrewsbury1 and is informed of the death of his son ,percy1 he breaks out1-- 8,for this ,i shall have time enough to mourn4 ,in poison there is physic2 and these news ,that would1 had ,i been well1 have made me sick1 ,being sick1 have in some measure made me well3 ,and as a wretch whose fever-weakened joints1 ,like strengthless hinges1 buckle under life1 ,impatient of his fit1 breaks like a fire ,out of his keeper's arms2 even so my limbs1 ,weakened with grief1 being now enraged with grief1 ,are thrice themselves40 ,in illustration of the same principle1 we have only to refer our readers to the ever-memorable ,walcheren expedition4 ,it has been stated that while our troops and seamen were actively engaged in the siege and bombardment of ,flushing1 exposed to intense heat1 heavy rains1 and poisonous exhalations from the malarious soil1 inundated by the turbid waters of the ,scheldt1 scarcely a man was on the sick list2 the excitement of warfare1 the prospects of victory1 and the expectation of booty1 completely fortifying the body against all the potent causes of disease that environed the camp and the fleet4 ,in the celebrated retreat of the 8,ten thousand ,greeks0 under ,xenophon1 the troops were subjected to great mental despondency4 ,they had to cross rapid rivers1 penetrate gloomy forests1 drag their weary way over vast and burning deserts1 scale the summits of rugged mountains1 and wade through deep snows and pestilent morasses1 in continual fear of death or capture4 ,it was a sense of the despondency which misfortune was producing among the troops that induced ,xenophon1 in his address to his companions on the fearful night which preceded the murder of ,clearchus1 to say1 8,the soldiers have at present nothing before their eyes but misfortune4 ,if any one can persuade them to turn their thoughts into action it would greatly encourage them40 ,it was to effect this purpose that the consummate general ordered everything in the camp1 except the sword1 to be abandoned4 ,he inspired the hopes of his soldiers1 roused their minds into activity1 and thus prevented the development of serious disease among the troops4 ,lord ,anson says1 in speaking of the ravages which the scurvy made under his command1 that 8whatever discouraged the seamen1 or damped their hopes1 never failed to add new vigour to the distemper2 for it usually killed those who were in the last stages of it1 and confined those to their hammocks who before were capable of some kind of duty40 ,in certain diseases of the nervous system1 particularly when associated with morbid conditions of the mind leading to suicide1 the influence of music may be had recourse to with great advantage to the patient4 ,the ancients1 who paid more attention to the moral treatment of disease than the moderns have done1 had a just appreciation of the beneficial effect of music on the nervous system4 ,the learned ,dr4 ,bianchini has collected all the passages found in ancient authors relative to the medical application of music2 and from these it appears that it was used as a remedy by the ,egyptians1 ,hebrews1 ,greeks1 and ,romans1 not only in chronic1 but in acute cases of disease4 ,m4 ,burette1 in his able and scientific work on music1 allows it to be possible1 and even probable1 that music1 by the impressions it makes upon the nerves1 may be of use in the cure of certain maladies2 yet he by no means supposes the music of the ancients possessed this power in a greater degree than that of the moderns4 ,homer attributes the cessation of the plague among the ,greeks1 at the siege of ,troy1 to music3-- 8,with hymns divine the joyous banquet ends1 ,the pans lengthened till the sun descends3 ,the ,greeks1 restored1 the grateful rites prolong2 ,apollo listens and approves the song40 ,,pope4 ,in the ,memoirs of the ,french ,academy of ,sciences1 for #agjg and #agjh1 there are many accounts of cases of disease which1 after having long resisted and baffled the most efficacious remedies1 had yielded under the influence of the soft impressions of harmony2 and ,m4 de ,mairan1 in the same records1 published in #agce1 has entered very fully into the consideration of the modus operandi of music on the body in health and disease4 ,the effect of music on the system is explained in two different ways4 ,the monotony of the sound is supposed to have a soothing influence over the mind1 similar to what is known to result from the gurgle of a mimic cataract of some mountain rill1 or to a distant waterfall4 ,how often has the music caused by the waves gently dashing upon the beach excited sleep1 when all our narcotics have failed in producing a similar effect4 ,this soporific effect of the repetition or monotony of sound is beautifully alluded to by ,mackenzie1 in his ,man of ,feeling4 ,when his hero1 ,mr4 ,harley1 arrives in ,london1 he finds that the noise and varied excitement of the metropolis increase his nervous state of habit1 and prevent him from sleeping4 ,ordinary narcotics produce no effect upon him1 and he must have continued to suffer from watchfulness if he had not happily touched his shoe-buckle1 which lay upon the table1 when the vibration produced a monotonous sound so closely resembling the voice of his good aunt1 who nightly read him asleep in the country1 that from that time he regularly applied to the same narcotic1 and always slept soundly4 ,music acts1 secondly1 by causing an association of agreeable ideas4 ,a lady who was confined in an asylum in the vicinity of ,london1 and who had been separated for some months from her home1 and from all she held dear1 was pronounced partially convalescent4 ,she was1 however1 still melancholy2 and it was suggested by her father that a piece1 of which she was passionately fond1 and which was associated with the happiest period of her life1 should be played within her hearing4 ,this wish was complied with2 the effect produced was highly gratifying4 ,for the first few minutes1 no notice was taken of the music2 in a short period1 however1 a smile was seen to play upon a countenance where all had been dark and gloomy for months4 ,as the music proceeded1 the effect became more sensible and powerful2 ideas of a most pleasurable kind appeared to rush upon a mind which had previously been a blank2 a chord had been touched which thrilled through her1 until she appeared absorbed in the pleasing associations which the favourite air had conjured to her recollection4 ,the past was no longer forgotten1 and she for the first time gave evidence of being conscious of the situation in which she was in4 ,a fatal blow had been given to the disease1 and in a short period she was considered sufficiently recovered to be allowed to return home to the bosom of her family4 ,the disease of ,saul was alleviated by ,david's harp4 ,aristotle maintains that actual madness in horses may be cured by the melody of lutes4 8,experience has proved10 says ,gibbon1 8that the mechanical operation of sounds1 by quickening the circulation of the blood and spirits1 will act on the human machine more forcibly than the eloquence of reason and honour40 ,in illustration of the above observation the following fact may be adduced3--,at the battle of ,quebec1 in ,april1 #agfj1 while the troops were retreating in great confusion1 the general complained to a field-officer of ,fraser's regiment of the bad behaviour of his corps4 8,sir10 he answered1 in great warmth1 8you did very wrong in forbidding the bagpipes to play this morning2 nothing encourages ,highlanders so much in the day of action1--nay1 even now the pipes would be of use40 8,let them blow1 then1 like the devil10 replied the ,general1 8if it will bring back the men40 ,the bagpipes were ordered to play a favourite martial air4 ,the ,highlanders1 the moment they heard the music1 returned and formed with alacrity1 and fought like infuriated lions4 ,the influence of music over animals is known to be very great4 ,burney says that an officer1 being shut up in the ,bastille1 had his lute allowed him2 upon which1 after a trial or two1 the mice came issuing from their holes1 and the spiders1 suspending themselves from their threads1 assembled round him to enjoy the melody4#ec ,falret alludes particularly to the benefit which often accrues from music in peculiar disorders of the nervous system attended with a disposition to suicide4 ,so exalted an idea had ,m4 ,appert of its effects on the mind1 that he has observed1 alluding to criminals1 8that the man sensible to the influence of harmony is not irretrievably lost40 ,a young lady passionately fond of music manifested an inclination to kill herself2 she was sent by her family to an hospital1 where she was carefully watched4 ,the idea of suicide was not1 however1 removed until she was allowed the use of her favourite instrument1 the harp4 ,the good effect was soon perceptible2 her melancholy gradually subsided1 and with it the suicidal disposition4 ,she expressed to her friends how grateful she felt that she was allowed to indulge in her favourite amusement1 and was conscious of the benefits which she had derived from it4 ,the progress of epidemic suicide has been stayed by having recourse to measures which have powerfully affected the imagination4 ,the young women of ,marseilles1 at one period1 were seized with a propensity to commit suicide4 ,in order to prevent the contagion from spreading1 a law was passed to the effect that the body of every female who was guilty of self-murder should be publicly exposed after death4 ,the beneficial result of this law became immediately apparent2 the epidemic was stopped2 the sense of shame prevailed over the recklessness of human life4 ,in the ,french army1 during the reign of ,napoleon ,buonaparte1 a grenadier killed himself4 ,this suicide was followed by another case1 and it was feared that the disposition would assume an epidemic character4 ,buonaparte saw the necessity of prompt and decisive measures1 and with a view of striking terror in the minds of the soldiers1 and putting a stop at once to the spread of what appeared to be a contagious malady1 he issued the following 8order of the day10 dated ,st4 ,cloud1 #bb ,floreal1 an ,x43-- 8,the grenadier ,groblin has committed suicide1 from a disappointment in love4 ,he was1 in other respects1 a worthy man4 ,this is the second event of the kind that has happened in this corps within a month4 ,the ,first ,consul directs that it shall be notified in the order of the day of the guard1 that a soldier ought to know how to overcome the grief and melancholy of his passions2 that there is as much true courage in bearing mental affliction manfully as in remaining unmoved under the fire of a battery4 ,to abandon oneself to grief without resisting1 and to kill oneself in order to escape from it1 is like abandoning the field of battle before being conquered4 8,signed1 ,,napoleon1 8,,bessieres40 ,the effect of this masterly appeal to the courage of the ,french soldiery was truly magical4 ,the disposition was completely quelled1 and no case of suicide occurred for a considerable time afterwards4 ,the course which ,napoleon adopted shewed his great knowledge of human nature1 as well as the thorough insight he had obtained into the character of the people over whose minds he exercised so tremendous an influence4 ,an account of the punishment inflicted on the women of ,miletus1 a city of ,ionia1 who were seized with an epidemic suicide1 is transmitted to us in the writings of ,plutarch4 ,he says1 8,the ,milesian virgins were at one time possessed with an uncommon rage for suicide4 ,all desire of life seemed suddenly to leave them1 and they rushed on death 7by the help of the halter7 with an impetuous fury4 ,the tears and entreaties of parents and friends were of no avail2 and if they were prevented by force for awhile1 they evaded all the attention and vigilance of their observers1 and found means to perpetrate the horrid deed4 ,some ascribed this extraordinary species of desperation and frenzy to certain occult and maddening qualities of the air at that season1 somehow or other peculiarly injurious to the female frame and texture1 both of body and mind1 7since the men were not visibly affected by it27 while the superstitious considered it as a calamity sent from the gods1 and therefore beyond the power of human remedy4 ,but whatever was the cause1 the effect was visible and important1 and could not be suffered to rage long without manifest injury to the state4 ,while speculative men1 therefore1 were attempting to account for the phenomena1 the active magistrate was endeavouring to arrest the progress of the contagion1 for which purpose the following decree was issued2--8,that the body of every young woman who hanged herself should be dragged naked through the streets by the same rope with which she committed the deed40 ,this wise edict had in a short time the desired effect4 ,plutarch adds--8,the fear of shame and ignominy is an argument of a good and virtuous mind2 and they who regarded not pain and death1 which are usually esteemed the most dreadful of evils1 could not1 however1 endure the thoughts of having their dead bodies exposed to indignity and shame40 ,in the ,magdalen ,asylum1 at ,edinburgh1 a girl was seized with typhus fever1 at the time that it was raging in the city1 and though she was instantly removed1 as well as all her bed-clothes c41 two more were seized next day1 and an alarm or panic was soon spread over the whole house4 ,next day1 no fewer than sixteen were in the sick-room1 and in the course of four days1 out of a community of less than fifty individuals1 twenty-two were apparently labouring under decided fever4 ,it now struck ,dr4 ,hamilton that there was mad delusion in all this1 and that the disease arose as much from panic and irritation as from any other causes4 ,acting on this belief1 he went to the sick-room1 and told the girls that such a rapid spread of the disease was entirely unprecedented2 that they were under the delusion of yielding to their fears1 and of imitating others who were now undergoing all the tortures of bleeding1 blistering1 and purging1 in ,queensbury ,hospital4 ,he assured them that the fumigation and other precautions must have destroyed the contagion1 and that if they would only keep a good heart and dismiss their fears1 he would pledge himself the fever would soon disappear4 ,the effect of the ,doctor's speech was magical4 ,all apprehension was instantly banished from the mind1 the cheering influence of hope was inspired1 moral courage was developed1 and the progress of the pestilence stopped4 ,not one case of fever occurred afterwards1 and those who had the fever at the time perfectly recovered4#ed ,it is only on the same principle that we can account for the success which ,dr4 ,a4 ,t4 ,thompson met with in the treatment of the following case of whooping-cough1 which had been kept up by habit4 ,the patient1 a young boy1 was threatened with the application of a large blister2 although it was not applied1 but merely placed within his view1 yet the dread of it completely removed the cough4 ,boerrhave cured epilepsy in a whole school1 by marching into it at the moment of the expected attack with a red-hot poker1 which he threatened to thrust down the throats of those who should have a fit4 ,a remarkable instance of epidemic suicide occurred as far back as the reign of ,tarquinius ,priscus1 which as it required1 so it received1 an effectual check by the spirited introduction of an extraordinary mode of punishment4 ,after this king had employed the ,roman people in successful wars abroad1 he filled up their leisure at home in works of less apparent honour1 though of greater utility4 ,these were to cut drains and common sewers of immense size and durability4 ,when the soldiers disdained these servile offices1 and saw no end to their labours1 many of them committed suicide by throwing themselves off the ,capitoline ,hill4 ,others followed their example1 until the contagion spread through the whole of the men4 ,the king1 in order to strike terror into the minds of those who might contemplate self-destruction1 issued an order commanding the bodies of those who should commit suicide to be nailed on crosses1 and then exposed as spectacles to the rest of the citizens1 and left a prey to the fowls of the air4 ,the feeling of shame and horror had the effect of checking the disposition to sacrifice life1 and thus the king's purpose was effected4 ,whether any measures of a similar character could be adopted in cases where the disposition to suicide has a tendency to assume an epidemic form is a matter of considerable doubt4 ,experience has established the effect of some simple remedies in preventing the return of paroxysms of melancholia with a propensity to suicide4 ,but it has likewise1 and not unfrequently1 evinced their insufficiency1 and at the same time the influence of a strong and deeply impressed emotion in producing a solid and durable change4 ,a man who worked at a sedentary trade consulted ,pinel1 about the end of ,october1 #aghc1 for dyspepsia and great depression of spirits4 ,he knew of no cause to which he could ascribe his indisposition4 ,his unhappiness at length increased to such a pitch that he felt an invincible propensity to throw himself into the ,seine4 ,unequivocal symptoms of a disordered stomach induced ,pinel to prescribe some opening medicines1 and for some days occasional draughts of whey4 ,his bowels were effectually opened1 and he suffered but little from his propensity to self-destruction during the remainder of the winter4 ,fine weather appeared to restore him completely1 and his cure was considered as perfect4 ,towards the decline of autumn1 however1 his melancholia returned4 ,nature assumed to him a dark and dismal aspect1 and his propensity to throw himself into the ,seine returned with redoubled force4 ,the only circumstance that in any degree restrained the horrid impulse was1 the idea of leaving unprotected a wife and child1 whom he tenderly loved4 ,this struggle between the feelings of nature and his delirious frenzy was not permitted to continue long2 for the most unequivocal proofs soon after appeared of his having executed his fatal project4 ,a literary gentleman1 devoted to the pleasures of the table1 and who had lately recovered from a fever1 experienced in the autumnal season all the horrors of the propensity to suicide4 ,he weighed with shocking calmness the choice of various methods to accomplish the deed of death4 ,a visit which he paid to ,london appears to have developed1 with a new degree of energy1 his profound melancholy1 and his immovable resolution to abridge his term of life4 ,he chose an advanced hour of the night1 and went towards one of the bridges of that capital for the purpose of precipitating himself into the ,thames2 but at the moment of his arrival at the destined spot1 he was attacked by some robbers4 ,though he had little or no money about him1 he felt extremely indignant at this treatment1 and used every effort to make his escape1 which1 however1 he did not accomplish before he had been exceedingly terrified4 ,left by his assailants1 he returned to his lodgings1 having forgot the original object of his sally4 ,this rencontre seems to have caused a thorough revolution in the state of his mind4 ,his cure was complete4 ,a watchmaker was for a long time harassed by the propensity to suicide4 ,he once so far gave way to the horrid impulse1 that he withdrew to his house in the country1 where he expected to meet no obstacle to the execution of his project4 ,here he took a pistol1 and retired to an adjoining wood1 with the full intent of perpetrating the fatal deed2 but missing his aim1 the contents of the piece entered his cheek4 ,violent hmorrhage ensued4 ,he was discovered1 and conveyed to his own house4 ,during the healing of the wound1 which was long protracted1 an important change took place in the state of his mind4 ,whether from the agitation produced by the above tragic attempt1 from the enormous loss of blood which it occasioned1 or from any other cause1 he never afterwards shewed the least inclination to put an end to his existence4 ,this case1 though by no means an example for imitation1 is well calculated to shew that sudden terror1 or any other lively or deep impression1 may divert1 and even destroy1 the fatal propensity to suicide4 ,a few years ago1 an officer went into ,hyde ,park with an intention of shooting himself4 ,he applied a pistol to his forehead2 the priming flashed1 but no discharge followed4 ,a man of poor appearance1 whom the officer had not observed1 or perhaps thought unworthy of his notice1 instantly ran up1 and wrested the pistol from his hands4 ,the other drew his sword1 and was about to stab his deliverer1 who1 with much spirit1 replied1 8,stab me1 ,sir1 if you think proper2 ,i fear death as little as you1 but ,i have more courage4 ,more than twenty years ,i have lived in affliction and penury1 and ,i yet trust in ,god for comfort and support40 ,the officer was struck with these spirited words1 continued speechless and motionless for a short time1 and then1 bursting into tears1 gave his purse to the honest man4 ,he then inquired into his story1 and became his private friend and benefactor2 but he made the poor man swear that he would never make inquiries concerning himself1 or seem to know him1 if chance should ever bring them in sight of each other4 ,a female patient1 who had often threatened to destroy herself1 one day assured ,m4 ,esquirol that she was about to do it4 8,very well10 he answered2 8it is nothing to me2 and your husband will be delivered of a great torment40 ,she instantly ceased the preparations she was making to accomplish the act1 and never spoke of committing it again4 ,how easily lunatics may be diverted from their purpose by presence of mind1 an intimacy with their character1 and the tact to employ the destructive feeling by which they are actuated as the means of protection1 is well exemplified in an anecdote related by ,dr4 ,fox4 ,he had accompanied a suicidal and furious maniac1 who was at the time calm1 to the upper story of his asylum to enjoy the prospect beyond the walls4 ,in returning1 the spiral staircase struck the eye of the patient2 the opportunity roused the half-slumbering propensity1 and a fit of frenzy ensued4 ,his eyes glared1 his teeth ground against each other2 he panted like a bloodhound for his prey1 and seizing the ,doctor by the collar1 howled into his ears1 8,you jump down1 and ,i will jump after you40 ,the ,doctor for the moment was petrified with horror2 he was alone with a powerful man1 frenzied by insanity2 to escape was out of the question2 to attempt to overcome him by force was still more futile3 in a moment he hit upon a stratagem4 ,turning to the infuriated madman1 he exclaimed1 with a look of coolness and collectedness1 8,bah6 my child could jump from this place2 it requires no nouse to do that2 the thing is to jump up--that is the difficulty40 ,the madman listened with attention to what the ,doctor said1 and then observed1 8,but you cannot do so1 can you80 ,the ,doctor replied1 he could1 and they both hurried down to put the boast to the proof1 and the sanguinary threat was forgotten before they reached the lobby4 ,physicians not practically acquainted with the treatment of insanity are too much inclined to believe that it is fruitless to attempt to reason a madman out of his morbid delusion1 and that to have recourse to a trick in order to dispel the mental illusion is a species of practice unbecoming the dignity of a professional gentleman4 ,numerous cases are recorded in which patients have been cured of monomania by a well-contrived artifice2 and in many cases of suicidal insanity1 when other treatment fails1 the medical man may have recourse to this mode of cure without any danger of sinking himself in public or professional estimation4 ,the following cases are illustrations of the foregoing remark3-- ,a celebrated watchmaker1 at ,paris1 was infatuated with the chimera of perpetual motion1 and to effect this discovery he set to work with indefatigable ardour4 ,from unremitting attention to the object of his enthusiasm coinciding with the influence of revolutionary disturbances1 his imagination was greatly heated1 his sleep was interrupted1 and1 at length1 a complete derangement of the understanding took place4 ,his case was marked by a most whimsical illusion of the imagination4 ,he fancied that he had lost his head on the scaffold2 that it had been thrown promiscuously among the heads of many other victims2 that the judges1 having repented of their cruel sentence1 had ordered them to be restored to their owners1 and placed upon their respective shoulders2 but that1 in consequence of an unfortunate mistake1 the gentleman who had the management of the business had placed upon his shoulders the head of one of his unhappy companions4 ,the idea of this whimsical exchange occupied his thoughts night and day1 on account of which his relations sent him to the ,htel ,dieu2 and from thence he was transferred to the ,asylum de ,bictre4 ,nothing could equal the extravagant overflowings of his heated brain4 ,he sung1 cried1 or danced incessantly2 and as there appeared no propensity in him to commit acts of violence or disturbance1 he was allowed to go about the hospital without control1 in order to expend1 by evaporation1 the effervescent excess of his spirits4 8,look at these teeth10 he constantly cried2 8mine were exceedingly handsome2 these are rotten and decayed4 ,my mouth was sound and healthy2 this is foul and diseased4 ,what a difference between this hair and that of my own head60 ,to this state of delirious gaiety1 however1 succeeded that of furious madness4 ,he broke to pieces1 or otherwise destroyed1 whatever was within the reach or power of his mischievous propensity4 ,close confinement became indispensable4 ,towards the approach of winter1 his violence abated2 and1 although he continued to be extravagant in his ideas1 he was never afterwards dangerous4 ,he was therefore permitted1 whenever he felt disposed1 to go to the inner court4 ,the idea of perpetual motion frequently recurred to him in the midst of his wanderings2 and he chalked on all the walls and doors as he passed the various designs by which his wondrous piece of mechanism was to be constructed4 ,the method best calculated to cure so whimsical an illusion appeared to be that of encouraging his prosecution of it to satiety4 ,his friends were accordingly requested to send him his tools1 with materials to work upon1 and other requisites1 such as plates of copper and steel1 watch-wheels1 c4 ,the governor permitted him to fix up a work-bench in his apartment4 ,his zeal was now redoubled2 his whole attention was rivetted upon his favourite pursuit4 ,he forgot his meals4 ,after about a month's labour1 which he sustained with a constancy that deserved better success1 our artist began to think that he had followed a false route4 ,he broke into a thousand fragments the piece of machinery which he had fabricated at so much expense of time1 thought1 and labour2 entered on the construction of another upon a new plan1 and laboured with equal pertinacity for an additional fortnight4 ,the various parts being completed1 he brought them together1 and fancied that he saw a perfect harmony amongst them4 ,the whole was now finally adjusted2 his anxiety was indescribable2 motion succeeded2 it continued for some time1 and he supposed it capable of continuing for ever4 ,he was elevated to the highest pitch of enjoyment and triumph1 and ran as quick as lightning into the interior of the hospital1 crying out1 like another ,archimedes1 8,at length ,i have solved this famous problem1 which has puzzled so many men celebrated for their wisdom and talents40 ,but1 grievous to say1 he was disconcerted in the midst of his triumph4 ,the wheels stopped2 the perpetual motion ceased6 ,his intoxication of joy was succeeded by disappointment and confusion4 ,but to avoid a humiliating and mortifying confession1 he declared that he could easily remove the impediment2 but tired of that kind of employment1 he was determined for the future to devote his whole time and attention to his business4 ,there still remained another maniacal impression to be counteracted1--that of the imaginary exchange of his head1 which unceasingly recurred to him4 ,a keen and an unanswerable stroke of pleasantry seemed best adapted to correct this fantastic whim4 ,another convalescent1 of a gay and facetious humour1 instructed in the part he should play in this comedy1 adroitly turned the conversation to the subject of the famous miracle of ,saint ,denis4 ,our mechanician strongly maintained the possibility of the fact1 and sought to confirm it by an application of it to his own case4 ,the other set up a loud laugh1 and replied1 with a tone of the keenest ridicule1 8,madman as thou art1 how could ,saint ,denis kiss his own head8 ,was it with his heels80 ,this equally unexpected and unanswerable retort forcibly struck the maniac4 ,he retired confused1 amidst the peals of laughter which were provoked at his expense1 and never afterwards mentioned the exchange of his head4 ,close attention to his trade for some months completed the restoration of his intellect4 ,he was sent to his family in perfect health1 and has now for more than five years pursued his business without a return of his complaint4 ,mr4 ,cox recollects a singular instance of a deranged idea in a maniac being corrected by a very simple stratagem4 ,the patient asserted that he was the ,holy ,ghost2 a gentleman present immediately exclaimed1 8,you the ,holy ,ghost6 ,what proof have you to produce80 8,i know that ,i am10 was his answer4 ,the gentleman said1 8,how is this possible8 ,there is but one ,holy ,ghost1 is there8 ,how then can you be the ,holy ,ghost1 and ,i be so too80 ,he appeared surprised and puzzled1 and1 after a short pause1 said1 8,but are you the ,holy ,ghost80 ,when the other observed1 8,did you not know that ,i was80 his answer was1 8,i did not know it before4 ,why1 then1 ,i cannot be the ,holy ,ghost40 ,a ,portuguese nobleman became melancholy1 and fancied that ,god would never forgive his sins4 ,various means were tried to subdue this morbid impression1 but in vain1 until the following artifice was adopted1 which proved successful in restoring the lunatic to reason4 ,during midnight1 a person dressed as an angel was made to enter his bed-room1 having a drawn sword in its right hand1 and a lighted torch in the other4 ,the imaginary angelic being addressed the monomaniac by name1 who1 rising from his bed1 spoke to the supposed angel1 beseeching it to tell him whether his sins would ever be forgiven2 upon which the angel replied1 8,be comforted1 your sins are forgiven40 ,the poor man's delight knew no bounds4 ,he rose from his bed1 summoned every one in the house to his presence1 and explained to them all that had passed4 ,from that moment the man rapidly recovered in bodily health1 and his delusion has completely vanished4 ,a man fancied he was dead1 refused to eat1 and importuned his parents to bury him4 ,by the advice of his physician1 he was wrapped in a winding-sheet1 laid upon a bier1 and in this way he was carried on the shoulders of four men to the churchyard4 ,on their way1 two or three pleasant fellows 7appointed for that purpose7 meeting the hearse1 demanded in a commanding tone of voice to know whose body they had in the coffin4 ,they replied it was a young man's1 and mentioned his name4 8,surely10 said one of them1 8the world is well rid of him2 for he was a man who led a bad and vicious life1 and his friends have good reasons to rejoice that he has thus ended his days1 otherwise he would have died an ignominious death on the scaffold40 ,the young man overheard this observation1 at which he felt extremely indignant2 but feeling that it was not consistent with propriety or the laws of nature for a dead man on his way to his last home to exhibit any indications of passion1 he satisfied himself by coolly replying1 8,that they were wicked men to do him that wrong1 and that if he had been alive he would teach them to speak better of the dead40 8,it is well10 said one of the men in reply1 8that you are no more2 both for yourself and family4 ,you were a mean1 pitiful scoundrel1 guilty of every abomination1 and the world is rejoiced that you no longer live40 ,this was too much for the patience of the dead man to endure1 and feeling that he could no longer suffer such unjust aspersions to be cast on his character1 he leaped from the coffin1 procured the first stick he could lay hands on1 and commenced belabouring his vile accusers4 ,as it may be supposed1 they gave him plenty to do1 and by the time he had gratified his indignation1 and well chastised his calumniators1 he had become completely exhausted4 ,in this state he was taken home1 and in a few days he was completely cured of the morbid idea which had taken possession of his imagination4 ,menecrates1 as we learn from lian1#ee become so mad1 as seriously to believe himself the son of ,jupiter1 and to request of ,philip of ,macedon that he might be treated as a god4 ,but it is not always that the man thus deranged falls into such good hands as those of the ,macedonian monarch2 for ,philip humorously determining to make the madman's disease work its own cure1 gave orders immediately that his request should be complied with1 and invited him to a grand entertainment1 at which was a separate table for the new divinity1 served with the most costly perfumes and incense1 but with nothing else4 ,menecrates was at first highly delighted1 and received the worship that was paid to him with the greatest complacency2 but growing hungry by degrees over the empty viands that were offered him1 while every other guest was indulged with substantial dainties1 he at length keenly felt himself to be a man1 and stole away from the court in his right senses4 ,many cases of suicidal insanity have been cured by removing the persons so unhappily afflicted from their own homes1 friends1 and relations4 ,in these cases the physician has no little difficulty in persuading the friends of the invalid that a separation from old associations is absolutely indispensable2 that without it1 a return to sanity cannot be reasonably expected4 ,when ,dr4 ,willis undertook the cure of ,george ,,iii41 he insisted1 in the first instance1 in dismissing all the old servants1 changing the furniture1 and removing everything from the king's sight that might tend to awaken in his mind ideas of the past4 ,the success that attended his treatment is said mainly to have depended on this circumstance4 ,mr4 ----1 forty-seven years old1 of a neuro-sanguineous temperament1 was happy in his domestic circle1 and his business had prospered until the year1 #ahcj1 from which period he was much harassed in the management of his affairs4 ,in ,december1 #ahca1 after a very trifling loss1 he grew sorrowful and melancholy2 his face was flushed1 his eyes became blood-shot1 his breathing was difficult1 and he shed tears1 incessantly repeating that he was lost4 ,on the next and following days1 he made several attempts to commit suicide1 so that they were obliged to cover his apartment with wadding4 ,he wished to strangle himself1 tried to swallow his tongue1 filled his mouth with his fist in hopes of suffocating himself1 and then refused all nourishment4 ,at the expiration of six days1 the patient was brought to ,paris1 and entrusted to ,esquirol's care4 ,from the moment of his arrival all desire to commit suicide vanished1 and the patient appeared restored to reason4 8,the impression that ,i received10 said he1 8on finding myself transported to a strange house cured me40 ,in fact1 sleep1 appetite1 and a return of connected1 and sometimes lively conversation1 induced the belief that a cure was effected4 ,three weeks seemed enough for convalescence1 when his wife and son came to fetch him4 ,they passed two days at ,paris to finish some business there1 and then returned to the country4 ,scarcely had he arrived at his home when he felt himself impelled by the same desires1 in consequence of which1 he returned to ,paris1 transacted some business whilst he remained there1 and appeared perfectly well4 ,on returning to his home again1 he made fresh attempts to commit suicide1 struck his son1 and those who waited upon him1 and endangered the life of his wife4 ,neither the grief of his family1 the watch placed over him1 nor the pretended authority of those about him1 could overcome these feelings4 ,the patient passed several days without food2 he tore up his linen to make a cord to hang himself1 tied it round his neck1 and got upon his bed in order to throw himself upon the floor2 and at last1 deceiving the watchfulness of his relations1 escaped to throw himself into the river4 ,he was immediately put into a carriage1 and accompanied by his wife2 but1 notwithstanding the strait-waistcoat1 he left no means untried to kill himself4 ,on arriving at ,paris1 and being again confined1 he became perfectly reasonable1 and made no attempt to destroy himself during the six weeks that his second confinement lasted4 ,there was reason to believe his cure complete4 ,if he was asked why he did not overcome his terrible impressions at his own house as he did at ,paris1 he answered in an evasive manner1 affirming that this time the trial had been long enough1 that he was cured1 and that he insisted upon returning home4 8,deprived of my wife and son10 said he1 8,i am the most unhappy of men1 and ,i cannot live40 8,but if you are so unhappy here10 said ,esquirol to him one day1 8why do you not try to destroy yourself1 as it is very easy to do so80 8,i know not10 he replied2 8but ,i am cured1 and ,i wish to live40 ,this patient enjoyed the greatest liberty1 and although no apparent precaution was taken to prevent his destroying himself1 he never made the least attempt4 ,he afterwards ceased to talk unreasonably2 but ,esquirol was never able to obtain an avowal of the motives which induced him to commit suicide at his own house1 whilst he thought no more of it as soon as he came amongst strangers4 ,on returning to his home for the fourth time1 although he was able to transact important business1 the same phenomena returned with equal violence4 ,m4----1 twenty-seven years old1 after experiencing some reverses of fortune1 became maniacal1 with a tendency to commit suicide4 ,the elevated situation of the room which he inhabited1 the position of the staircase1 the reiterated visits of his friends1 8who came to contemplate his misfortunes10 and the despair of his wife1 were so many circumstances which induced him to terminate his existence2 and although he avowed that he had no motive for so doing1 and that he was ashamed1 and considered himself criminal for having attempted it1 he left no means untried for more than a month to effect that end4 ,when he was taken away from his home1 and lodged in a ground-floor which led into a garden1 the idea no longer harassed him4 8,it would be of no use10 he said2 8,i could never kill myself here2 every precaution is taken to prevent me40 ,a baker's wife1 of a lymphatic temperament1 experienced a violent fit of jealousy1 which caused her much distress1 and induced her to watch her husband's steps1 who vented his discontent in threats and reproaches4 ,at last1 this unhappy woman1 being unable to bear the feeling any longer1 threw herself out of the window4 ,her husband ran to pick her up1 and bestowed marks of the most attentive kindness upon her4 8,it is useless10 she said2 8you have a wife no longer40 ,she refused every kind of nourishment1 and neither the solicitations1 tears1 prayers of her relations1 and those of her husband1 who never quitted her room1 were able to overcome her resolution4 ,after seven days of total abstinence1 ,esquirol was called in4 ,they hid from him the cause of the disease1 but he observed that every time her husband approached the bed1 her face became convulsed4 ,the patient was told that she was about to be sent into the country1 but that it was necessary for her to take a little nourishment in order to support the journey4 ,a little broth which was offered her was accepted2 but notwithstanding her attempts1 she could only swallow a few drops4 ,she tried again the following morning1 but she expired in the course of the day4 8,had this woman10 says ,esquirol1 8been removed from her home immediately after the accident1 there is little doubt but she would have been restored4 ,how could she desire to live1 her distress being continually aggravated by the presence of her husband80 ,the chief means of controlling the passions1 and of keeping them within just bounds1 is to form a proper estimate of the things of this life1 of the relation of our present to a future state of existence1 and of the influence which our actions in this world will have upon our happiness hereafter4 ,such a right estimate every rational man will labour to attain4 ,he will endeavour1 by correcting error1 and acquiring such habits as are consistent with just sentiments1 to withdraw the nourishment from the very root of passion1 rather than be for ever fruitlessly occupied in merely pruning the luxuriance of some of its branches4 ,it may be useful to impress strongly upon the minds of those who have not sufficient command over their feelings1 the persuasion that the indulgence of any passion to excess1 and especially of the selfish and malevolent ones1 is likely to be injurious to health1 will certainly be destructive of serenity and comfort2 and of course1 by diminishing happiness1 will frustrate its own aim and intention1 and may1 by repetition1 acquire accumulated force and facility of excitement1 become at length unconquerable and habitual1 and according to its nature1 violence1 and frequency1 will1 in a greater or less degree1 be subversive of happiness1 and leave them more or less open to the attacks of insanity4 ,such persons will therefore see it highly expedient1 while under the influence of these impressions1 to do all in their power to avoid them2 to compare their urgent and apparent importance when they occur1 with the probable diminution of the comfort and health of body and mind which they might induce2 and to lay it down as a rule never to indulge any passion whatever1 till1 independently of moral considerations1 and the notions of duty and obligation1 they have deliberately reflected1 whether the importance of the cause will be a sufficient counterbalance to the certain pain inflicted and the injury which may be thence derived to their health of body and ease and soundness of mind4 ,a habit of such deliberation once acquired1--and it may be acquired by diligence and resolution1--will entirely put an end to exorbitant excitement1 since by checking the very beginnings of emotion1 its growth and progress will be altogether prevented4 ,and as every one has some weak point on which he is more open to a successful attack1 some constitutional or habitual feeling1 the approaches of which he cannot easily withstand1 all persons who are convinced of the expediency and necessity of subduing their passions1 if they would consult their own ease1 will be aware of the importance of keeping a diligent watch1 and placing a strong guard1 upon the one that most easily and successfully besets them4 ,and whoever would secure a reasonable portion of present happiness will be sensible of the necessity of learning the art of contentment1 which1 difficult as it may seem to those who have not used themselves to check the wanderings of imagination1 and to keep their desires within prudent bounds1 not only appears indispensable1 but easy1 to the man who feels a lively and practical conviction of its wonderful tendency to multiply the sum of actual enjoyment4 ,with the same view of promoting and securing their own present felicity1 such persons will see the propriety of acquiring habits of good nature1 and of cultivating the emotions of benevolence4 ,and as virtue seldom fails to bring her own dowry1 contentedness and benevolence will infallibly introduce habits of cheerfulness1 which1 while they improve our happiness1 act as powerful preservatives against disease1 and as determined enemies of insanity4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,physical ,,treatment ,,of ,,the ,,suicidal ,,disposition4 ,on the dependence of irritability of temper on physical disease--,voltaire and an ,englishman agree to commit suicide--,the reasons that induced ,voltaire to change his mind--,the ferocity of ,robespierre accounted for--,the state of his body after death--,the petulance of ,pope dependent on physical causes--,suicide from cerebral congestion1 treatment of--,advantages of bloodletting1 with cases--,damien insane--,cold applied to the head1 of benefit--,good effects of purgation--,suicide caused by a tape-worm--,early indications of the disposition to suicide--,the suicidal eye--,of the importance of carefully watching persons disposed to suicide--,cunning of such patients--,numerous illustrations--,the fondness for a particular mode of death--,dr4 ,burrows' extraordinary case--,dr4 ,conolly on the treatment of suicide--,cases shewing the advantage of confinement4 ,medical men have not considered with that degree of attention commensurate with its importance the relationship between physical derangement and those apparently trifling mental ailments which so often1 if not subdued1 lead to the commission of suicide4 ,the origin of self-destruction is more frequently dependent upon derangement of the prim vi than is generally imagined4 ,every one must1 in his own person1 be aware of the influence of indigestion1 and what is termed bilious disorder1 upon the spirits4 ,an inactive condition of the bowels is a common cause of mental disquietude4 ,voltaire1 who was a man of great observation1 appears to have paid considerable attention to this connexion4 ,he advises a person who intends to ask a favour of a prime minister1 or a minister's secretary1 or a secretary's mistress1 to be careful to approach them after they have had a comfortable evacuation from the bowels4 ,dryden invariably dosed himself before sitting down to compose4 ,he says--8,if you wish to have fairy flights of fancy1 you must purge the belly40 ,carneades1 the celebrated disputant of antiquity1 was in the habit of taking white helebore1 7a purgative17 preparatory to his refuting the dogmas of the ,stoics4 ,lord ,byron says1 in one of his letters1 8,i am suffering from what my physician terms #8gastric irritation1' and my spirits are sadly depressed4 ,i have taken a brisk cathartic1 and to-morrow #8,richard will be himself again4'0 ,the following anecdote is recorded of ,voltaire3--8,an ,english gentleman of fortune had been sitting many hours with this great wit and censurer of human character4 ,their discourse related chiefly to the depravity of human nature1 tyranny and oppression of kings1 poverty1 wretchedness1 and misfortune1 the pain of disease1 particularly the gravel1 gout1 and stone4 ,they worked themselves up to such a pitch of imaginary evils that they proposed next morning to commit suicide together4 ,the ,englishman1 firm to his resolution1 rose1 and expected ,voltaire to perform his promise1 to whom the genius replied1 8,ah6 monsieur1 pardonnez moi1 j'ai bien dormi1 mon lavement a bien oper1 et le soleil est tout--fait clair aujourd'hui40 ,we knew a gentleman whose temper was not controllable if he allowed himself to pass a day without his accustomed evacuation from the bowels4 ,pinel records the particulars of the case of a man who had fits of mental derangement whenever the action of the bowels became irregular4 ,the blood-thirsty miscreant ,robespierre is said to have been of a 8costive habit1 and to have been much subjected to derangement of the liver40 ,after death1 it is said that 8his bowels were found one adherent mass40 ,it is indeed interesting to consider1 both morally and medically1 how far these morbid ailments influenced this monster in the bloody career in which he was engaged4 ,there can be no question but that the morbid irritability which many of our men of genius have manifested was but the effect of a derangement of the physical frame acting upon a mind naturally sensitive to such impressions4 ,much of the petulance1 personality1 and malignity of ,pope was dependent upon causes over which he had no control--viz41 disease of the stomach and liver1 producing hypochondriasis4 ,it has been well observed by ,madden1 8,who knows under what paroxysms of mental irritation caused by that disease 7indigestion71 which more than any other domineers over the feelings of the sufferer1 he might have written those bitter sarcasms which he levelled against his literary opponents8 ,who knows in what moment of bodily pain his irascibility might have taken the form of unjustifiable satire1 or his morbid sensibility assumed the sickly shape of petulance and peevishness8 ,who knows how the strength of the strong mind might have been cast down by his sufferings1 when #8he descended to the artifice' of imposing on a bookseller1 and of #8writing those letters for effect which he published by subterfuge8' ,who that has observed how the vacillating conduct of the dyspeptic invalid imitates the vagaries of this proteiform malady can wonder at his capriciousness1 or be surprised at the anomaly of bitterness on the tongue1 and benevolence in the heart1 of the same individual80#ef ,that ,pope was a severe sufferer from bodily disease will appear evident from the following account given by ,dr4 ,johnson of the poet4 ,he says1 8,pope's constitution1 which was originally feeble1 became so debilitated that he stood in perpetual need of female attendance2 and so great was his sensibility of cold that he wore a fur doublet under a shirt of very coarse warm linen4 ,when he rose1 he invested himself in a bodice made of stiff canvass1 being scarcely able to hold himself erect till it was laced2 and he then put on a flannel waistcoat4 ,his legs were so slender that he enlarged their bulk with three pairs of stockings1 which were drawn off and on by the maid1 for he was not able to dress or undress himself1 and he neither went to bed nor rose without help40 ,his frequent attacks of indigestion made him at times a perfect picture of misery and wretchedness4 ,it clothed everything with a gloomy aspect1 made him quarrel with his friends and domestics1 and he has been known to say that he sighed for death as a reprieve from mental and bodily agony4 ,sir ,samuel ,garth was frequently consulted when he had these attacks2 and it was only by exacting a strict attention to diet and exhibiting medicine that he was enabled to restore the mind of the poet to a healthy tone4 ,this physical ailment1 as it often does when long continued1 ultimately affected the cerebral functions4 ,at times he had symptoms of pressure on the brain1 or at least of an unequal and imperfect distribution of blood to that organ4 ,spence says1 he frequently complained of seeing everything in the room as through a curtain1 and on other occasions1 of seeing false colours on certain objects4 ,at another period1 on a sick-bed1 he asked ,dodsley what arm it was that had the appearance of coming out from the wall4 ,when the disposition to suicide is present1 the physician should carefully ascertain whether the patient is not labouring under cerebral congestion1 or a determination of blood to the head4 ,the loss of a small quantity of blood has frequently been known to remove the propensity to self-destruction4 ,a case is referred to by ,schlegel of a woman who was liable to periodical fits of suicidal mania whenever she allowed a redundancy of blood to accumulate in the system4 ,on two occasions she attempted suicide4 ,on the first indications of a return of her delirium1 she was generally bled1 and relief was instantaneously afforded4 ,a gentleman who had received1 during the peninsular campaign1 a sabre cut in the head1 felt for some years1 whenever he was exposed to great mental excitement1 or allowed himself to over-indulge in the use of spirits1 a kind of suicidal delirium4 ,twice he was detected in the act of attempting to commit suicide1 and was fortunately prevented from doing so4 ,the local abstraction of blood from the neighbourhood of the head was the only remedy which appeared to subdue the disposition4 ,the cases which are related in another chapter of individuals who were insane at the moment when the act of self-destruction was attempted1 but who recovered the use of their reasoning after having inflicted a wound attended with loss of blood1 fully testify the importance of general and local depletion in certain cases of cerebral disease attended by this unfortunate propensity4 ,a blow on the head has been known to develope this feeling4 ,the affection of the sentient organ may remain latent for many years1 and then suddenly manifest itself4 ,a man had received1 when young1 a kick from a horse1 which produced at the time no very urgent symptoms4 ,six years after the accident1 he1 without giving any indications of previous derangement of mind1 cut his throat4 ,upon examining the brain1 it was found extensively diseased4 ,a man1 feeling the suicidal disposition1 bled himself from the arm1 and recovered4 ,it will not be proper in all cases to abstract blood2 for the destructive propensity has been known to exist where there has been a deficiency of blood in the brain4 ,the practitioner should examine the condition of the patient thoroughly before he recommends active depletion4 ,sixty per cent4 of the cases of suicide will1 however1 be found with cerebral disease either of a primary or secondary nature2 and to that organ the medical man's attention should be particularly directed4 ,the following case happily illustrates the benefits which are sometimes derived from the local abstraction of blood in certain cases of temporary insanity1 accompanied with a disposition to commit suicide4 8,a gentleman10 says ,dr4 ,burrows1 8of a very irascible and impetuous disposition1 with whom ,i was intimate1 experienced in a public meeting a rebuke which exceedingly mortified him1 and made so deep an impression upon his mind1 that he was quite miserable4 ,at night1 instead of going to bed1 he roamed abroad2 and at length1 early in the morning1 without knowing whither he went1 he found himself near a sheet of water4 ,the view of it at once determined him to drown himself1 and he accordingly plunged in4 ,the action was perceived1 and he was rescued from the water1 insensible1 and immediately conveyed to a place where means of resuscitation were adopted4 ,as his address was found in his pocket1 a communication was directly made to his family1 and ,dr4 ,burrows was called in to see the patient4 ,he found him in a state of insensibility4 ,as soon as consciousness returned1 he was dressed1 put into a coach1 and ,dr4 ,b4 accompanied him to his residence4 ,as yet1 he had not spoken1 neither did he appear to observe anything4 ,the motion of the carriage on the stones seemed to rouse him1 and he looked about4 ,he took no notice of those who were in the carriage with him4 ,he soon became violent2 his eyes were wild1 and rolled in their sockets2 his face became flushed2 the vessels of the forehead were excessively distended1 and all the symptoms of genuine delirium came on4#eg ,dr4 ,burrows ascribed the symptoms to a violent reaction in the vascular system from the state of collapse it had sustained1 and ordered the oppressed vessels of the head to be relieved by the application of cupping glasses1 and the abstraction of sixteen ounces of blood2 the head to be kept cool1 and enemata to be administered until the bowels were well cleansed out4 ,after these operations1 he soon became passive and disposed to sleep4 ,he slept six hours1 and awoke tolerably composed1 but not quite coherent4 ,he took light nourishment1 and at night awoke perfectly collected1 but exceedingly low4 ,the next day he was well1 but languid4 ,an explanation was given him1 which removed the impression that the offensive part of the speech had given him1 and he by degrees recovered his usual state of mind40 ,we are inclined to believe1 with ,d',israeli1 8that there are crimes for which men are hanged1 but of which they might easily have been cured by physical means40 ,damien1 who attempted the assassination of ,louis ,,xv41 and who in consequence was subjected to the most refined tortures1 persisted to the last in declaring that if he had been bled1 as he wished and implored to be1 the morning previously1 he never would have endeavoured to take the life of the king4 ,gaubius relates the case of a lady of a too inflammable constitution1 whom her husband had reduced to a model of decorum by phlebotomy4 ,in the month of ,april1 ,m4 ,delormel was called to ,madame ,chatelain1 at the ,chateau de ,armanvillers1 who1 according to the statement of the physician in attendance1 was 8melancholic1 hypochondriacal1 and insane40 ,she had made several attempts to commit suicide1 and was carefully guarded4 ,she had been bled1 purged1 and well dosed with anti-spasmodics1 but to no purpose4 ,m4 ,delormel examined the patient very carefully1 and came to a conclusion respecting her case very different from that which had been formed by the other physicians who had seen her4 ,the lady was thirty-seven years of age1 of a very neuro-sanguineous temperament1 active in body1 and most amiable in disposition4 ,for more than two years she had complained of burning heat in her stomach and bowels2 digestion was painful1 and constipation habitual4 ,the catameni were irregular2 she was much emaciated1 and the symptoms of melancholia and hypochondriasis were well marked4 ,madame ,c4 could not bear to see her husband and children1 to whom she had1 when in good health1 been affectionately attached4 ,her chief desire was solitude1 and the predominant idea was the conviction of approaching death4 ,from an attentive examination of the case1 it was pronounced one of chronic gastro-enteritis4 ,eighty leeches were applied to the abdomen1 proper medicines were administered1 her diet regulated1 and in less than a month she was completely restored to health of body and mind4 ,when it is evident that the patient is suffering from cerebral congestion1 and yet general bleeding is inadmissible1 the application of cold to the head by means of a shower bath has often been productive of much good4 ,a young lady who laboured under the disposition to suicide consulted an eminent living physician1 communicating to him the particulars of her malady1 bitterly lamenting the unfortunate feeling that was undermining her health4 ,after trying various remedies without effecting much relief1 a cold shower bath was recommended every morning4 ,in the course of ten days1 the desire to commit self-destruction was entirely removed1 and never afterwards returned4 ,a timely-administered purge has been known to dispel the desire of self-destruction4 ,esquirol knew a man who was decidedly insane whenever he allowed his bowels to be in an inactive condition4 ,a patient of ,falret had well-marked suicidal delirium4 ,so urgent were the symptoms1 that he was placed under restraint and carefully watched4 ,active cathartics were administered1 and ,falret states that the largest tape-worm he ever saw was evacuated4 ,the idea of suicide soon vanished1 and the man was restored in perfect health to his friends and family4#eh ,foder examined the bodies of three persons in one family who fell by their own hands1 and in the three cases considerable disease was discovered in the intestinal canal1 which had been irritating the brain and disturbing its manifestations4 ,in the instances just referred to1 the indication of physical disease of the prim vi were but trifling during life4 ,disease of the stomach and liver frequently incite to suicide2 hepatic affections notoriously disturb the equilibrium of the mind4 ,many a case exhibiting an inclination to suicide has been cured by a few doses of blue pill4 ,the physician should direct his attention to the condition of the uterine function and the state of the skin4 ,during the puerperal state1 a tendency to suicide is often manifested4 ,a lady1 shortly after her accouchement1 expressed1 with great determination1 her intention to kill herself4 ,her bowels had not been properly attended to1 and a brisk cathartic was given4 ,this entirely removed the suicidal disposition4 ,any irregularity in the action of the uterine organ may give rise to the same inclination4 ,under such circumstances1 emmenagogues will do much good4 ,german writers dwell much upon the connexion between suicide and derangement of the cutaneous secretion4 ,that this function should also be attended to there cannot be a doubt1 although we cannot call to mind any cases of suicide which could be directly traced to suppressed perspiration4 ,in some cases1 a blister applied and kept open in the neighbourhood of the head has effected much good4 ,in other instances1 issues have been beneficial1 particularly in persons subject to cerebral congestion4 ,there is1 however1 a condition of brain accompanying the suicidal disposition which may be denominated a state of cerebral irritation1 in which bleeding or depletion would be injurious4 ,in such cases1 friction on the spine1 and the administration of anti-spasmodics1 gentle aperients1 and alteratives1 will be serviceable4 ,sufficient attention is not paid to those precursory symptoms which indicate the existence of a disposition to suicide4 ,in two-thirds of the cases that occur1 the act is preceded by premonitory signs1 which1 if attended to1 will prevent the developement of the propensity4 ,with very few exceptions1 the mental symptoms are those which are principally manifested in these cases4 ,lowness of spirits1 a love of solitude1 an indisposition to follow any occupation which requires exercise of the mind1 are generally exhibited4 ,the person's suspicions become roused2 he fancies his dearest friends are regardless of his interests1 or are plotting against his life4 ,he takes no pleasure in the family circle4 ,he may be suffering from some evident physical malady1 acting through sympathy on the brain1 and deranging its functions2 and then he will often refer to his disease1 and express his utter hopelessness of ever being cured4 ,there is an expression of countenance generally present in a person who meditates suicide1 which1 if once seen1 cannot easily be forgotten4 ,suicidal mania is easily recognised by the experienced physician4 ,the surgeon of a large establishment in the environs of the metropolis informed me1 that in six cases out of ten he could detect1 by the appearance of the eye1 the existence of the desire to commit self-destruction4 ,a young gentleman1 a few days previously1 had been admitted into the house as a patient4 ,the surgeon1 after examining and prescribing for the lunatic1 said to one of the keepers1 8,you must watch ,mr4 ---- carefully1 for ,i feel assured he will attempt his life40 ,everything with which he might injure himself1 were he so disposed1 was taken from him2 but it appears that he had resolved to make away with himself1 and had carefully concealed a penknife in his boot4 ,on the evening of the day on which he was admitted he made a dreadful gash in his throat1 but failed in injuring any large vessel4 ,he confessed that he had determined to sacrifice his life2 he said1 8,it has been pre-ordained that ,i should fall by my own hands1 and ,i am only fulfilling my destiny by cutting my throat60 ,shortly after this he was removed2 and as we have been subsequently informed1 sufficient care not being taken of him1 he eventually succeeded in killing himself4 ,how difficult it is for the medical man to persuade the friends of a person who has evinced a disposition to suicide1 of the absolute necessity of his being confined and carefully watched6 ,a physician1 dining with a friend1 met by accident a young lady who had exhibited1 for a few days previously1 a shrewdness of manner that attracted the notice of those with whom she associated4 ,he also observed a wildness and incoherence about her ideas2 but what particularly struck his attention was1 the peculiar expression of countenance which so often denotes the presence of suicidal mania4#ei ,he felt convinced in his own mind that the lady meditated self-destruction2 and so firmly persuaded was he of the fact1 that he seriously spoke to the gentleman at whose table he was dining on the subject1 and urged him1 as he was intimately acquainted with the young lady's family1 to suggest the propriety of having medical advice1 and of carefully watching the movements of the lady4 ,this suggestion was treated with ridicule1 and of course the subject was not broached again4 ,two days after the conversation took place1 intelligence was brought that the lady had taken a large dose of laudanum1 and had died from its effects6 ,a little prudent caution might have saved the life of this poor unfortunate being4 ,in cases in which the disposition to suicide has been evinced1 the patient ought to be carefully watched1 and1 under some circumstances1 placed under restraint4 ,men who talk loudly of the effects of moral coercion1 and who repudiate the idea of strait-waistcoats99 c41 have had but little practical experience of the treatment of the insane4 ,moral discipline has done much good4 ,deeply should we regret to see the system which has been in force within our own recollection again introduced into our lunatic asylums4 ,in endeavouring to avoid ,scylla we have fallen into ,charybdis4 ,how many lives are lost in consequence of the patients not being properly secured when they have exhibited a desire to commit self-destruction4 ,a lady who had attempted to destroy herself was very properly sent to an asylum4 ,having expressed a determination to avail herself of the first opportunity for carrying her intentions into execution1 she was most carefully guarded4 ,she was never allowed to be out of sight2 a trustworthy nurse always kept by her side2 and in the course of time she was pronounced recovered4 ,but as it was not considered prudent to send her home at once1 she was separated from the other inmates of the house1 and allowed to reside with the surgeon and matron of the establishment4 ,even under these circumstances it was thought better not to allow her to be wholly by herself1 fearful that the disposition might again suddenly develope itself4 ,she resided with the surgeon for some weeks1 and appeared completely well4 ,she expressed much astonishment when told that she had attempted her own life2 she was apparently horrified at the idea4 ,she was sitting with the matron one morning after breakfast2 the surgeon was going round the asylum1 when a child was heard to cry up stairs1 as if it had received some injury4 ,the matron immediately left the room2 she was not absent three minutes1 and when she returned she was astonished to find the young lady had vanished4 ,immediate search was made for her1 but she was not to be found1 when1 looking behind the curtain in the parlour1 the lady was discovered hanging to the cornice6 ,in that short space of time she had succeeded in suspending herself1 and was quite dead4 ,of course we cannot determine whether she had recovered1 and this was but a sudden recurrence of the suicidal mania1 or whether she had cunningly concealed her ailment for the purpose of throwing her attendant off her guard1 and thus being enabled to effect her dreadful purpose4 ,we should be more disposed to accede to the latter solution of the question1 knowing the extreme cunning of such lunatics1 and the ingenious stratagems they often have recourse to in order to accomplish any mischievous object they have in view4 ,a person who manifested indications of mental aberration was found in the act of hanging himself4 ,upon being detected1 he promised most solemnly to abandon his rash resolution4 ,he attempted a second time to kill himself by cutting his throat1 but the wound was not fatal4 ,he was now placed under the care of a gentleman who had devoted much attention to the treatment of insanity2 and1 knowing his propensity1 the keeper received strict injunctions to watch his movements carefully4 ,everything by which he could injure himself was removed from his room1 he was shaved every day by a barber1 and no instrument of any kind was allowed to be in his possession4 ,he was confined for nine months2 and it appeared1 from what afterwards occurred1 that he had1 during the whole of this period1 been absorbed in the one idea of how he should contrive to commit suicide4 ,he was discovered one morning hanging by the neck from the bedstead1 quite dead4 ,how he got possession of the cord which suspended him1 puzzled everybody acquainted with the history of the case4 ,at last the enigma was solved4 ,it appears that parcels of books and newspapers had occasionally been sent to him by his family1 tied with twine2 and he had carefully1 and unknown to the keeper1 concealed each piece1 until he had collected a quantity to constitute a cord sufficiently strong with which to hang himself4 ,for nine months this idea had exclusive possession of his mind2 and although he exhibited no apparent symptoms of insanity1 he had evidently been contemplating suicide for the period already specified4 ,a female had made repeated attempts1 during her residence in the asylum at ,wakefield1 to hang herself1 but had been so watched that she had not succeeded4 ,one evening1 the servant1 on going to remove all her clothes out of her bed-room1 thought she saw something bright on the top of one of her under garments2 upon examination1 this was found to be a pin4 ,she had contrived just before bed-time to take off her garter2 and1 knowing that her pockets as well as her clothes would all be removed1 she contrived to pin it within her dress1 so high up that it would not easily be perceived4 ,very providentially1 the brightness of the metal discovered it1 and she was again prevented from accomplishing her purpose4 ,by degrees the propensity wore off2 and after a residence of eighteen years in the ,hanwell ,asylum1 ,sir ,w4 ,ellis found her a few years ago1 living1 though upwards of eighty years of age1 in a comparatively tranquil state1 waiting her removal in the ordinary course of nature4 ,when persons determined on suicide find that they are unceasingly watched1 and so carefully secured that they have no opportunity of executing their design1 they will assume a most cheerful manner for days and weeks together1 in order to lull suspicion2 and when a favourable opportunity offers1 it is never neglected4 ,a man who had long been in a state of despondency1 and had made many attempts to hang himself1 but had always been prevented1 very suddenly appeared much better4 ,he became apparently cheerful1 and being desirous of employment1 was sent out with a large party into the hay-field4 ,he continued in this and other out-door occupations for some time1 gradually improving4 ,one evening1 on returning from the field1 when the rest of the party went in to tea1 7which they were allowed when hay-making17 he told the farming man that he did not feel thirsty1 and as it was very warm he would rather remain at the door4 ,he was left there4 ,a short time afterwards his keeper came down to inquire for him1 and being told where he had been left1 immediately exclaimed1 8,then he has hung himself60 ,it was also singularly impressed upon his mind1 that it was in one particular out-house that he had done it4 ,there he went1 and found him suspended and dead1 as he expected4 8,a noble lord10 7says ,dr4 ,rowley17 8whose family ,i had the honour to attend1 had received1 it is said1 some little reproof from a great personage1 concerning a military omission4 ,it seized his lordship's mind so seriously1 that on examination it was evident to me that suicide was intended4 ,all weapons and dangerous means whatever were removed4 ,it being a circumstance of delicacy1 ,i sent for his lordship's son1 then about eighteen1 from ,westminster school1 communicated my apprehensions1 and requested his constant attendance on his noble parent4 ,this the young man executed for several days1 and prevented the commission of the crime apprehended4 ,in my absence a few hours in the country1 a very eminent1 learned1 and indeed remarkably sagacious physician1 but my mortal and vindictive enemy1 was called in4 ,i had1 contrary to medical etiquette1 enforced the necessity of promptly bleeding a most noble lady in an apoplexy1 which saved life1 but brought down invectives1 hatred1 and vengeance on me4 ,whether out of opposition to my vigilance1 or from malicious motives1 it would be difficult to determine1 but the noble lord was liberated from all restraint1 and my apprehensions treated by injurious insinuations and with contempt4 ,thirty-six hours had scarcely elapsed before the noble lord put a period to his existence1 by a sword he had concealed1 which had been a present from ,prince ,ferdinand3 he wounded his breast in two places1 but the third thrust pierced his heart4 ,thus perished a nobleman1 whose liberality1 feelings1 and many virtues1 did honour to human nature1 and who might1 in all probability1 have been now living1 had not medical arrogance and illiberality1 merely from personal ambition1 dictated error1 at the risk of human destruction6 ,horridum6 valde horridum60 ,the physician should constantly bear in mind this important fact connected with the suicidal disposition--viz41 that those determined upon self-destruction often resolve to kill themselves in a particular manner1 and however anxious they may be to quit life1 they have been known to wait for months and years1 until they have had an opportunity of effecting their purpose according to their own preconceived notions4 ,a man who has attempted to drown himself will not readily be induced to cut his throat1 and vice versa4 ,a morbid idea is frequently associated in the maniac's mind with a particular kind of death1 and if he be removed from all objects likely to awaken this notion1 the inclination to suicide may be removed4 ,an old man1 upwards of seventy years of age1 who had a market garden1 near the asylum at ,wakefield1 consulted the late ,sir ,w4 ,ellis as to the best mode of destroying himself1 as he had made up his mind not to live any longer4 ,he said he had thought of hanging himself1 if ,sir ,william could not recommend an easier death4 ,the physician talked to him some time upon the heinousness of the crime he contemplated1 and endeavoured to shew him that hanging was a most horrible death1 from the suffocation that must be felt4 ,his conversation was attended with little success4 ,finding that the chylopoietic viscera were a good deal disordered1 he prescribed for him1 and sent to inform his wife that he ought never to be left alone4 ,the medicine had the effect of restoring the secretions to a healthy action1 and he got better4 ,sir ,william heard no more of him for some time1 when he was at length informed that he was discovered dead in a little shed in his garden1 where he used to keep his tools4 ,but so fixed was the mode in his mind1 by which he was determined to accomplish his death1 that1 though the place was so low he could not stand upright in it1 and he had not a rope or a string with which he could suspend himself1 he contrived to effect his purpose by getting a willow twig1 and making it into a noose1 which he fastened to one of the rafters4 ,he stooped to put his head through it1 and then pushing his feet from under him1 suspended himself until he died4 ,now1 if he had not made up his mind to destroy himself in this particular way1 he might have accomplished it with much greater ease by drowning himself in the pond in his garden1 or by cutting his throat with his garden knife1 which he always had about him2 but neither of these was the mode he previously intended4 ,it may be practically useful to all who have the immediate care of suicidal patients to bear this in mind2 and if the medical man can find out that any particular plan is contemplated1 he ought to be especially careful to remove the means of accomplishing it out of the patient's reach1 and to prevent him having an opportunity of carrying it into execution4#fj 8,a medical friend10 says ,dr4 ,burrows1 8who had much enjoyed life1 and never met with any circumstances to occasion him particular disquietude1 when at the age of forty-five became very dyspeptic1 low-spirited1 and restless4 ,he gradually shunned society2 but still1 though with great reluctance1 pursued his professional avocations4 ,this depression increased so much that he often told his wife that he should consult me4 7,he knew very well that both his father and grandfather had destroyed themselves47 8,one morning he kept in bed much longer than usual1 and a relation calling1 went up1 without being announced1 to see him4 ,he seemed composed1 at length complained of being very faint1 and upon raising him up1 blood was perceived on his hands4 ,upon examination it was discovered1 at the moment his friend entered the chamber1 he was employed in opening the femoral artery2 that there had been considerable hemorrhage from the small vessels he had divided4 ,i saw him within an hour afterwards4 ,he had recovered from the syncope1 and expressed great sorrow for what he had done2 described with minuteness his case2 lamented he had not seen me sooner1 but that he could not muster sufficient resolution2 consented to place himself under my superintendence2 and1 in fact1 to follow all my directions4 8,i placed him in charge of a careful keeper4 ,it was agreed that he should be removed into lodgings in the environs of town2 and he therefore submitted to the necessary medical treatment4 8,he remained two days at home1 till lodgings could be procured1 during which he was calm and rational2 but there existed the suicidal eye1 which sufficiently denoted that he was not to be trusted4 8,on the third morning1 his keeper1 having a violent attack of rheumatism in his right arm1 could not shave him1 and another person was obliged to be trusted4 ,this person1 unfortunately1 laid the razor on the dressing-table2 and1 while his face was turned away1 and the keeper was heating some water a few feet from the table1 the patient suddenly jumped up1 seized the razor1 and in a moment applied it to his throat1 and effectually divided the carotid artery40 ,a case somewhat similar we find recorded by the same authority4 ,major---- had been wounded at the battle of ,waterloo4 ,he had since recovered his health1 but a great depression of spirits followed4 ,the maniacal diathesis was hereditary4 ,by degrees he became more desponding1 his ideas wandered1 and at length a suicidal propensity was evident4 ,on visiting him1 ,dr4 ,burrows strongly urged the necessity of placing him under the supervision of an experienced keeper2 but here1 as in too many cases1 his family opposed this advice1 and would not permit proper restraint1 but put him under the care of a nurse only4 ,in the evening1 he retired early to bed4 ,the nurse went to tea in his chamber1 supposing her charge to be asleep4 ,the patient watched the opportunity1 jumped out of bed1 seized a knife on the table1 wounded1 and would have effectually cut his throat1 had not the nurse interposed4 8,a clergyman in ,warwickshire told me10 says ,dr4 ,conolly1 8that he was requested1 some years ago1 to interfere respecting certain measures proper for securing a neighbour who had exhibited unquestionable symptoms of insanity4 ,his neighbour1 however1 was not to be met with on the day when it was intended to remove him1 and when he reappeared1 which was either the next day or in a day or two afterwards1 he was quite in a sound state1 in which condition he has lived with great comfort up to the present time4 ,on the other hand1 an instance came under my own observation in which a gentleman had shewn many proofs of disordered mind for the space of three or four months1 and his actions becoming dangerous1 it was resolved to remove him4 ,about two hours before ,i was to call for him1 he was so quiet and orderly in a conversation with the old family-apothecary1 that the latter gentleman rode off to the relations of the patient1 relenting all the way concerning the proposed restraint1 and purposing to solicit its postponement2 in which attempt he was only prevented by being overtaken by a messenger before he had ridden half a mile1 who came to inform him that his apparently tranquil patient had nearly blown up his house and his whole family with gunpowder1 having for that purpose thrown a pound and a half of it into the fire1 sitting by to see it explode4 ,in another case1 a gentleman had made repeated attempts at self-destruction1 but seemed to have got well1 and was no longer much looked after2 yet after living comfortably at home for a little while1 and having passed a cheerful evening in reading to his wife1 he concluded it1 when she had retired1 by hanging himself in the parlour4 8,these lamentable accidents are1 of course1 always productive of disagreeable feelings in the mind of a practitioner2 but never more so than when he has been too confident of the absence of danger4 ,it is questionable1 perhaps1 whether there are not1 in all these cases1 certain means of which prudence might avail itself1 for the purpose of ascertaining the exact state of the supposed convalescent's mind1 as well as the existence of such intentions in a lunatic as are inconsistent with the safety of other persons1 or with the preservation of his own existence4 ,the lunatic may maintain a very guarded silence on these matters so long as they remain quite unsuspected1 but is not very well able1 in general1 to prevent his intentions becoming visible to those who have begun to suspect him4 ,these intentions1 too1 are generally associated with certain recollections1 or certain topics1 or certain antipathies or prepossessions1 which may be found out and brought into the conversation2 in which case1 the lunatic can seldom conceal his agitation1 his superstitious belief1 his anger1 or his inly-cherished hope of full revenge4 ,indeed1 he is often in no degree solicitous to conceal his feelings4 ,there cannot be anywhere a more harmless person than ,jonathan ,martin2 his manners are mild1 his occupations are of the most peaceful description1 his language is strikingly simple and unassuming2 but take up the ,bible1 and you have touched the chord of his insanity2 you find that1 to destroy the noblest monuments of ancient piety and munificence seems to him a work to which ,god has especially called him4 ,the effect of possessing a key to the excited feelings of a lunatic is1 indeed1 always surprising to those unaccustomed to their peculiarities4 ,you walk with a man who seems to delight in the simplest pleasures of a state of innocence2 he admires the flowers of the field and the beauty of the sky1 or he dwells with satisfaction on the contemplation of whatever is generous and good2 nothing can exceed the mildness of his manner3 but a single word calculated to rouse a morbid train of ideas1 a name1 the reminiscence of a place1 or any trifling inadvertency1 will convert this placid being into a demon2 the tones of his voice1 his gestures1 his countenance1 his language1 assume1 in a moment1 the expression of a fiend2 and you discover that opportunity alone is wanting to effect some dreadful crime4 ,the discovery of such a design is certainly not always so easy1 but wherever suspicion exists1 strict superintendence is warranted1 or various degrees of restraint must be determined upon1 and steadily adhered to40#fa ,the following cases will shew the necessity of guarding a person by the strictest surveillance from the moment that he evinces the slightest symptom of mental alienation1 when it manifests itself by incongruous expressions or attempts at self-destruction4 ,this precept should be engraven on the mind of every medical man1 and no feeling of false delicacy should prevent his communicating his suspicions and wishes the moment he considers measures of precaution necessary4 ,in these cases1 the loss of an hour may make all the difference between life and death4 ,m4 ,piorry was called to the ,htel de ,bibliothque1 where he found a man of athletic form and military appearance in a state of complete insensibility4 ,he manifested all the indications of apoplexy or epilepsy4 ,some time elapsed before the physician could ascertain what was the matter2 he could not obtain any satisfactory answers to his repeated questions4 ,at last the patient made ,piorry understand that he had swallowed a key4 ,professor ,roux was sent for1 who1 after considerable difficulty1 succeeded in extracting the foreign body from the sophagus1 along with an oblong piece of copper attached by a chain to the handle of the instrument4 ,on the succeeding night he made fresh attempts to destroy himself2 first by hanging with the bed-clothes1 and1 on that mode not proving successful1 he endeavoured to strangle himself by squeezing two chairs against his neck4 ,thwarted in effecting his design1 he again swallowed the key1 and he was nearly dead when he was discovered1 and the key extracted from his throat4 ,he was now confined in a strait-waistcoat1 and was subjected to proper medical treatment4 ,in the course of a short period1 all disposition to suicide was removed1 and his mind was restored to perfect integrity4#fb ,a soldier1 who was greatly beloved in his regiment for his exemplary conduct and amiable qualities1 became affected with suicidal melancholy1 and fired a pistol into his mouth4 ,the havoc made was dreadful2 but by great exertions on the part of ,m4 ,petit1 who attended the case1 his life was preserved4 ,during his confinement1 he manifested great anxiety for his recovery1 and expressed himself horrified that he should ever have attempted to commit self-destruction4 ,the surgeon and his friends entertained every hope that all suicidal tendency was dissipated4 ,the result1 however1 proved that the whole was a manuvre on the part of the patient to lull suspicion to rest1 and when he had succeeded by this dissimulation in throwing his friends off their guard1 he put an effectual period to his existence whilst in the wards of the hospital4 ,the following case exhibits some practical points exceedingly worthy of record1 and displays besides1 in a remarkable degree1 the control a lunatic disposed to suicide acquires over himself1 his conversation1 and conduct1 when he wishes to lull suspicion to sleep4 ,in this instance1 says ,dr4 ,burrows1 who relates the particulars of the case1 a most judicious physician1 and those in whom he had confidence1 all experienced in the phases of this wonderful malady1 insanity1 and its no less wonderful concomitant1 suicide1 were completely deceived4 ,a medical friend of the ,doctor's1 travelling over ,shooter's ,hill1 observed a gentleman walking up it1 his carriage following him4 ,when opposite to each other1 the stranger suddenly fell on his knees in the dirt1 and lifted up his hands1 as if in earnest prayer4 ,the friend stopped his post-chaise at so extraordinary a sight1 and soon found by his looks and manners that the poor gentleman was insane4 ,he immediately accompanied him back to ,london1 and placed him under ,dr4 ,b4's care till his relations were informed of his state4 ,the history of the case was this3--,the patient was a cavalry officer of rank1 aged thirty-five1 and had particularly distinguished himself at the recent battle of ,waterloo4 ,on that occasion he had two horses killed under him1 and was himself wounded in four places4 ,he was first struck on the crown of his helmet by the splinter of a shell1 which wounded the scalp and stunned him2 he was next shot through the fleshy part of the thigh by a grape shot1 which at the same time killed his first horse2 from these two wounds he lost much blood4 ,whilst lying under his second horse1 he was pierced in the groin by a lance2 and in this helpless condition he received from a ,french drummer1 who was rifling the dead and dying1 a violent blow on the temple from the butt-end of a musket1 from the effects of which1 he remained some time insensible4 ,he was afterwards conveyed in a most deplorable state as a prisoner within the ,french lines1 and though released the same evening by the victorious allies1 a long while elapsed before his wounds and exhausted condition received any attention4 ,he inherited a predisposition to insanity1 and was naturally reserved1 diffident1 and taciturn1 but affectionate and generous4 ,when he recovered from his wounds1 he often complained of pains in his head2 and it was observed that his temper became fretful and suspicious2 that he slept ill1 was depressed in spirits1 and courted solitude4 ,these symptoms increased latterly4 ,at length he imagined himself the sport of his brother officers1 and many other delusions arose4 ,there was a moral cause likewise operating which1 on a constitution that had recently received so severe a shock1 no doubt greatly influenced his disorder4 ,he had applied for promotion in consequence of his sufferings in the service4 ,this was withheld1 as he thought1 ungraciously1 and too long2 and when he was raised a step1 his mind was already too much disturbed duly to appreciate it4 ,the anniversary of the glorious battle of ,waterloo was just passed1 and the recollection of it was painful to him4 ,in this state he came to town4 ,he was exceedingly sober and temperate by habit2 but during the day before1 with a brother officer1 he was persuaded to commit an unusual excess in wine1 with the hope of raising his spirits4 ,this proved a match to the mine4 ,it exploded1 and his intellects became completely deranged4 ,dr4 ,burrows found him with his countenance very wild1 the eyes injected and pupils contracted1 pulse quick and weak1 tongue white1 and great thirst4 ,he had had no sleep for five nights4 ,sometimes exalted1 violent1 and loquacious2 sometimes depressed and taciturn4 ,he was rather languid1 which was imputed to his having lost full twenty ounces of blood from the rupture of an hmorrhoidal vessel4 ,it is not necessary to detail the medical treatment adopted1 but we will proceed to those points in the case which are relevant4 ,he was placed in lodgings with a careful attendant4 ,in about three weeks he was nearly well1 when unluckily a whitlow formed on his finger1 and as one of his delusions was that he was rotten in every part1 it was the cause1 besides pain1 of considerable irritation1 and it broke his rest2 other delusions returned1 but subsided with the pain of the whitlow1 and he again greatly improved4 ,in six weeks he was so well that the ,doctor took his leave1 advising him to travel during the remainder of the autumn4 ,the next day some domestic occurrence occasioned violent irritation1 and he again relapsed into despondency1 unattended by paroxysms of violence2 but he shortly recovered4 ,however1 instead of going into the country and varying the scene1 his lady brought him into town and permitted unrestricted intercourse with his relations1 c4 ,he grew quarrelsome1 suspicious1 and very low-spirited1 and began to abuse his wife4 ,it was then earnestly recommended that he should be completely separated from all intercourse with her and his connexions1 but the advice was disregarded4 ,a boil now formed on his body4 ,this irritated him more than the whitlow1 and his delusions about his rottenness were more prominent than ever2 but when the boil suppurated and discharged1 his mind again improved4 ,no persuasion could induce his friends to give him exercise or diversion1 or change the scene4 ,he therefore sat all day brooding over his fantasies1 and reading religious books2 for now there was added to his delusions an impression that he was very wicked1 and had neglected his religious duties4 ,his face1 too1 assumed the suicidal expression4 ,a month afterwards1 a consultation with two eminent physicians confirmed ,dr4 ,burrows' opinion of the treatment to be pursued4 ,but1 notwithstanding this consultation1 all remedial aid was neglected1 and he was allowed to follow his own inclinations1 both in religious matters and in totally secluding himself4 ,in about three weeks all the symptoms were so much increased that he was sent to a private asylum4 ,a few days afterwards1 while walking out1 he tried to drown himself1 but was rescued by his keeper4 ,he continued in this desponding state some months1 when1 rather suddenly1 he appeared much better2 and continuing to improve1 his physician thought him well1 and he returned home4 ,two days only had passed1 when he called on the same physician1 acknowledged that he was as bad as ever1 and entreated earnestly that he might again be received into his house4 ,he was so on that day4 ,the next day he poisoned himself and died4 ,it proved1 that he had never abandoned the desire of committing suicide2 but he so well concealed it1 and otherwise conducted himself1 as to lead to the conclusion that he had recovered4 ,it was1 in fact1 a scheme1 the sole object of which was to get out and buy laudanum4 ,having procured a sufficient quantity1 but anxious to save his wife the agony of witnessing the act he meditated1 he preferred returning to the asylum to execute it4 ,a few general principles have been laid down in this chapter to direct the practitioner in the management of certain cases of suicidal insanity4 ,the success of the treatment will in a great measure be dependent on the physician making himself acquainted with the minute history of each case submitted to his professional care4 ,no particular rules can be adduced that will be applicable to all cases of this description2 much must be left to the judgment of the medical man4 ,the physician should1 however1 never forget that whatever apparently may be the physical disturbance going on in the system1 the brain1 and the brain alone1 is the seat of the disease in all cases of suicide1 and to the condition of that organ most particular attention ought to be paid4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,is ,,the ,,act ,,of ,,suicide ,,the ,,result ,,of ,,insanity8 ,the instinct of self-preservation--,the love of life--,dr4 ,wolcott's death-bed--,anecdote of the ,duke de ,montebello--,louis ,,xi4 of ,france--,singular death of a celebrated lawyer--,dr4 ,johnson's horror of dying--,the organ of destruction universal--,illustrations of its influence--,sir ,w4 ,scott1 on the motives that influence men in battle--,have we any test of insanity8--,mental derangement not a specific disease--,importance of keeping this in view--,insanity not always easily detected--,is lowness of spirits an evidence of derangement8--,the cunning of lunatics--,esquirol's opinion that insanity is always present--,moral insanity--,the remarkable case of ,frederick of ,prussia--,suicide often the first symptom of insanity--,cases in which persons have been restored to reason from loss of blood1 after attempting suicide--,the cases of ,cato1 ,sir ,samuel ,romilly1 ,lord ,castlereagh1 ,colton1 and ,chatterton examined--,concluding remarks4 ,nature has ordained no law more universal in its influence than the desire which all animated beings display1 and which is indeed the governing principle in the greater part of their actions1 to preserve their existence1 and to secure themselves from the influence of circumstances that bring it into danger4 ,that 8no man ever yet hated his own flesh1 but nourisheth it and cherisheth it10 is an axiom laid down in scripture1 and one founded on reason and observation4#fc ,one of our poets1 in alluding to this subject1 after declaring life to be the dream of a shadow1 8a weak-built isthmus between two eternities1 so frail that it can neither sustain wind nor wave10 yet avers his preference of a few days'1 nay1 a few hours' longer residence upon earth to all the fame that wealth and honour could bestow-- 8,fain would ,i see that prodigal ,who his to-morrow would bestow ,for all old ,homer's life1 e'er since he died till now40 8,is there anything on earth ,i can do for you80 said ,taylor to ,wolcott1 as he lay on his death-bed4 ,the passion for life dictated the answer1 8,give me back my youth80 ,these were the last words of the celebrated ,peter ,pindar4 ,dr4 ,johnson had a superstitious fear of death4 ,boswell asked him whether we might not fortify the mind for the approach of death4 ,johnson answered in a passion1 8,no1 ,sir1 let it alone6 ,it matters not how a man dies1 but how he lives4 ,the act of dying is not of importance2 it lasts so short a time40 ,but when ,boswell persisted in the conversation1 ,johnson was thrown into such a state of agitation that he thundered out1 8,give us no more of this20 and turning to ,boswell1 he said1 with great earnestness1 8,don't let us meet to-morrow60 8,o thou strong heart6 ,there's such a covenant 'twixt the world and thee1 ,they're loath to break60 ,there is an anecdote recorded of one of the favourite marshals of ,napoleon1 the ,duke de ,montebello1 which finely illustrates the strength of this instinctive principle4 ,during a battle in the south of ,germany1 the duke was struck by a cannon-ball1 and so severely wounded that there was no hope of his surviving4 ,summoning the surgeon to his side1 he ordered the wounds to be dressed2 and when help was declared to be unavailing1 the dying officer1 excited into frenzy by the love of life1 burned with vindictive anger against the medical attendant1 threatening the heaviest penalties if his art should bring no relief4 ,the dying marshal demanded that ,napoleon should be sent for1 as one who had power to save1 whose words could stop the effusion of blood from the wounds1 and awe nature itself into submission4 ,napoleon arrived in time to witness the last fearful struggle of expiring nature1 and to hear his favourite marshal exclaim1 as the lamp of life was just being extinguished1 8,save me1 ,napoleon60 ,the following case1 which occurred in humble life1 illustrates the same principle3--,a man on the point of death vowed he would not die1 cursing his physician1 who announced the near termination of his life1 and insisted that he would live in defiance of the laws of nature4 ,it is recorded of ,louis ,,xi4 of ,france1 that so desperately did he cling to life when everything warned him to prepare for death1 that he1 in accordance with the barbarous physiology of that age1 had the veins of children opened1 and greedily drank their blood1 hoping in that way to fan the dying embers of life into a flame6 ,a once celebrated member of the ,english bar1 whose strong original powers of mind had been obscured and enfeebled by the gross sensuality of his habits1 in the extremity of his last illness1 when the shadows of death were fast coming over him1 with a blasphemous audacity1 swore by his ,creator that he would not die4 ,in this state of morbid and impious rage he struggled out of his bed1 tottered down the stairs1 and fell lifeless in the passage4 ,from the exclamation of this unfortunate man1 it would seem as if he fancied that he held the reins of life in his hands1 and could arrest at will the rapidity of its descending career4 ,spence says1 that 8,salvini was an odd sort of man1 subject to gross absences1 and a very great sloven4 ,his behaviour in his last hour was as odd as any of his behaviour in all his lifetime before could have been4 ,just as he was departing1 he cried out in great passion1 8,je ne veux pas mourir1 absolument60 8,the weariest and most loathed worldly life ,that age1 ache1 penury1 and imprisonment1 can lay on man1 ,is paradise to what we fear of death40 ,it is not our intention to consider this subject phrenologically4 ,that we have all certain good and evil propensities inherent in our nature1 developed in various degrees in different individuals1 is admitted by the anti-phrenologist1 as well as by the most zealous advocate of that science4 ,we need no phrenology to tell us1 that 8the heart of man is deceitful above all things1 and desperately wicked30 scripture makes us acquainted with this fact4 ,it is useful to look at the dark as well as the bright side of human nature4 ,without1 then1 using terms which might be considered objectionable1 there can be no doubt of the existence in the human mind of a propensity to destroy1 varying in degree from the simple pleasure of viewing the destruction of human life1 to the most impassioned desire to kill others or oneself4 ,this is a natural propensity1 and1 when not subdued by the higher faculties of the mind1 it exhibits itself in the form of unequivocal insanity4 ,this feeling to destroy may exist in conjunction with a consciousness on the part of the individual that he is about to commit a crime opposed to the laws of ,god and man4 ,dr4 ,gall relates many particulars of cases in which this natural propensity became morbidly developed4 ,a student shocked his fellow-pupils by the extreme pleasure he took in tormenting insects1 birds1 and brutes4 ,it was to gratify this inclination1 he confessed1 that he studied surgery4 ,a man had so strong an inclination to kill that he became an executioner2 and a ,dutchman paid his butcher1 who furnished ships with extensive supplies of meat1 for being allowed to slaughter the oxen4 ,in these cases we see this natural feeling inordinately developed4 ,subject such persons to the operation of causes likely to excite this extra-developed propensity1 and they will murder others or themselves4 ,gall mentions the case of a person at ,vienna who1 after witnessing an execution1 was seized with a propensity to kill2 at the same time1 he had a clear consciousness of his situation4 ,he wept bitterly1 struck his head1 wrung his hands1 and cried to his friends to take care and get out of his way4 ,pinel mentions the case of a man1 exhibiting no apparent unsoundness of intellect1 who confessed that he had a propensity to kill4 ,he nearly murdered his wife1 and then attempted several times to destroy himself4 ,in #ahje1 a man was tried at ,norwich for wounding his wife and cutting his child's throat4 ,he had been known to tie himself with ropes for a week to prevent his doing mischief to others and to himself4 ,a man exposed to a sudden reverse of fortune was heard to exclaim1 8,do1 for ,god's sake1 get me confined2 for if ,i am at liberty ,i shall destroy myself and wife6 ,i shall do it1 unless all means of destruction are removed2 and therefore do have me put under restraint4 ,something above tells me ,i shall do it2 and ,i shall60 ,whenever the mind is exposed to the influence of excited feeling1 and the operation of the reasoning powers are suspended1 we see the faculty alluded to developed according to the constitution of the individual4 ,on the field of battle1 striking examples occur of the various energies of this inclination4 ,one soldier at the appearance of blood experiences the intoxication of carnage2 another will swoon at the same sight4 ,sir ,walter ,scott1 in the poem in which he has referred to the battle of ,bannockburn1 alludes to the various feelings that influence the mind in the heat of an engagement2 and it will be perceived that he directs particular attention to those who are influenced by no other motive than the pleasure they derive from sacrificing human life3-- 8,but1 oh6 amid that waste of life1 ,what various motives fired the strife6 ,the aspiring noble bled for fame1 ,the patriot for his country's claim2 ,this knight his youthful strength to prove1 ,and that to earn his lady's love2 ,some fought for ruffian thirst of blood2 ,from habit some1 or hardihood2 ,but ruffian stern1 and soldier good1 ,the noble and the slave1 ,from various cause the same wild road ,on the same bloody morning trode ,to that dark inn1 the grave40 ,what conclusion are we justified in drawing from the facts just related8 ,certainly1 that there is in us all a disposition to destroy1 which is in some wisely and providentially restrained4 ,if this view of the matter be correct1 we do not think that we should be wrong in concluding that by far the great majority of cases of suicide result from a morbid development of this natural feeling1 consequent upon a primary or secondary affection of the brain4 ,this subject is of great interest in a medico-legal point of view1 and is well deserving of serious consideration4 ,is the act of suicide an evidence of mental derangement8 ,before this question can be satisfactorily answered1 it would be necessary for us to consider that vexata questio--what is insanity8 ,have we an unfailing standard to which to appeal2 an infallible test by which we can ascertain1 with anything like a proximity to truth1 the sanity of any mind8 ,perhaps1 if we were to assert that we considered it impossible to point out the line of demarcation which separates the confines of a sane and insane condition of the mind1 we might lay ourselves open to an attack4 ,again1 were we bold enough to proclaim our non-adherence to what is considered as the orthodox faith in this matter1 and assert that we viewed every departure from a healthy tone of mind1 whether in its intellectual or moral manifestations1 as an evidence of insanity1 we might still more expose ourselves to the merciless lash of the critic2 yet these are the opinions to which we should feel most disposed to give our assent4 ,we must make a marked distinction between insanity considered as a legal and as a medical question2 and it is greatly owing to our not keeping this essential difference in mind that so much useless reasoning and vituperation has arisen4 ,the man who is daily exposed to the kind and cheering influence of friendship1 and who fancies himself alone in the world1 without one human being to sympathize with him in his afflictions1 is as essentially mad as he is who imagines himself to be made of glass1 and is fearful of sitting down lest he should injure his brittle glutei muscles4 ,a poet of antiquity wrote a book describing the miseries of the world1 and destroyed himself at the conclusion of the task4 8,no man who is oppressed with grief10 ,crichton justly observes1 8and who is constantly preyed on by mental and bodily pain1 can be supposed capable of exercising his judgment at all times correctly2 a fresh misfortune1 imaginary or real1 excites an irresistible desire of relief4 ,tired out1 hopeless1 dismayed by the threatening aspect of many a bursting cloud2 discerning nothing1 whichever way he looks1 but a dreary and comfortless life1 how can he be supposed capable of taking a clear1 calm1 and comprehensive view of the obligations he owes to his ,creator or society1 or of reflecting on the sudden vicissitudes which daily occur in human life1 and on which every man may safely form some hope1 even in the most distressed situation8 ,the wretchedness of life is the only picture present to the mind of one in whom grief has terminated in such a state of deep melancholy2 the only objects of comparison are the misery of existence on the one hand1 and the relief he can obtain by withdrawing himself from it on the other40 ,insanity results from a disease of the brain4 ,although after death1 in many cases1 no appreciable structural lesion can be detected in the cerebral mass1 it would be illogical for us to conclude that the sentient organ has not been physically affected4 ,derangement of mind is but the effect of physical disease1 and1 like all other diseases1 it has an early as well as an advanced stage4 ,medical men have not paid sufficient attention to the premonitory indications of mental alienation4 ,having erected an arbitrary standard of derangement in their own minds1 they have been disposed to consider no deviation from mental soundness as insanity1 unless it exhibited the symptoms which their preconceived ideas had led them to suppose necessary1 in order to constitute that disease4 ,they have argued as if insanity were a specific disease invariably manifesting the same phenomena1 and in this way definitions have been framed1 by which the soundness of the intellect has been tested4 ,it is hardly necessary to say how fallacious all such tests must be4 ,the brain1 like every other organ1 is liable to a variety of diseases1 in all of which the mental faculties are more or less affected4 ,the danger of attempting to erect an arbitrary standard of insanity is this3 it induces us to overlook the incipient symptoms of mental derangement1 and to consider no deviation from soundness of intellect as insanity which does not come within the scope of our definition4 ,the early symptoms of mental aberration are as much an evidence of the presence of insanity1 as when the disease is more advanced1 and the indications become so apparent that no one hesitates in pronouncing the individual mad4 ,medical men who have maintained that the act of suicide is not invariably the result of insanity have argued as if the mental ailment was always self-evident and easily detected2 whereas1 those who have had any experience in the matter know full well1 that occasionally there are no diseases more difficult of detection than those which relate to a morbid condition of the mind4 ,if an act of suicide has been committed1 and the individual at the moment of perpetrating it did not manifest evident symptoms of insanity1 the conclusion drawn is1 that he was perfectly sane at the time4 ,that the facts of the case do not warrant this inference must be apparent to those who consider the subject in an enlarged point of view4 ,if we examine attentively the majority of cases of suicide1 we shall find that the unfortunate persons have laboured1 either for some time previously or at the very moment1 under depression of spirits1 anxiety of mind1 and other symptoms of cerebral derangement4 ,very few cases of suicide take place in which you cannot trace the existence of previous mental depression1 produced either by physical or moral agents4 ,it may be said that lowness of spirits is not insanity2 certainly not1 according to the legal definition of the term2 but we may always be assured1 that if mental anxiety or perturbation be more than commensurate with the exciting cause1 it may be presumed that the individual is labouring under the incipient indications of insanity4#fd ,this view of the case is strengthened if an hereditary predisposition to the disease should also be present4 8,it will be said10 says ,esquirol1 8that there are individuals who1 in the midst of affluence1 grandeur1 and pleasures1 and in the full enjoyment of reason1 have suddenly put an end to their existence1 immediately after parting with their friends in good spirits1 or after having written letters on business with perfect correctness4 ,can these be said to be insane when they commit suicide8 ,yes2 most undoubtedly4 ,do not monomaniacs appear perfectly sane on all other subjects1 till the particular idea is started which forms the burden of their hallucination8 ,are they not capable of curbing the expression of their delirium1 and dissembling their aberration of intellect8 ,it is the same with sane individuals1 over whom the suicidal idea tyrannizes4 ,a physical pain1 an unexpected impression1 a moral affection1 a recollection1 an indiscreet proposition1 the perusal of a passage in writing1 will occasionally revive the thought and provoke the act of suicide1 although the individual the instant before should be in perfect integrity of mind and body40 ,in general1 most persons actually insane wish not only to be esteemed free from the malady1 but to be considered as possessing considerable intellectual endowments2 hence1 real lunatics seldom allow the existence of their lunacy2 but are always endeavouring to conceal from observation those lapses of thought1 memory1 and expression1 which are tending every moment to betray them1 and of the presence of which they are much oftener conscious than is generally apprehended or believed4 ,alexander ,cruden1 when suffering under his second and last attack of mental aberration1 upon being asked whether he ever was mad1 replied3 8,i am as mad now as ,i was formerly1 and as mad then as ,i am now1 that is to say1 not mad at any time40 ,again1 medical men who have reasoned against this opinion have forgotten entirely one peculiar1 and a very remarkable feature of insanity--viz41 the singular cunning of lunatics2 how extremely difficult it is in many cases where we know the individual to be unquestionably mad1 to make his delusion apparent4 ,the case of the lunatic who indicted ,dr4 ,monro for confining him in his asylum has often been cited4 ,he brought an action against the ,doctor at ,westminster2 and1 although the man was subjected to a most severe examination and cross-examination1 his insanity could not be detected4 ,the trial was on the eve of being concluded1 when ,dr4 ,sims entered the court1 and knowing the man's peculiar delusion1 he was requested to ask him a question4 ,he did so1 and his insanity instantly became apparent4 ,he brought another action against ,dr4 ,monro in the city of ,london1 and1 knowing that he had failed before by acknowledging his love for an imaginary princess1 so remarkable a degree of cunning did he exhibit that one of the severest examinations to which a man was ever subjected in a court of justice could not induce the lunatic to disclose the delusion under which he was known to labour4 ,this curious feature of insanity must be taken into consideration in forming an estimate of the presence of derangement in cases of suicide1 and we must not hastily conclude1 because insanity is not self-evident1 that it does not exist4 ,a merchant1 fifty-five years of age1 of a strong constitution1 although of a lymphatic temperament1 mild and gentle in his disposition1 the father of a numerous family1 and who had acquired a considerable fortune in business1 experienced some domestic troubles1 not sufficiently serious1 however1 to affect any one of a resolute character4 ,about a year ago1 he formed a large establishment for one of his sons1 and shortly afterwards became very active1 and expressed1 contrary to his usual habits1 the delight which he felt at his increasing prosperity4 ,he was also more frequently absent from his warehouse and business than usual4 ,but notwithstanding these trifling changes1 neither his family1 nor any of his friends or neighbours1 suspected any disorder of his reason4 ,one day1 whilst he was from home1 a travelling merchant brought to his house two pictures1 and asked fifty louis for them1 which he said was the price agreed on by a very respectable gentleman who had given his name and address4 ,his son sent away both the pictures and the seller4 ,on his return1 the father did not mention his purchase2 but the children began the conversation1 alluding to the roguery of the merchant1 and their refusal to pay him4 ,the father became very angry1 asserting that the pictures were very beautiful1 that they were not dear1 and that he was determined to purchase them4 ,in the evening1 the dispute became warmer1 the patient flew into a passion1 uttered threats1 and at last became delirious4 ,on the next day1 he was confided to ,esquirol's care4 ,his children1 frightened at their father's illness1 and alarmed at the purchase which he had made1 looked through their accounts2 and great was their astonishment at seeing the bad state of their books1 the numerous blanks which they presented1 and the immense deficiency of cash4 ,this irregularity had existed for more than six months4 ,had this discussion not taken place1 one of the most honourable mercantile houses would have been compromised in a few days2 for a bill of exchange of a considerable amount had become due1 and no means had been taken to provide for it4 ,a patient has been known to weep1 and affect the deepest contrition for attempting suicide1 when it has been proved that all the time he was meditating on the means of accomplishing his design4 ,a workman was admitted into a ,french hospital1 having a third time attempted his life4 ,he appeared deeply mortified and broken-hearted that he should have suffered a relapse1 and was much affected by the remonstrances of his physician4 ,he promised faithfully1 in tears1 to abandon his rash resolve4 ,ten minutes afterwards1 whilst on his road home1 he perceived a piece of cord2 he seized it1 made a noose1 put his head into it1 and suspended himself from the branch of a tree1 where he was found dead6 ,cases illustrative of the same fact are mentioned in another part of this work4 ,again1 we must bear in mind that insanity is often as much a disease of the moral as of the intellectual faculties1 and that it is possible for the intellect to be perfectly sound1 and yet for insanity to be present4 ,moral derangement has not met with that consideration from the profession which its importance demands4 ,insanity often consists in a vitiated condition of the moral principle1 independently of any delusion of the intellect2 and in many cases of suicide1 if we investigate their history1 we shall find that the alienation has been of this character4 ,a man1 whose disposition naturally disposed him to vice1 fancied that he had been guilty of committing a nameless offence1 and1 whilst labouring under this idea1 blew out his brains4 ,in this case1 the intellect was unaffected2 the derangement consisted in a perversion of the moral powers4 ,senile insanity1 which has been recognised in our courts of law1 is a derangement of the moral constitution4 ,in cases of this description1 it is possible for the person to be conscious of his infirmity1 and to confess1 with great apparent regret1 his inability to control his feelings4 8,i am impotent1 and not fit to live10 said a man1 and accordingly cut his throat4 ,if we admit the existence of an insanity which consists solely in a perversion of the moral powers1 then we should hesitate in pronouncing ex cathedr that insanity is not present because no derangement of the intellectual faculties can be perceived4 ,dr4 ,t4 ,mayo observes1 that 8no intellectual delusion need be present when self-destruction is coveted4 ,but there must be an extinction of that moral sense which revolts from it on grounds independent of fear4 ,owing1 however1 to the systematic neglect of moral symptoms1 the suicide is seldom recognised as possessing this destructive tendency until he has made an attempt upon his life2 often1 therefore1 until all measures must be too late40 ,a very common feature of moral mania is a deep perversion of the social affections1 whereby the feelings of kindness and attachment that flow from the relations of father1 husband1 and child1 are replaced by a perpetual inclination to tease1 worry1 and embitter the existence of others4 ,the ordinary scene of its manifestations is the patient's own domestic circle1 the peace and happiness of which are effectually destroyed by the outbreakings of his ungovernable temper1 and even by acts of brutal ferocity4 ,frederic ,william of ,prussia1 father of ,frederic the ,great1 undoubtedly laboured under this form of moral mania2 and it furnishes a satisfactory explanation of his brutal treatment of his son1 and his utter disregard of the feelings or comfort of any other member of his family4 ,about a dozen years before his death1 his health gave way under his constant debauches in drunkenness2 he became hypochondriacal1 and redoubled his usual religious austerities4 ,he forbade his family to talk of any subject but religion1 read them daily sermons1 and compelled them to sing1 punishing with the utmost severity any inattention to these exercises4 ,the prince and his elder sister soon began to attract a proportionate share of his hostility4 ,he obliged them to eat and drink unwholesome or nauseous articles1 and would even spit in their dishes1 addressing them only in the language of invective1 and at times endeavouring to strike them with his crutch4 ,about this time he attempted to strangle himself1 and would have accomplished his design had not the queen come to his rescue4 ,his brutality towards the prince arrived to such a pitch that he one morning seized him by the collar as he entered his bed-chamber1 and began to beat him with a cane in the most cruel manner1 till obliged to desist from pure exhaustion4 ,on another occasion1 shortly after1 he seized his son by the hair1 and threw him on the ground1 beating him till he was tired1 when he dragged him to a window1 apparently for the purpose of throwing him out4 ,a servant hearing the cries of the prince1 came to his assistance1 and delivered him from his hands4 ,not satisfied with treating him in this barbarous manner1 he connived at the prince's attempts to escape from his tyranny1 in order that he might procure from a court-martial a sentence of death2 and this even he was anxious to anticipate by endeavouring to run him through the body with his sword4 ,not succeeding in procuring his death by judicial proceedings1 he kept him in confinement1 and turned all his thoughts towards converting him to ,christianity4 ,at this time1 we first find mention of any delusion connected with his son1 though it probably existed before4 ,in his correspondence with the chaplain to whom he had entrusted the charge of converting the prince1 he speaks of him as one who had committed many and heinous sins against ,god and the king1 as having a hardened heart1 and being in the fangs of ,satan4 ,even after he became satisfied with the repentance of the prince1 he shewed no disposition to relax the severities of his confinement4 ,he was kept in a miserable room1 deprived of all the comforts and many of the necessaries of life1 denied the use of pens1 ink1 and paper1 and allowed scarcely food enough to prevent starvation4 ,his treatment of the princess was no less barbarous4 ,she was also confined1 and every effort used to make her situation thoroughly wretched1 and though1 after a few years1 he relaxed his persecution of his children1 the general tenour of his conduct towards his family and others evinced little improvement in his disorder1 till the day of his death4#fe ,in considering this point it is important to remember that the attempt at self-destruction is ,,often the ,,first distinct overt act of insanity4 ,a young lady of delicate constitution1 but previously in apparent health1 started up one day from the tea-table1 rushed to the window1 and endeavoured to throw herself out4 ,it required several persons to restrain her until a strait-waistcoat could be procured4 ,she remained insane from that time until the day of her death1 with very partial glimmerings of reason4 8,fortunately10 says ,mr4 ,chevalier1 who relates the case1 8her life was not long protracted40 ,it has been inferred1 that when an unsuccessful act of suicide has been committed1 and the person expresses his regret for what he has been guilty of1 that we are justified in concluding that the mind was sane when the suicide was attempted4 ,the effort which ,sir ,samuel ,romilly is said to have made to stop the hemorrhage after having cut his throat1 has been cited by a celebrated living authority as an evidence of his previous sanity4#ff ,we must bear in mind that many cases of suicide result from derangement of mind dependent on cerebral congestion4 ,in such cases1 we can imagine a person insane when the act of self-destruction is attempted1 and sane immediately afterwards4 ,the loss of blood which a person would sustain from an extensive wound of the throat1 particularly when1 as is often the case1 some large vessel is wounded1 would instantly relieve the brain of the superabundant blood which had been oppressing it1 and deranging its manifestations1 and thus producing a return of sanity4 ,that this was the fact in ,sir ,samuel ,romilly's case is evident from its history4 ,there cannot be a shadow of doubt that he was insane when he cut his throat2 and his apparent desire to live after the act was committed1 may be attributed to the relief which he had derived from the loss of blood4 ,mr4 ,t4 ,miller1 of ,spalding1 in a fit of delirium1 cut his throat so dreadfully that after languishing three days1 he died4 ,he manifested during this interval the utmost contrition for his offence1 declaring he knew not what he had done until he found the blood streaming from his wound4 ,he dictated his will1 and talked rationally with his friends till his dissolution4#fg ,a merchant in the city1 not many months back1 met with some losses in business4 ,his mind became affected to a certain extent2 he felt a strong desire to kill himself2 but being a man of education and enlarged capacity1 he fought most resolutely against this inclination4 ,he had been exposed during one day to the influence of circumstances which caused great mental depression4 ,he said to his head-clerk1 previously to his leaving his counting-house1 that his head felt heavy and oppressed1 and he had a presentiment that something would happen before the morning4 ,the clerk suggested the propriety of his having medical advice1 but he did not think proper to do so4 ,in this state he went to bed4 ,in the middle of the night he awoke in a state of extreme agitation2 no language could convey an adequate idea of his feelings1 and suicide was the only act which held out the hope of relief4 ,in this state he rose from his bed1 called up the servants1 and commanded them to run for the surgeon4 ,a professional gentleman who lived close by was soon in attendance1 and the moment he entered the room the patient exclaimed1 8,bleed me1 or ,i shall cut my throat60 ,the operation was instantly performed1 and as the blood flowed from the vein the patient exclaimed1 8,thank ,god6 ,i have been saved from committing self-murder40 ,every disposition to suicide was immediately removed4 ,the following is an extract of a letter found in the pocket of ,captain ,aitkins1 of the ,pembroke ,fusileers1 who committed suicide3--8,as some inquiry may be instituted as to the cause of my death1 ,i think it necessary to state that it was inflicted by my own hand1 partly from pecuniary embarrassment1 and partly from the effect of strong nervous malady1 which has fixed itself on my spirits so as to render life insupportable40 ,in this case we have no hesitation in asserting1 that if the brain could have been relieved of the unnatural weight which oppressed it1 this poor man would not have stained his hand with his own blood4 ,in many cases the delusion of the intellect is so self-evident that no one questions the existence of insanity4 ,a respectable ,scotch merchant1 near ,pimlico1 committed suicide by cutting his throat4 ,he fancied the devil was in him2 he asserted he could feel him in his throat4 ,on examining his room after his death1 two wills were discovered1 in one of which he desires his executors to employ a surgeon to open his body1 that the devil might be found1 secured1 and destroyed2 and in this way1 he says1 he will be prevented from injuring any one else4 ,many other cases could be cited in which the act of suicide was clearly traceable to mental derangement1 were it considered necessary further to illustrate this point4 ,much evil has resulted from the opinions which the profession have entertained relative to the absence of insanity in cases of those who have exhibited a disposition to destroy themselves4 ,in this matter1 the principle which the great ,edmund ,burke applied to politics is equally applicable to medicine--8,we had better be blamed for too anxious apprehension1 than be ruined by too confident a security40 ,it is a safe doctrine always to presume the presence of insanity in those who have exhibited a desire to commit suicide4 ,a person who has once attempted to take away his life cannot be trusted1 notwithstanding he manifest the usual evidences of a sane intellect4 ,it is astonishing to consider the ingenious tricks and stratagems to which a person whose mind is bent on self-destruction will have recourse in order to effect his purpose4 ,we find recorded the case of a woman who was tried for her life1 and who1 in order that she might escape from the hands of the executioner1 applied a hundred leeches to her body1 hoping to bleed to death4 ,another female exposed herself to a swarm of bees2 and we read of an apothecary who endeavoured to beat out his brains with his own pestle4 ,a builder1 who had been found fault with by his employer1 became melancholy1 and finally determined upon self-destruction4 ,he hurried to a steep part of the high road1 where vehicles of all descriptions were compelled to put on the drag in the descent4 ,here he waited until a heavily loaded wagon reached the spot1 when he seized hold of one of the wheels that was not locked1 and applying his body to the circumference1 was instantly crushed4 ,a woman cut her throat severely1 but not fatally4 ,her friends could not be prevailed on to believe that she was insane4 ,she recovered1 but shewed such evidences of that unhappy condition1 through the whole progress of her cure1 as were sufficiently unambiguous to every competent judge4 ,she had speculated unsuccessfully in the lottery1 and it was insisted that the rash act was solely to be ascribed to her disappointment in this venture4 ,soon after her recovery1 and when her affairs had assumed a more comfortable train1 she went up one day into her bed-room1 and being thought to stay longer than was necessary1 a person went to see after her1 and found her sitting before a dressing-glass1 with a basin under her chin1 and a knife in her hand1 cutting her throat again1 as deliberately as a surgeon would have performed an operation4 ,she recovered this time also1 and afterwards made a third and successful attempt4 ,a maniac who was extremely turbulent1 and had evinced a strong propensity to destroy himself1 was confined1 and everything taken from him which could be imagined in any way capable of being instrumental for such a purpose4 ,he was remarked on one occasion to be unusually quiet1 and on his keeper looking through an aperture in his apartment1 he discovered him scooping out his eyes with a bit of broken china found by him in the mattress1 which he had torn to pieces2 and with his face full in the glare of the sun1 he had completely accomplished this horrid act before the door could be opened to secure him4 ,a gentleman of some political consequence in ,france had an attack of apoplexy1 from which he recovered by copious bloodletting4 ,some years afterwards1 he had a fall from his horse1 and was wounded severely in his head1 the injury occasioning fever and delirium of some weeks' duration4 ,after this accident1 he evinced some marks of mental aberration4 ,he threw up his post under government1 and retired to his chateau in the country1 for the purpose of concocting1 as he said1 a scheme for uniting the people of all nations4 ,to prepare a suitable edifice for this philanthropic union1 he began to pull down his chateau2 but being interrupted by his friends1 he came to ,paris1 and one day jumped off the ,pont-,neuf into the middle of the ,seine4 ,he swam manfully1 and reached the shore in safety4 ,he was so proud of this exploit that he considered himself invulnerable1 and began next day to run in the way of carriages or fiacres he met in the street1 calling to the drivers that they need not mind him1 as he could not be injured6 ,he was seized and carried home1 but in a day or two jumped out of the chamber window into the street4 ,he was then placed in ,m4 ,esquirol's establishment1 and considered as an incurable maniac4 ,during the ,french revolution1 a case of mania without delirium gave rise to an extraordinary scene at the ,asylum de ,bictre4 ,the mob1 after the massacre of the prisons1 broke like madmen into the above hospital1 under pretence of emancipating certain victims of the old tyranny1 whom it had endeavoured to confound with the maniacal residents of that house4 ,they proceeded in arms from cell to cell1 interrogating the prisoners1 and passing such of them as were manifestly insane4 ,a maniac1 bound in chains1 arrested their attention by the most bitter complaints which he preferred1 with apparent justice and rationality4 8,is it not shameful10 said he1 8that ,i should be bound in chains1 and confounded with madmen40 ,he defied them to accuse him of any act of impropriety or extravagance4 8,it is an instance of the most flagrant injustice60 ,he conjured the strangers to put an end to such oppression1 and to become his liberators4 ,his complaints excited amongst the armed mob loud murmurs and imprecations against the governor of the hospital4 ,they immediately sent for that gentleman1 and1 with their sabres at his breast1 demanded an explanation of his conduct4 ,when he attempted to justify himself1 they imposed silence upon him4 ,to no purpose did he adduce1 from his own experience1 similar instances of maniacs who were free from delirium1 but at the same time extremely dangerous from their outrageous passions4 ,they answered him only with abuse2 and had it not been for the courage of his wife1 who protected him with her own person1 he would have been sacrificed to their fury4 ,they commanded him to release the maniac1 whom they led in triumph with reiterated shouts of 8,vive la ,rpublique60 ,the sight of so many armed men1 their loud and confused shouts1 and their faces flushed with wine1 roused the madman's fury4 ,he seized with a vigorous grasp the sabre of his next neighbour1 brandished it about with great violence1 and wounded several of his liberators4 ,had he not been promptly mastered1 he would soon have made them repent their ill-timed humanity4 ,the savage mob then thought proper to lead him back to his cell1 and1 with shame and reluctance1 yielded to the voice of justice and experience4 ,many modern and ancient cases of suicide have been referred to in support of the opinion that insanity is not necessarily present under such circumstances4 ,the conclusions drawn from the history of ancient cases1 such as ,cato1 ,cleopatra1 ,cassius1 c41 cannot fairly be made use of in the present inquiry2 and yet if we examine these instances1 which have been so triumphantly brought forward as incontrovertible proofs that it is possible for a person with a mind perfectly unclouded and free from even the semblance of aberration to commit suicide1 we shall discover that they are not such good illustrations in support of the doctrines which they who cite them are anxious to uphold4 ,the suicide of ,cato has often been referred to1 and is considered a most apt and conclusive instance in point4 ,we admit this case is one of great importance1 inasmuch as it has been held up as an example to others of a man who sacrificed his own life to promote the interests of his country4 ,how many have been induced to plunge recklessly into another world in imitation of the conduct of the ,roman hero6 ,was ,cato perfectly sane when he sacrificed his life8 ,we are disposed to think not4 ,his whole conduct immediately preceding the last fatal act of his life evinces the extreme mental agitation under which he laboured2 despair had taken possession of his faculties2 the ambition and the hopes of years were prostrated in a moment to the dust1 and to escape from a long life of tyranny1 he perished on his own sword4 ,many modern cases have been cited as evidence of the coolness and collectedness which many have exhibited in the act of suicide4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,colton1 the accomplished author of 8,lacon10 is said to have been sane when he committed self-destruction4 ,he shot himself with a pistol after having written the following apophthegm3 8,when life is unbearable1 death is desirable1 and suicide justifiable40 ,the last few weeks of ,colton's life were embittered by acute mental and physical suffering4 ,he was involved in great pecuniary difficulties1 and was dependent for the necessaries of life on the charity of his friends4 ,independently of this1 he laboured under a very painful disease1 and it was when exposed to this combination of misery that he committed suicide4 ,his biographer states that there was no doubt of ,colton's insanity at the time of his death2 it was evident to all who were about him4 ,the evidence in ,sir ,samuel ,romilly's case is as strongly corroborative of his derangement as in that of poor ,colton's4 ,at the time1 he was suffering from the loss of a wife to whom he was most dotingly attached1 and the cerebral derangement was so apparent that his physician ordered him to be cupped in the nape of the neck a short period previously to his killing himself4 ,lord ,castlereagh's insanity was also clearly manifested4 ,his whole conduct on the day he cut his throat led irresistibly to the conclusion that he was not in his right senses4 ,his strange manner was noticed some time previously in the ,house of ,commons4 ,the ,duke of ,wellington saw the necessity of medical advice1 and had a physician sent to him2 in fact1 the evidence was as strong as evidence could be1 and no one at the time questioned the correctness of the verdict4 ,there were many peculiar circumstances connected with his lordship's early history which ought to be borne in mind before we conclude that he was of sane mind at the moment of his suicide4 ,it is now more than thirty-five years ago that the following singular circumstance occurred to the ,marquis of ,londonderry3 ,he was on a visit to a gentleman in the north of ,ireland4 ,the mansion was such a one as spectres are fabled to inhabit4 ,the apartment1 also1 which was appropriated to his lordship was calculated to foster such a tone of feeling from its antique character2 from the dark and richly carved panels of its wainscot2 from its yawning chimney1 looking like the entrance to a tomb2 from the portraits of grim men and women arrayed in orderly procession along the walls1 and scowling a contemptuous enmity against the degenerate invader of their gloomy bowers and venerable halls2 and from the vast1 dusky1 ponderous1 and complicated draperies that concealed the windows1 and hung with the gloomy grandeur of funeral trappings about the hearse-like piece of furniture that was destined for his bed4 ,lord ,londonderry examined his chamber2 he made himself acquainted with the forms and faces of the ancient possessors of the mansion as they sat upright in their ebony frames to receive his salutation2 and then1 after dismissing his valet1 he retired to bed4 ,his candle had not long been extinguished when he perceived a light gleaming on the draperies of the lofty canopy over his head4 ,conscious that there was no fire in his grate2 that the curtains were closed2 that the chamber had been in perfect darkness but a few minutes previously1 he supposed that some intruder must have entered into his apartment2 and1 turning round hastily to the side from whence the light proceeded1 he1 to his infinite astonishment1 saw not the form of any human visitor1 but the figure of a fair boy surrounded by a halo of glory4 ,the spirit stood at some distance from his bed4 ,certain that his own faculties were not deceiving him1 but suspecting he might be imposed on by the ingenuity of some of the numerous guests who were then inmates of the castle1 ,lord ,londonderry advanced towards the figure2 it retreated before him2 as he advanced1 the apparition retired1 until it entered the gloomy arch of the capacious chimney1 and then sunk into the earth4 ,lord ,londonderry returned to his bed1 but not to rest2 his mind was harassed by the consideration of the extraordinary event which had occurred to him4 ,was it real1 or the effect of an excited imagination8 ,the mystery was not so easily solved4 ,he resolved in the morning to make no allusion to what had occurred the previous night1 until he had watched carefully the faces of all the family1 to discover whether any deception had been practised4 ,when the guests assembled at breakfast1 his lordship searched in vain for those latent smiles1 those conscious looks1 that silent communication between parties1 by which the authors and abettors of such domestic conspiracies are generally betrayed4 ,everything apparently proceeded in its ordinary course2 the conversation was animated and uninterrupted1 and no indication was given that any one present had been engaged in the trick4 ,at last1 the hero of the tale found himself compelled to narrate the singular event of the preceding night4 ,he related every particular connected with the appearance of the spectre4 ,it excited much interest among the auditors1 and various were the explanations offered4 ,at last1 the gentleman who owned the castle interrupted the various surmises by observing that 8the circumstance which had just been recounted must naturally appear very extraordinary to those who have not been inmates long at the castle1 and are not conversant with the legends of his family20 then1 turning to ,lord ,londonderry1 he said1 8,you have seen the ,radiant ,boy4 ,be content2 it is an omen of prosperous fortunes4 ,i would rather that this subject should not again be mentioned40#fh ,the case of ,chatterton-- 8,the marvellous boy1 ,the sleepless soul that perish'd in his pride0-- has been adduced2 but no one acquainted with the history of this unfortunate youth would doubt for one moment that he was insane4 ,chatterton possessed naturally acute sensibilities2 he was unquestionably a man of genius4 ,when the forgery of ,rowley's poems was detected1 his mind received a severe shock2 friend after friend forsook him4 ,all his bright and cheering hopes were levelled to the earth2 his character for integrity was gone2 the world1 which had been so eager to court his society and friendship1 turned its back upon him2 misfortunes followed in rapid succession1 until he was frenzied by mental agony and physical suffering4 ,at the time of his death he was in want of the common necessaries of life1 realizing the affecting picture of the poet-- 8,homeless1 near a thousand homes he stood1 ,and near a thousand tables pined and wanted food40 ,under such circumstances1 it is not surprising that poor ,chatterton's mind should have been overthrown1 and that he should have been led to commit suicide4 ,a few days before his death1 he wrote to his mother in these terms3--8,i am about to quit for ever my ungrateful country4 ,i shall exchange it for the deserts of ,africa1 where tigers are a thousand times more merciful than man40 ,a very important fact connected with ,chatterton's case ought to be borne in mind--viz41 that insanity was in his family4 ,we have entered at some length into the consideration of this question1 because we felt it to be one of great importance4 ,in forming an estimate of the condition of a person's mind who has committed suicide1 the coroner and jury should make particular inquiries into the following points3--,first1 as to state of mind for some time prior to the act4 ,in many1 and in fact1 in all cases1 if proper evidence can be obtained1 it will be discovered that the person has laboured under depression of spirits1 either resulting from physical or mental causes4 ,inquiry should be instituted as to the presence of any disease of the stomach or liver which may have operated injuriously on the mind4 ,in many cases it will be found that the suicide has received at some period of his life a blow on his head1 giving rise to cerebral injury1 which may remain latent for a great length of time1 and suddenly manifest itself4 ,is insanity1 particularly suicidal insanity1 in the family8 ,what was the person's natural character8 ,was he liable to sudden bursts of passion8 ,had his mind been dwelling on the subject of suicide8 ,was he monomaniacal1 or remarkable for any peculiar eccentricity8 ,all these various but important questions should be carefully sifted1 should the coroner entertain any doubts as to the presence of mental derangement in such cases4 ,in another chapter we have considered the unjustifiableness of a jury ever returning a verdict of felo-de-se4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,suicide ,,in ,,connexion ,,with ,,medical ,,jurisprudence4 ,the importance of medical evidence--,the questions which medical men have to consider in these cases--,signs of death from strangulation--,singular positions in which the bodies of those who have committed suicide have been found--,the particulars of the ,prince de ,cond's case--,on the possibility of voluntary strangulation--,general ,pichegru's singular case--,the melancholy history of ,marc ,antonie ,calas--,how to discover whether a person was dead before thrown into water--,singular cases--,admiral ,caracciolo--,drowning in a bath--,the points to keep in view in cases of suspicious death--,was ,sellis murdered8--,death from wounds--,the case of the ,earl of ,essex4 ,medical men are frequently called upon in our courts of law to give evidence in cases where it is doubtful whether persons found dead were murdered or committed suicide4 ,the questions involved in these judicial inquiries are of great public importance1 and it is the sacred duty of medical men1 for the sake of their own characters1 and for a much higher consideration--for the ends of justice1 to make themselves thoroughly conversant with all the evidence which can be brought to bear in the elucidation of such important questions4 ,our criminal annals are replete with illustrations in which individuals accused of the atrocious crime of murder have been saved from a dreadful and ignominious death by medical evidence4 ,cases also are recorded in which death has been ascribed to suicide1 but which after investigation have been proved to have been effected by other hands4 ,in doubtful cases of this description1 the evidence of the medical man is of the highest importance2 without it1 in the great majority of cases1 justice would be defeated4 ,in the cases of persons found hanging1 two questions naturally suggest themselves to the mind3--#a4 ,whether the individual was suspended before or after death4 #b4 ,whether it was an act of suicide or murder4 ,it is possible1 and such cases have occurred1 that a person may have been hanged up after having been murdered1 or may have endeavoured to destroy himself by firearms1 or by cutting his throat1 and suspend himself afterwards1 not being able to effect his purpose in any other way4 ,in the first case we might mistake murder for suicide2 and in the second1 suicide for assassination4 ,the following are the signs of death from strangulation3--,the countenance is livid and distorted2 the eyes protrude1 and are often suffused with blood2 the tongue projects and is wounded by the teeth4 ,if the rope be placed below the cricoid cartilage1 the tongue will protrude2 but if it presses above the thyroid cartilage1 the tongue will not be seen in the position described4 ,it was formerly the generally received opinion that persons who were hanged died of apoplexy2 but the experiments of ,sir ,b4 ,brodie and other physiologists clearly prove that death is owing to suffocation4 ,the livid or depressed circle which the rope is said to make round the neck is pronounced by ,m4 ,klein to be an uncertain sign2 he saw fifteen cases of suicide in which it was not discovered4 ,remer1 of ,breslaw1 who has recently directed his mind to the consideration of this important point1 found1 out of one hundred cases of persons who died from strangulation1 eighty-nine with sugillation on the neck in an evident manner4 ,in addition to the signs mentioned1 others have been enumerated4 ,the fingers are said to be found bent1 the nails blue1 hands nearly closed1 with swelling of the chest1 shoulders1 arms1 and hands4 ,if the body be not suspended1 but touches1 more or less1 the ground or floor1 while the cord is not tight enough for the purpose of strangulation1 and there be no manifestations of any other means of death1 there can hardly be room to doubt as to self-murder4 ,it is true that the mere resting of the toes takes away but little of the character of suspension1 but we may meet with stronger cases4 ,a few years ago1 a man1 aged seventy-five1 destroyed himself at ,castle ,cary1 in the morning1 by fixing a cord round his neck while sitting on the bed-side1 and leaning forward till his purpose was accomplished4 ,his wife1 who had for years been bedridden1 and was therefore not likely to have been very fast asleep1 was in the room during the transaction1 and knew nothing of what was going on4 ,a prisoner hung himself in a gaol by fastening the cord to one of the window-bars1 and pushing himself away from it with his arm4 ,persons have both wounded and hung themselves4 ,this may be effected by placing the cord in a wrong position1 which would protract the person's sufferings1 and compel him to struggle and make violent efforts to kill himself4 ,ballard relates1 that a young priest1 having first cut his throat to a certain extent1 hung himself with his robe4#fi ,in cases like these there can be little difficulty in ascertaining the real cause of death4 ,in a memoir published in a ,french journal1#gj there are related several instances of self-destruction by hanging1 where the bodies were found in the most extraordinary positions and attitudes4 ,a man was discovered in a granary hanging by a cotton handkerchief1 made fast to a rope which stretched across2 the knees were bent1 so that the legs formed a right angle backwards2 the feet were suspended on a heap of grain1 over which the knees hung at a distance of a few inches4 ,a prisoner was found suspended in a vertical position1 with his heels resting on a window-stool4 ,an ,englishman1 a prisoner in ,paris1 hung himself in his cell1 which was an apartment with an arched roof1 and at the lower part of it was a grated window1 the highest part of which was not near the height of a man4 ,nevertheless1 he hung himself to this grating1 and was found almost sitting down1 with his legs stretched out before1 and his hips within a foot and a half of the ground4 ,another case is related of a man whose attitude was similar to the case first described4 ,he had suspended himself to a large iron pin driven into the wall to support the bed-curtains1 and his feet1 bent at a right angle1 rested on the bed1 while his knees approached it within a few inches4 ,a female suspended herself so low that1 in order to accomplish her purpose1 she was obliged to stretch out her legs1 one before resting on the heel1 the other behind resting on the toes4 ,a female was found stretched at the foot of her bed1 the legs1 thighs1 and left hip lying on the floor2 the upper part of the body was raised1 and suspended by a cord fixed to the neck1 and fastened to the hospital bed4 ,a patient in ,la ,charit was found one morning hanging by the rope which was attached to the head of his bed4 ,he had fastened this by a loop round his neck1 but his body was so retained1 that when discovered he was on his knees by the side of his bed4 ,in #ahcb1 at the west end of the town1 a man was found hanging in his room1 with his knees bent forwards and his feet resting upon the floor4 ,he had evidently been dead for some time1 since cadaverous rigidity had already commenced4 ,the manner in which this man had committed suicide was as follows3--,he had made a slip knot with one end of his apron1 7he was a working mechanic17 and having placed his neck in this1 he threw the other end of the apron over the top of the door1 and shutting the door behind him1 he had succeeded in wedging it in firmly4 ,at the same moment he had probably raised himself on tip-toe1 and then allowed himself to fall2 in this way he died4 ,the weight of his body had apparently sufficed to drag down a part of the apron1 for it seemed as if it had been very much stretched4 ,in ,october1 #ahcc1 a gentleman who was employed as an assistant in a respectable school in the neighbourhood of ,london1 was discovered by some of his pupils1 one morning1 in a sitting posture1 on a dark part of a staircase of the house4 ,upon examining further1 it was ascertained that he was completely dead1 and that he was suspended to the banisters by a cravat firmly tied round his neck4 ,the deceased had evidently made two similar attempts at self-destruction before he succeeded1 as part of a silk pocket-handkerchief and his braces were found suspended to other parts of the banisters4 ,it seemed scarcely possible to those who discovered him that the deceased could really have accomplished suicide by hanging in such a situation1 for his body was resting entirely on the stairs1 and1 making every allowance for the slipping of the ligature by which he was suspended1 still his feet must have been throughout in contact with the stair4 ,there have been few medico-legal investigations of late years which have excited greater interest than the case of the ,duke de ,bourbon1 in ,france4 ,on the #bgth ,august1 #ahcj1 the duke was found suspended in his bed-room1 in the chateau99 of ,st4 ,leu4 ,an inquest was held the same morning on the body1 and from the evidence of the witnesses1 as well as from the reports of the physicians and surgeons who examined it1 a verdict was returned to the effect that the duke had committed suicide in a fit of temporary insanity4 ,this event did not excite much notice until the contents of his will were made public4 ,the deceased1 it appears1 had made his will in favour of the ,baroness de ,feuchres1 a female who had lived with him for some years1 bequeathing to her the whole of his immense estates1 and leaving the ,duke d',aumale1 the youngest son of the king of the ,french1 residuary legatee4 ,the ,princes de ,rohan1 heirs by collateral descent to the deceased1 thus finding themselves deprived of an expected inheritance1 attempted to set aside the will1 alleging that undue influence had been exercised over him4 ,the cause came on for hearing before the ,first ,chamber of the ,civil ,tribunal of ,paris1 in ,december1 #ahca1 and excited considerable attention1 not so much in consequence of the dispute concerning the validity of the will1 as of the question which was raised during the trial1--whether the duke had committed suicide1 or whether he had been murdered1 and afterwards suspended1 in order to defeat the ends of justice4 ,the facts of the case1 collected from the procs verbaux1 are as follows3--,the deceased had naturally partaken of the alarm which had diffused itself throughout ,france in consequence of the events of the revolution of #ahcj4 ,some of his most intimate friends declared that1 for some time previously to his death1 his mind had been filled with the most gloomy forebodings as to what this new order of things would bring about4 ,on the morning of the #bgth1 his servant went1 as usual1 to his bed-room door about eight o'clock2 but receiving no answer on knocking1 he became alarmed4 ,madame de ,feuchres then accompanied the valet to the door of the room1 which was fastened on the inside2 and receiving no reply after calling to the duke in a loud voice1 she ordered it to be broken open4 ,on entering the apartment1 the body of the deceased was found suspended from the fastening at the top of the window-sash by means of a linen handkerchief1 attached to another which completely encircled the neck4 ,the head was inclined a little to the chest2 the tongue protruded from the mouth2 the face was discoloured2 a mucous discharge issued from the mouth and nostrils2 the arms hung down2 the fists were clenched4 ,the extremities of both feet touched the carpet of the room1 the point of suspension being about six feet and a half from the floor2 the heels were elevated1 and the knees half bent4 ,the deceased was partly undressed2 the legs were uncovered1 and had some marks of injury on them4 ,among other points of circumstantial evidence1 it was remarked that a chair stood near the window to which the deceased was suspended1 and the bed looked as if it had been lain on4 ,the medical witnesses1 who examined the body soon after its discovery1 stated that they found it cold1 and the extremities rigid1 from which they inferred that the deceased had been dead eight or ten hours4 ,this would have fixed the time of his death at midnight of ,august #bfth4 ,the body underwent a second examination1 a report of which was furnished to the legal authorities1 on the following day4 ,five medical men were present at the inspection2 and they gave it as their opinion1 from the post mortem appearances--#ast1 that the deceased had died by hanging2 and1 #bndly1 from the absence of all marks of violence or resistance about the person or clothes of the deceased1 and other facts1 that he had destroyed himself4 ,they considered that the contusion on one arm1 and the excoriations observed on both legs1 must have arisen from the rubbing of these parts against the projecting rail of the chair near the window4 ,the mark on the neck of the deceased they described to be large1 oblique1 and extending upwards to the mastoid process4 ,general evidence was given to shew that the duke had meditated self-destruction1 and had conversed about it with some of the witnesses4 ,on the morning of the #bhth1 some fragments of paper1 which had been written on1 were taken from the grate of his chamber2 these were carefully put together by one of the legal inspectors2 and among a few disjointed sentences1 indicating despair and a dread of impending danger1 were the following3--8,it is only left for me to die in wishing prosperity to the ,french people and my country4 ,adieu for ever60 ,here followed his signature1 and a request to be interred at ,vincennes1 near the body of his son1 the ,duke d',enghien4 ,it is necessary to observe1 that no noise or disturbance was heard in the bed-room on the night of the deceased's death4 ,on the other side it was contended that the duke was not unusually melancholy before his death2 that the supposition of suicide was inadmissible in a moral point of view1 and indeed was physically impossible1 from the circumstances4 ,one person argued that he could not have made the knots seen in the handkerchiefs2 another1 that he could not have reached so high above his head to have suspended himself1 and that the chair could not have been used in any manner to assist him2 while a third affirmed1 that a person might be suspended in the position in which the body was discovered1 without death ensuing4 ,the circumstance of the door being fastened on the inside1 was accounted for by supposing that the bolt had been pushed to from the outside4 ,the duke had been heard to condemn suicide2 he had made an appointment for the following day2 and had attended to many little circumstances1 such as winding up his watch the night previously1 and noting his losses at play2--facts which were forcibly urged as being opposed to the supposition of his having destroyed himself4 ,to combat the medical evidence1 it was assumed that the deceased was strangled or suffocated1 and was afterwards hanged1 by assassins4 ,several schemes were devised by the medical witnesses on this side of the question1 to account for the manner in which the supposed murder was committed4 ,according to some1 a handkerchief might have been tightened round the deceased's neck by one assassin1 while another forcibly held his legs under the bed-clothes1 by which the lesions already described would have been produced2 or instead of being strangled by a handkerchief1 he might have been suffocated by a pillow placed over his mouth4 ,the body might then have been dragged across the room to be suspended2 and if during this time the hand of one of the assassins had been rudely thrust between the cravat and the neck1 the excoriation and mark seen on the skin might be easily accounted for4 ,the counsel for the appellants remarked1 that the want of a line in writing1 to withdraw from all suspicion his attendants1 and even ,madame de ,feuchres1 was remarkable1 as this latter precaution had suggested itself to almost every suicide4 ,he condemned those engaged in the anatomical examination of the body1 as having been guilty of culpable mismanagement4 ,he ridiculed the idea that the duke1 as reported by the two physicians consulted1 had probably come to his death through asphyxia by strangulation4 ,he contended that all the appearances on the skin of the neck1 where no ecchymosis1 as is usual in persons hung alive1 was visible1 shewed that death had preceded the hanging of the body4#ga ,conflicting as the evidence was in this case1 we think no impartial mind1 after maturely considering all the physical facts and moral circumstances connected with the ,prince de ,cond's death1 can entertain any other opinion than that he sacrificed his own life4 ,the case is one of great interest2 and the minute particulars detailed in the ,french journal are worthy of the perusal of every medical man4 ,it has been doubted whether voluntary strangulation was possible1 but we have too many cases on record to allow us to question the probability of such an occurrence4 ,an individual was found strangled in a hay-loft by a handkerchief which had been tightened by a stick4 ,a ,malay1 who1 on board of a man-of-war in the ,east ,indies1 had made repeated attempts to commit suicide1 at last effected his purpose in the following manner3--,he tied a handkerchief round his neck1 and with a small stick twisted it several times1 and then secured it behind his ear1 to prevent its untwisting4 ,jealousy was the cause assigned for the suicide4 ,general ,pichegru was found strangled in prison during the consulate of ,buonaparte4 ,the case gave rise to various suspicions4 ,the body was found lying in bed on the left side1 in an easy attitude1 with the knees bent1 and the arms lying down by the side1 with a black silk handkerchief twisted tightly round the neck1 by means of a stick passed under it4 ,the cheek was torn by the ends of the stick in its rotations4 ,it was established that he had been guilty of suicide4 ,a very important lesson is to be learned from the history of the following case1 which ,dr4 ,beck has published in his 8,medical ,jurisprudence40 ,this is but one of many cases in which the innocent have been accused1 and have suffered for crimes of which it has been subsequently proved they were innocent4 ,marc ,antoine ,calas was the son of ,john ,calas1 a merchant of ,toulouse1 aged seventy years1 of great probity1 and a ,protestant4 ,he was twenty-eight years of age1 of a robust habit1 but melancholy turn of mind4 ,he was a student of law1 and becoming irritated at the difficulties he experienced 7in consequence of not being a ,catholic7 concerning his licence1 he resolved to hang himself4 ,this he executed by fastening the cord to a billet of wood placed on the folding doors which led from his father's shop to his storeroom4 ,two hours after1 he was found lifeless4 ,the parents unfortunately removed the cord from the body1 and never exhibited it to shew in what manner his death was accomplished4 ,no examination was made4 ,the people1 stimulated by religious prejudice1 carried the body to the town-house1 where it was the next day examined by two medical men1 who1 without viewing the cord1 or the place where the death had been consummated1 declared that he had been strangled4 ,on the strength of this1 the father was condemned by the parliament of ,toulouse1 in #agfa1 to be broken on the wheel4 ,he expired with protestations to ,heaven of his innocence4 ,reflection1 however1 returned when it was too late4 ,it was recollected that the son had been of a melancholy turn of mind2 that no noise had been heard in the house while the deed was doing2 that his clothes were not in the least ruffled2 that a single mark only was found from the cord1 and which indicated suspension by suicide2 and in addition to these1 that the dress proper for the dead was found lying on the counter4 ,voltaire espoused the cause of the injured family1 and attracted the eyes of all ,europe to this judicial murder4 ,the cause was carried up to the council of state1 who1 on the #aith ,may1 #agfe1 reversed the decree of parliament1 and vindicated the memory of ,john ,calas4#gb ,many cases occur in which it is impossible to decide whether the person was dead before being thrown into the water4 ,the attention of the jurist ought to be directed to the condition of the ground in the neighbourhood of the pond1 to ascertain whether any signs exist of a struggle having taken place4 ,in the case of ,mr4 ,taylor1 who was murdered at ,hornsey1 in ,december1 #ahah1 marks of footsteps1 deep in the ground1 were discovered near the ,new ,river2 and on taking out the body1 the hands were found clenched1 and contained grass1 which he had torn from the bank4 ,the appearance of wounds on the body will often lead to1 or assist in1 the formation of a correct opinion1 as to the cause of death4 ,these facts are1 however1 very often fallacious4 ,instances have occurred in which persons determined upon suicide have endeavoured to kill themselves with sharp instruments1 and not effecting their purpose1 have subsequently thrown themselves into the water4 ,again1 persons may1 in the act of drowning themselves1 receive severe injuries1 by being propelled against rocks and stakes by the force of the current4 ,a few years ago1 a man1 who had leaped from each of the three bridges with impunity1 undertook to repeat the exploit for a wager4 ,having jumped from ,london ,bridge1 he sunk and was drowned4 ,when the body was discovered1 it appeared that both his arms were dislocated1 in consequence of having descended with them in an horizontal instead of a perpendicular position4 ,persons have been discovered drowned with ligatures on their hands and feet1 and the circumstance has naturally excited a suspicion as to whether they had committed suicide or had been murdered4 ,numerous cases prove that suicides do1 occasionally1 adopt such precautions1 in order to ensure death4 ,in ,june1 #ahaf1 the body of a gauging-instrument maker1 who had been missing for some days from his home1 was discovered floating down the ,thames4 ,on being taken out of the water1 the wrists were found tied together and made fast to his knees1 which were in like manner secured to each other4 ,he had been deranged for two years4 ,the cord was recognised as one which had been attached to his bed4 ,he could swim well1 and it was presumed that he had so tied himself1 in order to prevent his using his legs and arms should his courage fail him after having plunged into the water4 ,a man1 with his wife and child1 was reduced to great distress4 ,on a certain day1 he took an affectionate leave of his family1 declaring he would not return until he had procured some employment by which he should be able to buy bread for them4 ,on the following day1 he was found drowned in the ,new ,river1 with his hands and legs tied4 ,a card with his address was found in his pocket4 ,a gentleman was found in the ,seine1 at ,paris1 having his feet1 wrists1 and neck1 tied with a cord4 ,his neck1 limbs1 and hands1 were bound by means of a rope with slip-knots1 in order to put it out of his power to aid himself when in the water1 and thereby to render certain the execution of his suicide4 ,in the year #ahcb1 the body of ,elizabeth ,martin was found dead in the water4 ,a man of the name of ,bayley was accused of the murder4 ,they had been quarrelling1 and were seen struggling with each other at the banks of the pond4 ,he declared that she had fallen in accidentally4 ,her face was found turned downwards towards the bottom of the pond1 and one of her hands was found to be in her pocket4 ,the judge properly observed1 that if the woman had fallen into the water as the prisoner stated1 that she would have1 undoubtedly1 taken her hand from her pocket for the purpose of extricating herself4 ,the man was convicted of the murder1 and executed4 ,there has been much discussion as to whether bodies sink or swim when thrown into the water after having been killed4 ,considerable discrepancy of opinion exists on this point4 ,it has been maintained that strangled persons will float more readily than others1 as many facts prove4 ,caracciolo1 ,admiral of the ,neapolitan navy1 was hanged by sentence of a court-martial4 ,the body was committed to the deep in the usual manner2 and thirteen days afterwards1 while the king was walking on the deck of ,lord ,nelson's ship1 he suddenly exclaimed1 with a yell of horror--8,viene6 viene60 ,the admiral's corpse1 breast-high1 was seen floating towards the ship4 ,the shot which had been attached to the feet for the purpose of sinking not being sufficiently heavy4 ,this phenomenon may have arisen from the evolution of gaseous matter1 after the process of putrefaction had commenced1 which notoriously renders the body specifically lighter than water4 ,the apparitions that appeared at ,portnedown ,bridge1 after the ,irish massacre1 and which excited such commotion at the time1 were accounted for in a similar manner4 ,it appears that1 about twilight in the evening1 a number of spirits became visible2 one assumed the shape of a naked woman1 waist-high1 upright in the water1 with elevated and closed hands1 and looking as awful a spectre as the most superstitious person would wish to behold4 ,various sounds were also heard proceeding from the river1 which caused no little alarm4 ,the sounds were mere delusions1 but that bodies were seen floating upright in the water there cannot be a doubt4 8,one day10 says ,clarke1 8leaning out of the cabin-window1 by the side of an officer1 who was employed in fishing1 the corpse of a man1 newly sewed up in a hammock1 started half out of the water1 and continued its course with the current towards the shore4 ,nothing could be more horrible2 its head and shoulders were visible1 turning first to one side1 then to the other1 with a solemn and awful movement1 as if impressed with some dreadful secret of the deep1 which from its watery grave it came upwards to reveal4 ,such sights became afterwards frequent1 hardly a day passing without ushering the dead to the contemplation of the living1 until at length they passed without exciting much observation4#gc ,in ,october1 #ahbi1 a female1 who was an in-patient of ,st4 ,luke's ,hospital1 was found dead in the bath of the institution4 ,it appears that1 for some time previously1 she had been permitted the privileges allowed to patients exhibiting indications of convalescence1 and had obtained access to the nurse's room1 in which the key of the bath was deposited4 ,one afternoon1 she secretly possessed herself of this key1 and then immediately proceeded to make arrangements for the accomplishment of her purpose4 ,in order to deceive the vigilance of the nurse1 who was accustomed to lock the patients up at bed-time1 she took off her clothes and disposed them about the room1 in the usual manner1 as if she had undressed4 ,she then made up a bundle to resemble the human figure1 and placed it inside the bed1 filling her nightcap with handkerchiefs4 ,so accurate was the deception that the other patients1 who slept in the room with the deceased1 readily answered that they were all present4 ,the lunatic1 after these preparations1 must have stolen cautiously down to the bath4 ,she was found1 the next morning1 dead1 lying stretched out with her face downwards4 ,the water of the bath was not deep1 and1 indeed1 it is presumed1 she must have forcibly maintained the position in which her body was found1 in order to have effected her purpose4 ,the door of the bath-room was locked inside1 and the key was found in the deceased's pocket4 ,in a small village of ,warwickshire1 in the year #ahjj1 a young gentleman suddenly disappeared on the evening previous to his intended marriage4 ,after a lapse of some days1 his body was found floating in a mill-stream1 and it was generally concluded that he had committed suicide1 though the cause for such a rash act could not be conjectured4 ,upon stripping the body1 some marks of a suspicious nature were discovered upon the throat4 ,a surgeon was sent for to decide whether death had taken place from any other cause than drowning1 who1 after a minute examination1 gave it as his opinion that he had died by strangulation4 ,suspicion now fell upon a man of bad character1 who had been seen the night the gentleman was first missed1 running in great haste from the direction in which the body was afterwards found4 ,he was apprehended1 but1 no evidence of guilt being elicited by the examination1 was discharged1 and the fate of the unfortunate young man remained buried in mystery4 ,ten years afterwards1 the person suspected was convicted of sheep-stealing1 and sentenced to transportation4 ,while on board the hulks1 he made a voluntary confession of having destroyed him1 and declared that such was his remorse1 and the horror of his conscience1 that he earnestly desired to expiate his crime on the scaffold4 ,he was tried for the alleged offence entirely on his own evidence1 which was as follows3-- ,upon the evening of the fatal event1 he was stealing potatoes from a field-garden belonging to the deceased1 whom he unexpectedly saw coming over the gate to secure him1 upon which he jumped over the hedge on the opposite side1 and ran across the field to make his escape4 ,the gentleman pursued him1 and being an active young man1 nearly overtook him2 upon which he 7the prisoner7 attempted to leap the mill-stream1 but the bank on the other side giving way1 he fell back into the water4 ,the young gentleman1 instantly plunging into the water after him1 strove to secure him4 ,a desperate struggle now ensued1 and the deceased had at one time got the prisoner down under him in the water1 by which he was half drowned4 ,at length he succeeded in overturning his antagonist1 and1 seizing him by the throat1 held him fast in this manner under water1 till he seemed to have no more power4 ,he then left him1 sprang out1 and made his escape4 ,the judge gave it as his opinion that the case amounted only to excusable homicide1 and the man was acquitted4 ,in forming an opinion as to the cause of death in doubtful cases of suicide1 the following important points ought to be carefully kept in view3-- #ast4 ,if the person had for some time laboured under melancholia2 had met with losses1 disappointments1 or had suffered any acute chagrin4#gd #bnd4 ,if any of his family1 associates1 or connexions1 had any interest in his death4 #crd4 ,the season of the year should be taken into consideration2 for we have observed1 without being able to assign the reason1 that suicide is more frequent during the solstices and the equinoxes4 #dth4 ,if the patient1 instead of complaining1 remains quiet1 seeks for solitude1 and refuses medical aid4 ,and #eth4 ,if there be any writing 7as those who destroy themselves ordinarily express their last opinions or will7 it will be one of the most satisfactory proofs that they have made away with themselves4 ,remains of poison found in their pockets1 or in the apartment1 are but an equivocal proof1 and one which may attend upon homicide as well as on suicide4#ge ,in the course of judicial investigations1 medical men are frequently called upon to decide in cases of suspicious death whether wounds discovered on the bodies of the deceased were self-inflicted4 ,before deciding questions of this character1 the medical witness ought to take into consideration the following points3--#ast1 ,the situation of the wound2 #bnd1 its nature and extent2 #crd1 the direction of the wound2 and #dth1 the moral circumstances connected with the case4 ,generally speaking1 those who commit suicide do not wound themselves on the posterior parts of the body2 therefore injuries detected in such situations naturally excite suspicions as to the mode of death4 ,the throat and chest are commonly selected when cutting instruments are used4 ,when death has resulted from the discharge of a weapon introduced into the mouth1 ,dr4 ,smith says it may be taken for granted that the case is one of suicide4 ,it is1 however1 possible1 even under such circumstances1 for a person to be assassinated in this way4 ,when death has been caused by firearms1 the fingers and hands of the deceased should be carefully examined1 in order to detect the presence of discoloration4 ,in several instances1 a murder has been discovered by a careful examination of the wadding4 ,in two cases on record1 the wadding being examined1 it was discovered to have been torn from paper found in the possession of the parties on whom suspicion had rested4 ,some time back1 the body of a man was found lying on the high-road4 ,the throat was severely cut1 and he had evidently died from hemorrhage4 ,a bloody knife was discovered at some distance from the body2 and this1 together with the circumstance of the pockets of the deceased having been rifled1 led to a suspicion of murder4 ,this idea was confirmed when the wound was examined4 ,it was cut1 not as is usual in suicide1 by carrying the instrument from before backwards1 but as the throats of sheep are cut4 ,the knife had passed in deeply under and below the ear1 and had been brought out by a semi-circular sweep in front1 all the great vessels of the neck1 with the sophagus and trachea1 having been divided from behind forwards4 ,the nature of the wound rendered it at once improbable that it could have been self-inflicted2 and it further served to detect the murderer1 who was soon afterwards discovered1 and executed4 ,with reference to the extent of the wound1 the celebrated ,earl of ,essex's case has often been quoted4 ,he was found dead in the ,tower1 in #afhc1 and it was the generally received opinion that he had been murdered by persons hired by the ,duke of ,york1 afterwards ,king ,james ,,ii4 ,upon examining the wound1 it was found that the jugular vessels1 trachea1 and sophagus1 were cut through to the very neck-bone4 ,the verdict was suicide4 ,in #afhh1 the matter was revived1 and before a committee of the ,house of ,lords1#gf it was proved that the razor with which the wound was inflicted was found on the left side of the body1 while it was known that the ,earl was left-handed4 ,the edge of the razor was found notched2 and it was also proved that the cravat worn by the deceased was cut through1 and his right hand was wounded in five places4 ,as there was much political feeling mixed up with this case1 it was difficult to arrive at the truth4 ,that many persons who have cut their throats have divided the neck to the vertebr is a well-known fact4 ,in the case of ,mr4 ,calcraft1 all the large vessels in the neck were divided1 and the throat was cut through to the vertebral column4 ,in the case of ,sellis1 much stress was laid by ,sir ,e4 ,home on the wound being regular2 he observes1 8any struggle would have made it irregular40 ,although there were points connected with this remarkable case which naturally tended to excite suspicion1 we cannot but declare that the ,duke of ,cumberland most clearly vindicated himself from the foul charge which party feeling and private malevolence had endeavoured to establish against him4 ,many doubtful cases may be decided by taking into consideration the moral circumstances connected with them4 ,a girl was discovered dead4 ,suspicion rested upon her mother1 who had severely beaten the child4 ,it was1 however1 clearly proved that the girl had been repeatedly heard to declare her intention to commit suicide4 ,persons should be examined as to the state of mind of the party found dead2 whether he or she laboured under an hereditary predisposition to suicidal insanity1 or had been exposed to the influence of causes likely to cause melancholy or a depressed state of feeling4 ,if all these points be carefully considered1 a fair conclusion may be arrived at in the majority of cases that occur1 and which are made the subject of judicial investigation4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,statistics ,,of ,,suicide4 ,number of suicides in the chief capitals of ,europe from #ahac to #ahca--,statistics of death from violence in ,london from #ahbh to #ahcb--,number of suicides in ,london for a century and a half--,suicides in ,westminster from #ahab to #ahcf--,suicide more frequent among men than women--,mode of committing--,influence of age--,effect of the married state--,infantile suicides--,m4 ,guerry on suicides in ,france--,cases--,suicide and murder--,suicide in ,geneva4 ,in ,great ,britain1 owing to the neglect of statistical science1 much difficulty has been experienced in obtaining anything like correct data respecting the number of suicides committed annually4 ,for the details given in this chapter we are indebted to various authorities4 ,every work has been consulted which it was supposed would throw some light on the subject4 ,number of ,suicides in the chief ,capitals of ,europe4 ,places4 ,periods4 ,suicides4 ,proportion to ,population4 ,berlin #ahac-ahbb #cfj #a in #gej ,copenhagen #ahjd-ahjf #ajj #a -- #a1jjj ,naples #ahbh #ccj #a -- #a1ajj ,hamburg #ahbb #ei #a -- #a1hjj ,berlin #agii-ahjh #fj #a -- #b1cjj ,paris #ahcf #cda #a -- #b1gjj ,milan #ahbg #cg #a -- #c1bjj ,berlin #aghh-agig #ce #a -- #d1ejj ,vienna #ahbi #de #a -- #f1djj ,prague #ahbj #f #a -- #af1jjj ,petersburg #ahca #bb #a -- #ba1jjj ,london #ahcd #db #a -- #bg1jjj ,naples #ahbf #ac #a -- #agc1jjj ,palermo #ahca #b #a -- #ahj1jjj ,statistics of ,suicide ,deaths from ,violence in general1 in ,london4 #ahbh4 #ahbi4 #ahcj4 #ahca4 #ahcb4 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ,suicide #da #ce #be #dh #eb ,executed #a #bf #g #f #aj ,murdered #f #d #b #e #b ,poisoned #g #g #d #g #d ,found dead #ae #f #ac #e #e ,drowned #aej #cf #ig #aca #adi ,burnt #dg #ec #fa #ce #cf ,from famine #a #j #j #a #a ,from intoxication #g #c #d #j #a ,from suffocation #aj #aj #e #e #e ,number of ,suicides in ,london during a ,century and a half4 ,from #afij to #afii #bcf -- #agjj -- #agji #bgh -- #agaj -- #agai #cja -- #agbj -- #agbi #dgh -- #agcj -- #agci #eja -- #agdj -- #agdi #dbb -- #agej -- #agei #cfc -- #agfj -- #agfi #cea -- #aggj -- #aggi #cci -- #aghj -- #aghi #bbd -- #agij -- #agii #bgd -- #ahjj -- #ahji #cdg -- #ahaj -- #ahai #cfc -- #ahbj -- #ahbi #cha ,suicides in ,westminster1 from #ahab to #ahcf4 7,extract from ,report of ,medical ,committee of the ,statistical ,society of ,london4 ,april1 #ahcg47 8,the first statement to which the ,committee will draw the attention of the ,council is an account of the number of persons1 male and female1 who have committed suicide1 and upon whom inquests have been held1 within the city and liberty of ,westminster1 in each month1 from ,january1 #ahab1 to ,december1 #ahcf1 procured from ,mr4 ,higg1 the deputy coroner of ,westminster2 with other statements which the ,committee had prepared from it4 8,the ,committee deems it right to premise that caution must be used in drawing too general inferences from these statements1 on account of the comparatively small number of cases to which they refer4 ,the average annual number of suicides upon which inquests have been held in ,westminster does not probably exceed one per cent4 of the total number annually committed in ,great ,britain2 hence the number committed in ,westminster during twenty-five years1 amounting to #fef1 is only about twenty-five per cent4 of the whole number annually committed in ,great ,britain4 8,for some conclusions1 however1 they afford sufficient data1 and these the ,committee will proceed to notice4 8,it appears from the following abstract1 ,no4 #a1 that suicides in ,westminster are most prevalent in the three months of ,june1 ,july1 and ,march2 but that the excess is on the part of the males1 as the greatest number of female suicides was in ,january1 ,september1 and ,november4 ,september1 ,august1 and ,october exhibit the smallest number of male and of total suicides2 but ,february1 ,march1 and ,april1 the smallest number among females4 ,no4 #a4 ,a ,statement of the total number of ,suicides of each ,sex committed in ,westminster in each month during the twenty-five years1 from #ahab to #ahcf2 also the per centage proportion of the whole number committed in each month2 and the proportion which the number of each sex bears to the other4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,total ,number of ,suicides ,per ,centage ,proportion ,per ,cent4 ,proportion from #ahab to #ahaf4 committed in each ,month4 of ,male to ,female4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,male4 ,female4 ,total4 ,male4 ,female4 ,total4 ,male and ,female4 ,january #ce #bj #ee #g4c #aa4b #h4d #fd #cf ,february #ci #ab #ea #h4b #f4h #g4h #gg #bc ,march #eb #aa #fc #aj4i #f4b #i4f #hc #ag ,april #dj #aa #ea #h4d #f4b #g4h #gi #ba ,may #da #ae #ef #h4e #h4d #h4e #gc #bg ,june #fj #ae #ge #ab4f #h4d #aa4d #hj #bj ,july #ej #af #ff #aj4e #i4j #aj4a #gf #bd ,august #cj #ae #de #f4c #h4d #f4i #fg #ch ,september #cj #ah #dh #f4c #aj4a #g4d #fb #ch ,october #bh #ae #dc #e4i #h4d #f4e #fe #ce ,november #cb #ag #di #f4g #i4f #g4d #fe #ce ,december #da #ac #ed #h4e #g4c #h4b #gf #bd ---- --- --- ---- --- --- -- -- ,total #dgh #agh #fef #ajj4 #ajj4 #ajj4 #gc #bg ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- 8,the last two columns in the above account shew more precisely the proportion of female to male suicides in each month4 8,the following statement shews the number of times1 during the twenty-five years1 that no suicide was committed during each month3-- ,february 44 ,not once4 ,january ,march ,once4 ,june ,july ,twice4 ,may ,three ,august times4 ,december ,april ,four times4 ,october ,september ,five times4 ,november 8,from ,no4 #b it appears that the average annual number of suicides in ,westminster has been increasing in each quinquennial period2 but ,no4 #c shews that it has actually decreased with reference to the increase which has taken place in the population4 ,no4 #b4 ,a ,statement of the ,average ,annual ,number of ,suicides1 ,male and ,female1 in each ,quinquennial ,period2 also1 the proportion per cent4 which the two ,sexes bore to each other in each period4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ ,periods of ,years4 ,average ,annual ,number4,proportion of each ,sex4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ ,male4 ,female4 ,total4 ,male4 ,female4 #ahab to #ahaf #ah4b #g4f #be4h #gj #cj #ahag ---- #ahba #ae4j #e4b #bj4b #gd #bf #ahbb ---- #ahbf #af4d #g4d #bc4h #fi #ca #ahbg ---- #ahca #bb4j #g4h #bi4h #gh #bb #ahcb ---- #ahcf #bd4j #g4i #ca4i #gf #bd ---------------------------------------- ------ ,average of ,total #ai4a #g4a #bf4c #gc #bg ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ ,no4 #c4 ,a ,statement of the ,population of the ,city and ,liberty of ,westminster1 according to each census1 and the proportion which the number of ,suicides in the ,quinquennial ,period immediately following each census bore to the population4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ,proportion ,dates of,population4 ,suicides4 of ,suicides ,census4 to the ,population4 ,one in ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ,quinquennial ,average ,periods4 ,annual ,number4 #ahaa #afj1hja #ahab to #ahaf #be4h #f1bcb #ahba #aha1ddd #ahbb -- #ahbf #bc4h #g1fbc #ahca #bja1fjd #ahcb -- #ahcf #ca4f #f1cgi ---------------------------------------- ------------------- ,average #aha1bhc 44 #bg4jf #f1gdd ---------------------------------------- --------------------------- 8,it must1 however1 be taken into consideration that suicides committed in ,westminster may not belong to the population of the district1 for that the proximity of the river1 and other causes existing in ,westminster1 may attract persons residing in other parts of the town4 ,hence an increase or decrease of facilities for committing suicide in the surrounding districts1 such as the formation of a canal1 c41 will naturally affect the number of such deaths in ,westminster40#gg ,it has been clearly established that suicide is less frequent among women than men4 ,in early life1 death by hanging is preferred2 in middle life1 firearms are had recourse to2 and in more advanced years1 strangulation again becomes the fashionable mode of terminating life4 ,years of ,age4 ,pistol4 ,hanging4 ,between #aj and #bjgh #fa #fh #bh -- #cj #bhc #ea #di -- #ej #ahb #id #fj -- #gj #aej #ahh #hj -- #ij #afa #bef ,in an analysis of #ebe cases of suicide in ,prussia1 the following was the result3-- ,hanging #bcd ,shooting #afc ,drowning #fj ,cutting throat #ag ,stabbing #bj ,jumping out of window #ai ,poison #aj ,opening artery #b --- #ebe ,marriage is to a certain extent a preventive of suicide2 it has been satisfactorily established that among the men two-thirds who destroy themselves are bachelors4 ,in ,m4 ,a4 ,guerry's able 8,essai sur la ,statisque ,morale de la ,france10 published in #ahcc1 we find some valuable statistical facts relating to suicide in ,france4 ,it appears on evidence of the most authentic description1 that1 from the year #ahbg to that of #ahcj1 there were committed throughout ,france no less than #fijj suicides6 that is to say1 an average of nearly #ahjj per annum6 ,it should1 however1 be remembered1 that this calculation is founded only upon judicial documents1 in which are included merely those cases of suicide in which death has followed1 or in which legal proceedings were taken2 so that it is not improbable that many more attempts were made to perpetrate this crime of which the public is quite ignorant4 ,taking up this fact1 let us consider that the number of crimes against the person amounts yearly in ,france to #aijj4 ,now1 it appears that more than #fjj of these crimes consist of attempts on the lives of others2 so that the conclusion cannot be resisted1 that every time an individual in ,france meets with a violent death1 in any other way but by accident or mere homicide1 there are three chances to one that he has committed suicide4 ,m4 ,guerry makes a transition to the geographical position of this crime throughout the several arbitrary divisions1 and he finds the state of the case to be as follows3-- ,out of every hundred suicides which take place on the average every year1 there are committed in the ,suicides4 ,northern division #ea ,southern -- #aa ,eastern -- #af ,western -- #ac ,central -- #i ,another view of the proportion of suicides in ,france is1 that which takes place in the number of them1 as compared with the amount of the population4 ,it is as follows3-- ,suicides in proportion to ,population4 ,northern division #a in #i1hec ,eastern -- #a in #ba1gcd ,central -- #a in #bg1cic ,western -- #a in #cj1dii ,southern -- #a in #cj1hgf ,it is proper to bear in mind1 that in the single department of the ,seine1 there are perpetrated every year nearly the sixth part of the whole number of suicides which take place in all the eighty-six departments of ,france4 ,it is said1 however1 that the greater portion of those persons who commit suicide in this department are altogether strangers to the capital4 ,we come1 then1 to this conclusion1 that of the thousand individuals who are guilty of the crime of suicide1 no less than five hundred and five take place in the department of the north2 one hundred and sixty-eight occur in the southern division2 sixty-five in the western2 and fifty-two in the central2 a distribution which shews that there is1 if not the same proportion1 certainly the same order1 as the distribution of suicides in the five divisions in respect of the amount of population4 ,in the explanation which is appended to the table just alluded to1 the author shews1 that of the suicides committed in the department of the ,seine1 where they are most numerous1 there appears to be one suicide for every #c1fjj the inhabitants2 whilst in the department of the ,haute ,soire1 where the crime is less frequent1 this proportion does not amount to more than one in #afc1jjj inhabitants4 ,a singularly curious inference is to be drawn from the consideration of the facts presented in another of ,m4 ,guerry's graphic illustrations--viz41 that which arises from the circumstance1 that from whatever confine of ,france an inquirer proceeds to the capital1 he will find1 as he approaches it1 that the number of suicides increases by a regular gradation2 so that in those departments which are near the ,seine and ,maine1 the traveller will discover that more suicides have been committed than in those more remote from the metropolis1 such as the departments of the ,lower ,seine1 of ,aube and ,soiret4 ,the same observation applies as forcibly to ,marseilles1 which is in some measure to be considered the capital of certain departments in the south of ,france4 ,the more these districts are in the vicinity of ,marseilles1 the greater the amount is there of suicides as compared with the number of the population4 ,a curious fact has been elicited in the examination of the ,french registers of crime1 from which it appears that those divisions of the kingdom of ,france in which the most frequent attempts have been made to commit murder are those divisions exactly where the crime of suicide is most rare2 and it has been further proved that precisely the reverse of this law takes place in other departments2 namely1 that where suicides are numerous in proportion to the population1 there the number of murders committed by individuals on others is considerably diminished4 ,one peculiarity is mentioned by ,m4 ,guerry as being connected with cases of suicide1 which is1 that we are much oftener enlightened as to the cause of it than we are upon the motives of most other crimes1 and that it is rarely the case that any person sets about the crime of self-destruction without leaving in writing1 or in some other way1 the expression of his last wishes1 together with an explanation of the causes of the rash act1 which he most generally seeks to justify4 ,holcroft1 in speaking of the number of suicides in ,paris1 observes1 8,i am not well informed on the subject1 but ,i doubt if as many suicides be committed through all ,great ,britain in a year1 as in ,paris alone in a month4 ,it is the practice of the ,french police to stifle inquiry and conceal facts1 whenever they are of a disagreeable nature2 for they tax its omnipotence1 to something little short of which it pretends3 all things are under its protection2 its eye is everywhere2 the assaulted cannot sink2 the culprit cannot escape2 its guardian arm is stretched out so effectually to save that none are in danger4 ,such are its high claims and the daily assertion it repeats2 they are the necessary results of despotism1 which1 ever on the alarm1 will in everything interfere4 8,the ,parisians are in general themselves so ignorant that the things which they see produce only a momentary impression2 none but men of superior minds collect facts and deduce consequences2 the rest discern with great quickness1 but they forget with greater2 and it is chiefly from this forgetfulness that their gaiety of heart is derived4 8,in ,england1 misfortunes1 so far from being concealed1 are sought after with eagerness by people who are paid for the bad news they bring1 and by whom it is sometimes greatly exaggerated4 ,if the tale do not astonish1 it is scarcely worthy to be reported in our newspapers1 and the tales in these newspapers circulate through ,europe4 ,this is a benefit when truth is not falsified4 8,of the suicides which are daily happening in ,france1 ,i1 who read the daily journals1 saw only two noticed2 and these ,i was surprised to see4 ,one was an officer in the army who pistolled himself at the public office of the war minister2 and the other a poor wretch who1 at the moment before he threw himself from the upper story of one of the high houses in ,paris1 called out in mercy to the passengers1 ,garde l'eau6 the phrase used by the ,parisians when they throw water out of a window4 ,i was told of another suicide of the same kind1 and with the same humane caution1 while ,i was at ,paris4 8,i likewise saw the body of a man borne through the streets1 who1 after having breakfasted at a hut in les ,champs ,elyses1 put an end to his existence4 ,before doing so1 he told the people that he had been a subaltern officer of a regiment then reduced2 and that all means of procuring a livelihood was lost4 8,nine conscripts who had for a time concealed themselves1 but who were at last discovered1 being determined not to serve1 encouraged each other rather to die1 and voluntarily ended life by drowning themselves together4 8,i was passing le ,pont des ,tuileries after dark1 and saw a man surrounded by other men4 ,they had deterred him on the bridge from jumping over2 but they could not prevail on him to tell his name1 or to go home4 ,he appeared to be determined in his purpose2 the only resource they had was1 at last1 to commit him to the guard2 but unless his state of mind could be altered1 safety like this was but merely temporary4 8,another evening1 on the same bridge1 and about the same hour1 a woman1 standing near the centre parapet1 attracted my attention by her look1 and manner in which she seemed to be examining the river4 ,i stopped2 she desisted1 but did not remove4 ,i was uncertain what her intentions might be1 and she appeared to shun notice4 ,two other passengers1 guessing my doubts1 halted2 but either their fears were not so strong as mine1 or their patience was less2 they stood a few minutes and left4 ,i felt as if ,i did not dare to go1 yet could not decide how to act1 from the fear of doing wrong4 ,at length the woman moved towards the end of the bridge1 and ,i was obliged to leave her to her fate4 ,i was not certain her intentions were ill2 to have charged her with such might deeply have insulted her4 ,i walked home1 however1 in a most dissatisfied state of mind2 at one minute1 proving to myself ,i could not act otherwise1 and at another1 making self-accusations for having deserted the duties of humanity4 8,the number of suicides that really happen in ,paris must exceed1 no man can say how much1 those that are actually known4 ,the bodies exposed at ,la ,morgue are most of them brought from ,st4 ,cloud2 the distance to which by water must be above three1 perhaps four miles4 ,at the bridge of ,st4 ,cloud the fishermen nightly spread their nets2 and in the morning1 with the fish1 these bodies are drawn up2 but as an old inhabitant of ,st4 ,cloud1 whom ,i strictly questioned on the subject1 assured me the nets were only suffered to be down a stated number of hours1 according to the season1 certainly not upon an average half a day2 and in proof of what he said1 he observed to me that this regulation must take place1 or the navigation of the river would be impeded4 ,hence1 by the most moderate calculation1 the number of bodies that escape the nets must at least equal the number of those that are caught4 8,i was told that the government had lately refused the accustomed fee to the fishermen for each corpse they brought1 and that they would not continue to drag up the dead bodies1 affirming that the money they had before received was insufficient to pay the damage their nets had sustained40 ,the following statistical facts with reference to suicide in ,geneva may be relied upon3-- ,by the laws of the canton1 each case of violent death is investigated by a police magistrate1 and the documents are sent to the 8,procureur-,generale10 and carefully preserved4 ,m4 ,prevost has examined these documents1 collected between #ahbe and #ahcd inclusively1 with a view to investigating the causes of suicide1 and of diminishing them if possible4 ,the following are the most important results3-- #a4--;,age4 ,ages4 ,no4 of ,cases in #aj years4 ,men4 ,women4 ,from #ej to #fj #cd #be #i #bj to #cj #cj #bb #h #fj to #gj #ai #aj #i #cj to #dj #ah #ae #c #dj to #ej #ae #ac #b #gj to #hj #i #f #c #aj to #bj #e #c #b #hj to #ij #c #a #b ,from this table it appears that suicides are most frequent between #ej and #fj years of age4 ,the age when the passions are the strongest 7from #bj to #cj7 is1 as might be expected1 high in the scale2 that of youth and old age low1 from the young being strangers to the cares of life1 and the old few in number when compared with the population4 #b4--,sex1 and ,state of ,marriage or ,celibacy4 ,there are more suicides among men than women1 in the proportion of #ie to #ch1 or about three to one2 and more unmarried than married1 or in the state of widowhood1 in the proportion of #gj to #fc1 or about seven to six4 ,notwithstanding this1 the female suicides are more numerous among the married and widows than among the unmarried1 in the proportion of #ba to #ag4 ,but among men the proportions are reversed1--that is1 #db to #ec2 so that1 on the whole1 suicides are more frequent among the unmarried than amongst those who are or have been married4 ,this will not surprise those who know the energy1 courage1 and patience of women under misfortune2 men more readily give way to despair1 and to vices consequent upon it4 ,men also have means of destruction1 as firearms1 c41 more readily at hand4 #c4--,occupations4 ,the number of suicides are in proportion to the number of the individuals engaged in various trades1 except among the agricultural population1 where the proportion is very small4 ,thus the agricultural population of the canton is #ah1jjj1 among whom1 during ten years1 there have been but ten suicides2 whereas1 if they had been in the same proportion to the whole number as was found in other occupations1 they would have amounted to thirty-nine4 ,constant occupation and hard yet healthy work render them less sensible to the cares of life4 ,there is also a somewhat larger proportion of suicides among the educated classes1 who are engaged in literary pursuits or the higher branches of commerce4 #d4--,religion4 ,the relative proportion of ,protestants to ,catholics in the canton of ,geneva is1 according to the census of #ahcd1 as #gg to #ef4 ,thus-- ,of #acc inhabitants there are1 ,protestants #gg ,catholics #ef --- #acc ,of #acc cases of suicide there are1 ,protestants #ajg ,catholics #bf --- #acc ,this result should attract the attention of those who are interested in the moral and religious education of ,protestants4 #e4--,means of ,destruction4 ,drowning #ee ,firearms #ca ,strangulation #ah ,voluntary falls #ae ,cutting instruments #g ,poison #g --- #acc ,in a small province1 with a lake and two rapid rivers1 it is not surprising that drowning should be the most frequent mode of suicide2 next to this is death by firearms1 which is accounted for by all the men having firearms1 as they are in the militia4 ,whilst the men have used firearms and cutting instruments1 the women have almost alone had recourse to poisons and voluntary falls4 #f4--,seasons4 ,the seasons sensibly influence the number of suicides4 ,there are more almost constantly in ,april4 ,of #acc suicides there were in-- ,april #ai ,june #ag ,august #ag ,july #ae ,october #ad ,may #ac ,march #aj ,november #i ,september #f ,january #e ,february #e ,december #c ,the spring appears to have an unfavourable effect2 and during the great heats1 there are more suicides than during the cold weather4 ,it is curious that many suicides happened on the same day or week4 ,thus1 on ,april #ith1 #ahcj1 there were two suicides1 and several others on the previous and subsequent days2 on the #bjth of ,may1 #ahcj1 there were two suicides2 on the #bhth and #bith of ,march1 #ahca1 two2 and the same on the #crd and #dth of ,july of the same year4 ,on the #bjth of ,april1 #ahcc1 there were two2 and on the #eth of ,july1 #ahcc1 two others4 ,some atmospheric changes may account for this1 though meteorological tables did not satisfactorily explain them4 #g4--,presumed ,motives4 ,physical disease #cd ,insanity #bd ,losses of property #ai ,domestic grief #ae ,melancholy without known cause #ac ,bad conduct4 ,drunkenness #aj ,fear of punishment4 ,remorse #f ,disappointment in love #f ,gambling #d ,mysterious #b #h4--,relation of ,suicides to ,population and to ,deaths4 ,the number of suicides is to the whole number of deaths as #a to #ij-a_/h2 and to the whole population as #a to #cihe2 the mean population of the canton during the last ten years being #ec1jjj-- ,in #ahbe #f ,suicides4 #ahbf #f 0 #ahbg #i 0 #ahbh #ac 0 #ahbi #ac 0 #ahcj #af 0 #ahca #ah 0 #ahcb #ab 0 #ahcc #bd 0 #ahcd #af 0 --- #acc ,from this table it appears that the number of suicides has gradually increased from six as high as twenty-four in eight years4 ,the last year1 it decreased to sixteen2 and it is fervently hoped that this deduction may be maintained1 and that the increase may not be so frightfully rapid as it appears to have been4 ,it must1 however1 be taken into account1 that the population was1 in #ahbb1 #ea1aac1 and in #ahcd1 #ef1fee4 ,the police also are more active1 and inquests are held more regularly4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,appearances ,,presented ,,after ,,death ,,in ,,those ,,who ,,have ,,committed ,,suicide4 ,thickness of cranium--,state of membranes and vessels of brain--,osseous excrescences--,appearances discovered in one thousand three hundred and thirty-three cases--,lesions of the lungs1 heart1 stomach1 and intestines--,effect of long-continued indigestion4 ,as in cases of insanity1 the morbid appearances discovered in the bodies of suicides are varied and contradictory4 ,nothing has yet been detected which can lead the pathologist to a correct conclusion as to the nature of the organic change which precedes and accompanies the suicidal mania4 ,the cranium has in many cases been found preternaturally thick1 and in others the reverse4 ,greeding and ,gall give their testimony in favour of the skull's thickness4 ,out of #baf examined1 a preternatural thickness of cranium was found in #afg4 ,out of #ajj who died of furious mania1 #gh had the skull thick1 and #bj very thin4 ,out of #cj fatuous patients1 #ba had thick crania1 and six thin4 ,the thickness of the cranial bones in melancholy and maniacal patients1 and in old people1 was supposed by ,dr4 ,gall to be connected with diminished size of the brain1 to which the inner table of the cranial bone accommodated itself2 and together with this thickness1 he considered there was also thickness of the membranes1 and ossification of the blood-vessels4 ,malformations of the cranium are often detected4 ,osiander relates the case of an old man who had suffered for a considerable time from dreadful headache1 and who1 weary of life1 hanged himself4 ,on examining the head1 small osseous excrescences were found near the carotid foramen4 ,lancisi refers to a case of hypochondriasis and suicide1 in which1 after death1 a sharp long excrescence was found near the apex of the lambdoid suture4 ,from an examination of the particulars of #accc cases of persons who have committed suicide1 and who have been examined after death1 the following analysis is made4 ,the particulars of the cases referred to are recorded in the works of ,pinel1 ,esquirol1 ,falret1 ,foder1 ,arntzenius1 ,schlegel1 ,burrows1 ,haslam1 c4 ,thickness of cranium #aej ,no apparent structural change #ajj ,bony excrescences #ej ,tumours in brain #aj ,simple congestion #cjj ,disease of membranes #agj ,disease of lungs #ajj ,softening of brain #ajj ,appearances of inflammation in brain #ij ,disease of stomach #ajj ,disease of intestines #ej ,disease of liver #hj ,suppressed natural secretions #ae ,disease of heart #aj ,syphilitic disease #h ---- #accc ,accretions of the membranes of the brain are often found in suicides4 ,the dura mater is often ossified1 and the pia mater inflamed1 and the arachnoid thickened4 ,osiander considers congestion of the vessels of the brain a frequent cause of suicide4 ,auenbrugger refers to the case of a man who had suffered for a long duration severe headache1 and who committed suicide4 ,after death1 a fissure was found in the middle of the pons varolii4 ,lesions of the lungs are among the common morbid appearances in the bodies of lunatics4 ,esquirol states that one fourth of the melancholic die of consumption4 ,the heart is sometimes found seriously disorganized4 ,the stomach1 liver1 and intestines1 are the most frequent seats of morbid phenomena in these cases4 ,it is difficult1 however1 to say whether they ought to be considered as the effect or cause of the suicidal disposition4 ,in many cases of gastric disease1 the brain is also found organically affected4 ,how is it possible for us to say which organ was primarily affected8 ,the stomach1 intestines1 and liver1 may be originally the seat of the irritation1 and the brain may be sympathetically deranged4 ,this is often the case4 ,again1 the patient may have laboured under a severe mental ailment1 which may give rise to disease of the splanchnic viscera4 ,severe and long-continued indigestion1 from whatever cause it may originate1 will1 in certain dispositions1 produce the suicidal mania4 ,very few cases are examined in which we are not able to detect some disease of the gastric organ or its appendages4 ,it is not our wish to throw discredit on1 or to underrate the value of1 morbid anatomy2 but1 with reference to the peculiar branch of inquiry now under investigation1 we must confess that very little practical importance can be attached to the structural lesions which the industry and scalpel of the anatomists have enabled them to discover in the bodies of those who have committed suicide4 ,the morbid appearances are so varied and capricious that they cannot lead to a sound conclusion as to the exact seat of the disease4 ,in many cases1 the brain is apparently free from structural derangement2 and yet1 reasoning physiologically1 we must believe that in every case the sentient organ must be affected1 either primarily or secondarily4 ,there are many instances in which there cannot be a doubt but that the cerebral organ is the seat of the disease1 but in which1 after death1 no vestige of the malady can be discovered6 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,singular ,,cases ,,of ,,suicide4 ,introduction--,contempt of death--,eustace ,budgel--,m4 de ,boissy and his wife--,mutual suicides from disappointed love--,suicide from mortification--,mutual suicide from poverty--,a ,french lady while out shooting--,a fisherman after praying--,determination to commit if not cured--,extraordinary case of suicide after seduction--,madame ,c4 from remorse--,m4 de ,pontalba after trying to murder his daughter-in-law--,young lady in a pet--,sir ,george ,dunbar--,james ,sutherland while ,george ,,iii4 was passing--,lancet given by a wife to her husband to kill himself--,servant girl--,curious verses by a suicide--,robber on being recognised--,a man who ordered a candle to be made of his fat--,after gaming--,writing whilst dying--,from misfortune just at a moment of relief--,curious papers written by a suicide--,by heating a barrel in the fire--,by tearing out the brains--,sisters by the injunction of their eldest sister--,mutual from poverty--,girl from a dream--,three servants in one pond--,indifference as to mode--,by starvation--,a man forty-five days without eating--,mutual of two boys after dining at a restaurateur's--,by putting head under the ice--,by a pair of spectacles--,by jumping amongst the bears--,young lady from gambling--,verses by a suicide--,to obtain salvation--,a lover after accidentally shooting his mistress--,mutual attempt at suicide--,m4 ,kleist and ,madame ,vogle--,richard ,smith and wife--,love and suicide--,bishop of ,grenoble--,suicide in a pail of water--,mutual of two soldiers--,lord ,scarborough--,a man who advertised to kill himself for benefit of family--,the case of ,creech1 and the romantic history of ,madame de ,monier--,suicide of ,m4 ----1 after threatening to kill his brother--,two young men--,two lovers--,homicide and suicide from jealousy--,cure of penchant for--,attempt to1 prevented--,man in a belfry--,attempt at--,the extraordinary case of ,lovat by crucifixion4 ,in the preceding chapters we have detailed the history of many remarkable cases of self-destruction4 ,it is melancholy to consider that the principle of life with which ,god has endowed us for high and noble purposes should have been sacrificed with that apparent coolness and self-possession which was manifested in many of the instances recorded in this work4 8,how we abuse that article our life6 ,some people pluck it ,out with a knife2 some blow it up with powder2 others duck it2-- ,one thing is sure1 and ,horace ,has already said it for us1-- ,sooner or later1 all must kick the inevitable bucket40 ,a gladiatorial contempt of death is becoming one of the most alarming features of the time2 in this respect we appear ambitious to imitate the conduct of the ,french sophists1 and seek1 in acts of desperation1 a notoriety that nothing else can give us4 ,in investigating1 as we have endeavoured to do1 the motives that have led to this heinous offence1 we have in many cases been unsuccessful in tracing the act to any definite principle4 ,either no reasons have been assigned or the accounts of the cases transmitted to us have been imperfect4 ,these individuals stand apart from the rest of the world1 and exhibit an anomaly in the last act of life totally irreconcilable to all acknowledged principles of reason and human action4 ,eccentric in their lives1 they have been desirous of manifesting the ruling passion strong in death4 ,this mental idiosyncracy may be1 and no doubt often is1 the result of original constitution1 aided in its development by the moral atmosphere in which the person is placed1 as well as by education and other circumstances which are known to influence the formation of the mind and character4 ,the singular facts adduced in this chapter are only brought forward as evidence of that anomalous condition of the mind referred to which leads to suicide2 at the same time the instances will afford to the metaphysician valuable materials to assist him in his investigations into the philosophy of the human understanding4 ,some of the cases related1 of course1 admit of elucidation1 but the majority will be found to puzzle the ingenuity even of those who pride themselves on their capacity of understanding what is beyond the ken of ordinary mortals4 ,eustace ,budgel was a man of much literary fame at the beginning of the last century1 the relation and friend of ,addison1 and a distinguished writer in the periodical publications of that day4 ,he was born to a good fortune1 and held a considerable place under government whilst ,addison lived1 who kept him in some order as to his political character4 ,but having lost all court favour after ,addison's decease1 and being a man of great expense and vanity1 having also sunk a large sum of money in the ,south ,sea scheme1 and having involved himself in a number of fruitless litigations1 he became highly distressed in his circumstances4 ,this1 added to the chagrin of disappointed ambition and to other matters1 determined him to make away with himself4 ,he had always thought but lightly of revelation1 and after ,addison's death became an avowed free-thinker1 which laxity of principle strongly concurred in disposing him to adopt this fatal resolution4 ,accordingly1 after having been visibly agitated and almost distracted for several days1 he took a boat1 and ordered the waterman to go through ,london bridge4 ,while the boat was under the bridge1 ,budgel threw himself overboard1 having had the previous caution to fill his pockets with stones4 ,this happened in the year #agcg4 ,it was said to have been ,budgel's opinion1 8that when life becomes uneasy to support1 and is overwhelmed with clouds and sorrows1 man has a natural right to deprive himself of it1 as it is better not to live than to live in pain40 ,a man of unsettled principles easily persuades himself into the notion of suicide when he is actually suffering from some violence of his passions1 even though he had not imbibed it before4 ,for whenever the passions attempt to reason1 it is only on the delusive suggestions of their own perturbed feelings4 ,the morning before ,budgel carried his deadly intentions into execution1 he endeavoured to persuade his daughter to accompany him in his death4 ,his only argument to her was1 that her life was not worth holding2 but she thought otherwise1 and refused to concur in the sacrifice4 ,a slip of paper was left on his writing-table1 containing these few words1 as an apology for his rash act3-- 8,what ,cato did and ,addison approved ,cannot be wrong40 ,monsieur de ,boissy1 a ,french dramatic writer and satirist1 being reduced to great indigence1 resolved to commit suicide4 ,as he considered this action in no other light than as a friendly relief from further misery1 he not only persuaded his wife to bear him company1 but prevailed on her not to leave their child of five years old behind them1 to the mercy of that world in which they had experienced so little sympathy and happiness4 ,nothing now remained but to fix on the mode of their death4 ,they at length agreed to starve themselves4 ,this not only seemed to them the most natural consequence of their condition1 but also saved them from committing a violence either on their child1 themselves1 or each other1 of which perhaps neither ,boissy nor his wife found themselves capable4 ,they determined therefore to wait with unshaken constancy the arrival of death under the meagre form of famine2 and accordingly they shut themselves up in the solitude of their apartment1 where1 on account of their distresses1 they had little reason to dread the interruption of company4 ,they began1 and resolutely persisted in their plan of starving themselves to death with their child4 ,if any one called by chance at their apartment1 they found it locked1 and receiving no answer1 it was concluded that nobody was at home4 ,a friend1 however1 from that kind of instinct perhaps with which the spirit of friendship abounds1 began to apprehend that something must be much amiss with ,boissy1 as he could neither find him at home1 nor get intelligence concerning him4 ,under much anxiety he returned once more to his apartment2 and1 whether from hearing any groans from within1 or suspecting something was wrong1 he ventured to break open the door4 ,boissy and his wife had been so much in earnest1 that it was now three days since they had taken any sustenance1 and they were so far on their way to their intended home1 that they were in sight1 as it were1 of the gates of death4 ,the friend1 entering into the room where this scene of death was going forward1 found the miserable pair in such a situation as to be insensible of his intrusion4 ,boissy and his wife had no eyes but for each other1 and were not sitting in1 but rather supported from falling on the ground by two chairs set opposite to each other4 ,their hands were locked together1 and in their ghastly looks was painted a kind of rueful compassion for their child1 which hung at the mother's knee1 and seemed as if looking up to her for nourishment1 in its natural tenaciousness of life4 ,this group of wretchedness did not less shock than afflict his friend4 ,but soon collecting from circumstances what it must mean1 his first care was not to expostulate with ,boissy or his wife1 but to engage them to receive his succours1 in which he found no small difficulty4 ,their resolution had been taken in earnest4 ,they had got over the worst1 and were in sight of their port4 ,their friend1 however1 took the right way of reconciling them to live by making the child join in the intercession4 ,the child1 who could have none of the prejudices or reasons they might have for not retracting1 held up his little hands1 and in concert with him entreated his parents to consent to live4 ,nature did not plead in vain4 ,they were gradually restored to life1 and provided with everything that could make them in good humour with its return4 ,euphrosine ,lemoine was the daughter of a bourgeoise of the ,faubourg ,st4 ,antoine4 ,she loved1 and had admitted to secret interviews1 a young cabinetmaker of the neighbourhood4 ,her parents1 however1 had long intended her to marry ,mr4 ,b----1 a man of some property4 ,she reluctantly consented--pronounced the 8fatal yes20 and the young man prudently left ,paris for some years4 ,in #ahcf he yielded to the desire of once more seeing her he had loved4 ,they met1 and the husband was dishonoured4 ,this was followed by an elopement2 but the husband1 who still loved his wife in spite of her crimes1 discovered their retreat1 and by the intervention of friends and of the police a reconciliation was effected--in vain4 ,they again eloped1 but only to perish together2 and they were found dead1 eight days after1 locked in each other's arms1 in a miserable apartment they had hired for the purpose4 ,before the suicide1 one of them had sketched with coal on the wall of their retreat two flaming hearts1 and beneath1 this inscription--8,we have sworn eternal love1 and death1 terrible death1 shall find us united40 ,a boatman discovered in the ,seine a mass which the stream seemed to roll along with difficulty2 he found it was two bodies1 a young woman about twenty1 tastefully dressed1 and a young man in the uniform of the eighth hussars4 ,the left hand and foot of one victim were laid to the right hand and foot of the other4 ,a bit of paper1 carefully wrapped up in parchment to preserve it from the water1 told their names and motives3-- 8,o you1 whoever you may be1 compassionate souls1 who shall find these two bodies united1 know that we loved each other with the most ardent affection1 and that we have perished together1 that we may be eternally united4 ,know1 compassionate souls1 that our last desire is1 that you should place us1 united as we are1 in the same grave4 ,man should not separate those whom death has joined4 7,signed71 8,,florine4 ,,goyon40 ,some years ago1 a light was observed in the church of ,rueil4 ,this singular appearance occasioned a search2 on the approach of the authorities the light was extinguished1 but a woman's stays were found on the pavement4 ,the beadle of the church was met1 apparently much agitated4 ,on a further search1 the proprietress of the stays was found concealed in a press under the draps mortuaires1 7the parish pall47 ,the unhappy man1 on the detection of this profanation1 drowned himself4 ,m4 ,malglaive1 a half-pay officer1 lately employed in a public office1 had suffered some unexpected pecuniary losses4 ,one of his friends received a note from him by the twopenny post1 requesting him to call at his lodgings1 where he would find a packet addressed to him4 ,on proceeding there1 and opening the packet1 he found a letter in these words3-- 8,when you shall have received this letter1 my poor ,eleanore and ,i will be no more4 ,be so good as to have our door opened2 you will find our eyes closed for ever4 ,we are weary of misfortunes1 and don't see how we can do better than end them4 ,satisfied of the courage and attachment of my excellent wife1 ,i was certain that she would adopt my views1 and take her share in my design40 ,these young people 7for the husband was but thirty-four and the wife twenty-eight7 had taken the most minute precautions to render the effect of the fumes of charcoal certain2 but a brace of loaded pistols was placed on the night table1 to be used if the charcoal had failed4 ,madame de ,f---- killed herself in the park of her chateau1 with her own fowling-piece1 which she took out on pretence of going shooting1 as she was in the habit of doing4 ,she loaded it with six balls1 and placing the muzzle to her breast1 discharged it4 ,the only cause assigned is the vexation she and ,m4 de ,f---- felt at her having no children to inherit their large fortune4 ,a fisherman with a large family1 residing at ,vellon d',auffes1 near ,marseilles1 had been driven by domestic trouble to form a design of suicide1 which he had long announced4 ,one ,sunday he climbed a high rock in the neighbourhood1 where1 in the sight of his friends below1 with a crucifix in his hands1 he was evidently saying his last prayer1 preparatory to suicide4 ,one of the neighbours1 guessing his intentions1 reached the spot suddenly1 and seized him2 a struggle ensued on the edge of the precipice2 the unhappy man prevailed1 and1 escaping from the arms of his friendly antagonist1 flung himself over4 ,voltaire relates the particulars of the following singular case3--,an ,englishman of the name of ,bacon ,morris1 a half-pay officer1 and a man of much intellect1 called on ,voltaire at ,paris4 ,the man was afflicted with a cruel malady1 for which he was led to suppose there was no cure4 ,after a certain number of visits1 he one day called on the philosopher1 with a purse and a couple of papers in his hand4 8,one of these papers10 he said1 addressing ,voltaire1 8contains my will1 the other my epitaph2 and this bag of money is intended to defray the expenses of my funeral4 ,i am resolved to try for fifteen days what can be effected by regimen and the remedies prescribed1 in order to render life less insupportable2 and if ,i succeed not1 ,i am determined to kill myself4 ,you will bury me in what manner you please2 my epitaph is short40 ,he then read it2 it consisted of the following two words from ,petronius1 8,valete1 cur0--8,farewell1 care40 8,fortunately10 says ,voltaire1 8for him and myself1 who loved him1 he was cured1 and did not kill himself40 ,two young people--,auguste1 aged twenty-six1 and ,henriette1 aged eighteen--had long loved each other1 but the parents of the girl would not consent to the match4 ,in this difficulty the young man wrote to ,henriette3-- 8,men are inexorable4 ,well1 let us set them at defiance4 ,god is all-powerful2 our marriage shall be celebrated in his presence2 and to-morrow1 if you love me1 we will write1 in our blood1 at the foot of the cross1 our marriage vow40 ,this proposition turned the weak girl's head1 and she consented4 ,they proceeded one night to a field near ,st4 ,denis1 where there was a cross4 ,on their way they made incisions in both their arms1 to procure the blood in which the following acte de mariage was written3-- 8,o great ,god1 who governs the destinies of mankind1 take us under thy holy protection6 ,as man will not unite us1 we come on our knees to implore thy sanction to our indissoluble union4 ,o ,god1 take pity on two of thy poor children6 ,assemble all thy heavenly choir1 that on so happy a day they may partake our transports1 and be witnesses of the holy joy that shines in our hearts4 ,o ,god6 ,o ye angels of heaven and saints of ,paradise6 look down upon a happiness which even the blessed may envy4 8,and you1 shades of our parents1 come to this affecting ceremony1 come and give us your approbation and your blessing4 ,it is in the presence of you all that we1 ,pierre ,auguste and ,marie ,henriette1 swear to belong to each other1 and to each other only1 and to be faithful to each other to the hour of dissolution4 ,yes1 we swear it--we swear it with one voice4 ,you are our witnesses1 and we are united for life and for death4 7,signed in letters of blood71 8,,pierre ,,auguste4 8,,marie ,,henriette40 ,the very day after this visionary marriage it was dissolved by the suicide of the unfortunate ,henriette4 ,the moment her fault had become irreparable1 her betrayer abandoned her1 and the poor creature threw herself into the ,seine4 ,on the body was found the foregoing singular acte de mariage1 to which she had subjoined1 with a feeble hand1 the following note3-- 8,he has dishonoured me--the monster6 ,he deceived me by pretences which went to my heart2 but it is he who is to be pitied--wretch that he is60 ,a young woman1 of a highly honourable commercial family1 put an end to herself1 overwhelmed with the idea of having forfeited the esteem of her husband4 ,rosalie had from her youth been destined to be the wife of ,m4 ,c----1 a gentleman of her own station in life4 ,their union1 though not distinguished by any transports of love1 was soberly and rationally happy1 and they had two children4 ,unfortunately1 ,madame ,c---- was obliged by affairs of business to go into the country while her husband remained in ,paris4 ,during this absence1 she appears to have formed a guilty passion1 7the circumstances of which have not been revealed27 but on her return home1 the remorse of her conscience so preyed upon her spirits as to be at last unsupportable1 and1 after a long and painful struggle1 she resolved upon suicide4 ,just before the fatal act1 she wrote a long letter to her sister1 of which we can only spare room for the most striking passages3-- 8,i have resolved to terminate my existence to-day2 but ,i have not had1 during the whole morning1 resolution to leave my poor little children1 who are unconscious of their mother's agony4444 ,forgive1 my dear sister1 the grief that my death is about to cause you4 ,if my excellent husband has offended you1 forgive him4444 ,if ,i had appreciated his worth1 ,i should not be the wretch ,i am3 my negligence towards him began my misfortune1 but ,i had nothing to reproach myself with till my fatal journey to ,sarcelles--that journey was my ruin6444 ,if ,i had your virtues1 ,i should have been the happiest of women2 but ,i allowed myself to be bewildered by a sentiment which ,i had not before known1 and in my culpable frenzy ,i was guilty before ,i intended it4 ,o1 my ,god6 may my repentance be accepted1 and may thy goodness inspire my husband with a peculiar1 an exalted degree of parental affection for those unhappy and innocent children4 ,protect them1 ,o1 my ,god1 and grant that they may not curse the memory of their unhappy mother1 who was guilty without intending it4 8,and you1 ,o my dearest ,louis1 forgive your wretched wife1 who offers you this her last farewell40 ,one may judge the consternation which this affecting letter spread in the family4 ,the sister1 on receiving this letter1 hastened with ,dr4 ,bouillet to ,mr4 ,c---- 's house3 it was too late--they found the poor woman in the last agonies of death1 whilst her little children were playing about the adjoining room1 indulging in the sports of their age4 ,m4 de ,pontalba was one of the great proprietors of ,france4 ,his son had been a page of ,napoleon's1 and afterwards a distinguished officer1 aide-de-camp to ,marshal ,ney1 and a protg of the ,duke of ,elchingen4 ,he married the daughter of ,madame d',almonaster1 and for some time they lived happily2 but on the death of her mother1 ,madame de ,pontalba began to indulge in such extravagances that even the enormous fortune of the ,pontalbas was unequal to it4 ,this led to some remonstrance on the part of her husband1 on the morning after which she disappeared from the hotel1 and neither he nor his children had any clue to her retreat4 ,at last1 after an interval of some months1 a letter arrived from her to her husband1 dated ,new ,orleans1 in which she announced that she meant to apply for a divorce2 but for eighteen months nothing more was heard of her1 except by her drafts for money4 ,at last she returned1 but only to afflict her family4 ,her son was at the ,military ,academy of ,st4 ,cyr4 ,she induced him to elope1 and the boy was plunged in every species of debauchery and expense4 ,this afflicted1 in the deepest manner1 his grandfather1 who revoked a bequest he had made him of about #d1jjj a year1 and seemed to apprehend from him nothing but future ruin and disgrace4 ,the old man1 eighty-two years of age1 resided in his ,chateau of ,mont ,levque1 whither1 in ,october1 #ahcd1 ,madame de ,pontalba went to attempt a reconciliation with the wealthy senior4 ,the day after her arrival she found she could make no impression on her father-in-law1 and was about to return to ,paris1 when old ,m4 de ,pontalba1 observing a moment when she was alone in her apartment1 entered it with a brace of double-barrelled pistols1 locked the door1 and1 approaching his astonished daughter-in-law1 desired her to recommend herself to ,god1 for that she had but few minutes to live2 but he did not even allow her one minute--he fired immediately1 and two balls entered her left breast4 ,she started up and fled to a closet1 her blood streaming about1 and exclaiming that she would submit to any terms1 if he would spare her4 8,no1 no6 ,you must die60 and he fired his second pistol4 ,she had instinctively covered her heart with her hand2 the hand was miserably fractured by the balls1 but it saved her heart4 ,she then escaped to another closet1 where a third shot was fired at her without effect2 and at last she rushed in despair to the door1 and while ,m4 de ,pontalba was discharging his last barrel at her1 she succeeded in opening it4 ,the family1 alarmed by the firing1 arrived1 and she was saved4 ,the old man1 on seeing that she was beyond his reach1 returned to his apartment1 and blew out his brains4 ,it seemed clear that he had resolved to make a sacrifice of the short remnant of his own life1 in order to release his son and his grandson from their unfortunate connexion with ,madame de ,pontalba4 ,but he failed--none of her wounds were mortal2 and within a month after1 ,madame de ,pontalba1 perfectly recovered1 in high health and spirits1 radiant1 and crowned with flowers1 was to be seen at all the ftes and concerts of the capital4 ,a wealthy inhabitant of ,st4 ,denis arrived from a long journey1 in which he had occasion to carry a brace of pistols2 these he deposited1 loaded1 on a table in his bed-chamber1 and sat down to dinner with his family and some friends1 invited to celebrate his return4 ,hardly had dinner begun when a discussion arose between the father and his eldest daughter1 about twenty years of age4 ,this young woman had always shewn great jealousy of her younger sister1 of whom she pretended her father was fonder than of her4 ,on this occasion the same feeling broke out1 and after some strong exhibition of ill-temper on her part1 her father said1 8,nay1 if you are sulky1 you had better go to bed40 ,the girl got up immediately1 went to her father's bed-room1 took one of the pistols1 shot herself1 and expired in a few hours in great agony4 ,sir ,george ,dunbar1 ,baronet1 ,major in the #adth ,light ,dragoons1 quartered at ,norwich1 unhappily got involved in a dispute with his fellow officers4 ,he was a man of quick sensibility1 which may have betrayed him into error on the occasion2 but whichever party was to blame1 the quarrel was of a most violent nature1 and he returned home much bruised from blows received in the scuffle4 ,the next day1 repairing to the mess-room1 he declared to the other officers1 8,that1 if he had offended any of them1 he was ready to make an apology2 or1 if that was not thought sufficient1 to give them honourable satisfaction40 ,this proposal was refused1 and the officers insisted 8,that he must sell out1 for that1 as he had abused the whole regiment1 nothing else would or could satisfy them40 ,to this1 ,sir ,george replied1 8,that he would live and die in the regiment1 of which he had been an officer for twenty years1 and that a pistol should end the dispute40 ,here ended all communication1 but the business made a most deep impression on his mind4 ,for two successive days he neither took food nor slept2 and his melancholy appearance filled his family with the most lively apprehensions4 ,lady ,dunbar locked up his razors1 pistols1 c41 and watched him with unceasing vigilance4 ,her distress at seeing him so wretched was very great1 and in the night she moaned very much1 and was quite restless4 ,sir ,george said1 8,maria1 you disturb me2 ,i will get up20 which he immediately did1 put on his watch-coat1 and laid down on the floor4 ,lady ,dunbar then endeavoured to conceal the anguish of her mind1 in hopes to pacify him1 and1 being overcome with watching1 fell asleep4 ,sir ,george1 as soon as he perceived it1 left the room1 and at about five or six in the morning walked out4 ,her ladyship1 when she awoke1 being much alarmed at his absence1 eagerly inquired for him1 and was told he had taken a morning walk1 having a violent headache1 and thinking the air would do him good4 ,this1 however1 proved only a pretence2 for he had gone to purchase a case of pistols1 and stood by while the bullets were casting1 which1 with the pistols1 he brought home1 concealed under his watch-coat4 ,on his return1 he went to ,lady ,dunbar1 who took hold of his hand1 observing at the same time1 8,how cold you are60 ,to which he answered1 8,yes2 ,i shall be better presently40 ,she then proposed to make breakfast1 but he declined it1 saying he had a letter to write first1 and that he would ring to let her know when he had finished it4 ,he then parted from her1 after pressing her hand very hard2 went to his study1 wrote his will1 and instantly after blew out his brains4 ,lady ,dunbar1 who heard the report of the pistol1 ran down into the room1 and fell insensible on his body1 which lay extended on the floor1 and from which she was taken up covered with his blood1 and immediately removed to a friend's house4 ,they were a very happy couple1 and she had accompanied him in all his campaigns4 ,as ,george ,,iii4 was passing in his carriage through the park to ,st4 ,james's1 a gentleman dressed in black1 standing in the green park1 close to the rails1 just as the carriage came opposite to where he stood1 was observed to pull a paper hastily from his pocket1 which he stuck on the rails1 addressed to the king1 threw off his hat1 discharged a pistol in his own bosom1 and instantly fell4 ,though surrounded with people collected to see the king pass1 the rash act was so suddenly perpetrated1 that no one suspected his fatal purpose till he had accomplished it4 ,he expired immediately4 ,in his left hand was a letter addressed 8,to the coroner who shall take an inquest on ,james ,sutherland40 ,this unfortunate gentleman was judge-advocate at ,minorca during the governorship of ,general ,murray1 with whom he had a law suit which terminated in his favour4 ,the general1 however1 got him suspended and recalled4 ,this1 and the failure of some applications to government1 had greatly deranged his mind4 ,he was very genteelly dressed1 but had only two-pence and some letters in his pocket2 the letters were carried to the ,secretary of ,state's ,office4 ,he left a singular paper behind him1 expressive of being in a sound mind1 and that the act was deliberate4 ,the following case is mentioned by ,dr4 ,a4 ,t4 ,thomson1 as illustrative of the extraordinary determination often exhibited by those resolved on self-destruction4 ,a gentleman1 who had long enjoyed an unblemished reputation1 was appointed the treasurer of a society2 but having unfortunately fallen into pecuniary difficulties1 he not only applied the funds of the society to his own purposes1 but forged some bills4 ,as the punishment of the latter crime was penal at that period1 on being arrested1 he made an attempt upon his life1 but did not succeed4 ,his prior good character1 and the respect in which he had been held1 prevented him from being immediately sent to jail2 and he was permitted to remain in the custody of the officer of justice who arrested him4 ,the attempt which he had made upon his life rendered it requisite that every implement which could be employed by the suicide should be withheld from him2 but in other respects1 as much indulgence was extended to him as possible1 under the circumstances of the case4 ,his wife also was permitted to visit him1 but she was searched before entering his apartment4 ,he was locked up every night1 and he was awoke in the morning by an officer1 at a certain hour4 ,on the third morning after his arrest1 the officer1 as usual1 entered his room1 and called to him1 but received no answer2 he then approached the bed1 and found that his prisoner was dead4 ,a medical man was immediately sent for4 ,it appeared that this gentleman had studied anatomy1 and knew how to use a lancet2 and as he had a thorough conviction that he should be hanged1 he had persuaded his wife to bring a lancet to him in her mouth4 ,after being locked up for the night1 he undressed himself1 and opened the femoral artery1 the blood from which he allowed to flow into the pan of the night chair1 until1 as was supposed1 he became faint4 ,he then bound a handkerchief round the upper part of the thigh1 and placed himself in bed1 in the position in which he was discovered4 ,notwithstanding his great loss of blood1 he contrived so effectually to stem the further flow1 that none was seen on the floor of the room1 and only a few spots on the sheets of the bed40 ,a servant girl of ,mursley1 ,bucks41 committed suicide while her master and his men were weeding in the field1 by taking a cord and tying it tight round the upper part of her left thigh1 and with a fleam and stick used in bleeding cattle1 making a deep incision through the artery4 ,she bled to death before any assistance could be procured4 ,john ,upson1 of ,woodbridge1 in ,suffolk1 a glover1 who was committed to the castle for felony a few days before1 hanged himself in his own room with a garter4 ,the following verses were written in a prayer-book lying by him3-- 8,farewell1 vain world1 ,i've had enough of thee1 ,and now am careless what thou say'st of me2 ,thy smiles ,i court not1 nor thy frowns ,i fear1 ,my cares are past1 my heart lies easy here4 ,what faults they find in me take care to shun1 ,and look at home3 enough is to be done4 8,june #bf1 #aggd4 ,,poor ,,john ,,the ,,glover40 ,mr4 ,brower1 a print-cutter1 near ,aldersgate-street1 was attacked on the road to ,enfield by a single highwayman1 whom he recollected to be a tradesman in the city1 and called him by his name4 ,the robber immediately shot himself through the head4 ,the case of a man is recorded in a ,french paper who burnt with one of the strongest passions of which we ever heard an account4 ,his mistress having proved unfaithful to him1 he called up his servant1 informed him that it was his intention to kill himself1 and requested that1 after his death1 he would make a candle of his fat1 and carry it lighted to his mistress4 ,he then wrote a letter1 in which he told her that as he had long burnt for her1 she might now see that his flames were real2 for the candle by which she would read the note was composed of part of his miserable body4 ,after this he committed suicide4 ,lieutenant ,colonel ,mautren1 of the ,prussian ,hussars1 having been stripped1 at the gaming table1 of all his property1 even to his watch and the rings he wore1 returned home4 ,next day he disposed of his commission2 and having offered marriage to a respectable female whom he had seduced1 a clergyman was sent for1 and the ceremony performed4 ,he then retired to a private room1 and while some friends were felicitating the bride on her good fortune1 the report of a pistol announced the catastrophe that had taken place4 ,the company hastened to the room2 but the ,colonel was no more4 ,on the table was a letter to his wife1 mentioning the cause of his death and inclosing the amount of the sale of his commission4 ,the particulars of the following case were read by ,m4 ,gerard de ,gray1 at the ,socit de ,mdecine4 ,a young man1 having spent in the capital all his finances1 returned home to recruit his purse2 but failing in his object1 he resolved to put an end to himself4 ,he made no secret of his determination4 ,on the #afth of ,august he carried it into execution4 ,his bed-room was about nine feet square1 and a little more than six in height4 ,on every aperture in it by which the air might possibly have admittance1 he pasted paper1 and about five in the afternoon lighted a brazier of coals1 which he set on the floor close by his bed4 ,he then left the apartment1 carefully closing the door after him4 ,at six1 he said to an old lady1 8,my brazier is now ready--,i go to die40 ,on the following morning1 the family having become alarmed1 the door of the chamber was forced open4 ,an insupportable vapour issued from the place1 and the body of the unfortunate youth was found stretched across the bed4 ,on the floor1 the brazier still occupied the place already mentioned2 it was of considerable capacity1 and seemed to have been lighted with paper4 ,near the body were placed two volumes of an old ,encyclopdia2 one of them at the foot of the bed1 open at the article ,ecstasy2 the other near the right hand displayed the article ,death4 ,on the latter volume was a pencil and a bit of paper1 with the words1 ,je meurs avec calme et bonheur1 clearly written1 with the date annexed2 but beneath that there appeared1 in characters very difficult to be read1 the following words3 ,au moment de l'agonie j'aurais voulu m'tre procur une sensation agrable4 ,it would appear that the deceased immediately on writing the scrawl1 had fallen into the position in which he was found4 ,the attitude did not betoken any struggle at the last moment2 yet it seems probable1 from the signs of sickness of the stomach1 and the mention of agony in the last phrase1 that life did not become extinct without some painful sensations4 ,madame ,augine having been personally attached to the late ,queen of ,france1 expected to suffer under the execrable tyranny of ,robespierre4 ,she often declared to her sister1 ,madame ,campan1 that she never would wait the execution of the order of arrest1 and that she was determined to die rather than fall into the hands of the executioner4 ,madame ,campan endeavoured1 by the principles of morality and philosophy1 to persuade her sister to abandon this desperate resolution2 and in her last visit1 as if she had foreseen the fate of this unfortunate woman1 she added1 8,wait the future with resignation2 some fortunate occurrence may turn aside the fate you fear1 even at the moment you may believe the danger to be greatest40 ,soon afterwards the guards appeared before the house where ,madame ,augine resided1 to take her to prison4 ,firm in her resolution to avoid the ignominy of execution1 she ran to the top of the house1 threw herself from the balcony1 and was taken up dead4 ,as they were carrying her corpse to the grave1 the attendants were obliged to turn aside to let pass the cart which conveyed ,robespierre to the scaffold6 ,in the year #afjj1 on the #ajth of ,april1 a person of the name of ,william ,dorrington threw himself from the top of ,st4 ,sepulchre's church1 in ,london1 having previously left on the leads or roof a paper of which the following is a copy3-- 8,let no other man be troubled for that which is my own fault2 ,john ,bunkley and his fellows1 by perjury and other bad means1 have brought me to this end4 ,god forgive it them1 and ,i do4 ,and1 ,o ,lord1 forgive me this cruel deed upon my own body1 which ,i utterly detest1 and most humbly pray him to cast it behind him2 and that of his most exceeding and infinite mercy he will forgive it me1 with all my other sins4 ,but surely1 after they had slandered me1 every day that ,i lived was to me a hundred deaths1 which caused me rather to die with infamy than to live in infamy and torment4 8,oh1 summa ,deitas1 qu clis et superis presides1 meis medere miseris1 ut spretis inferis1 letis superis1 reis dona veniam4#gi 8,trusting in his only passion and merits of ,jesus ,christ1 and confessing my exceeding great sins1 ,i say--#8,master1 have mercy upon me6'0 ,this paper was folded up in form of a letter1 and indorsed1 8,oh1 let me live1 and ,i will call upon thy name60 ,thomas ,davers1 who built at a vast expense a little fort on the ,river ,thames1 near ,blackwall1 known by the name of ,davers's ,folly1 after passing through a series of misfortunes1 chiefly owing to an unhappy turn of mind1 put an end to his miserable life4 ,some few hours before his death1 he was seen to write the following card3--8,descended from an ancient and honourable family1 ,i have1 for fifteen years past1 suffered more indigence than ever gentleman submitted to2 neglected by my acquaintance1 traduced by my enemies1 and insulted by the vulgar1 ,i am so reduced1 worn down and tired1 that ,i have nothing left but that lasting repose1 the joint and dernier inheritance of all4 8,of laudanum an ample dose ,must all my present ills compose2 ,but the best laudanum of all ,i want 7not resolution7 but a ball4 8,n4 ,b4 ,advertise this4 ,t4 ,d40 ,a farmer near ,allandale1 in ,northumberland1 procured a gun-barrel1 which he loaded with powder and shot1 and having placed the stock end in the fire1 he leaned with his belly against the other4 ,in this position he awaited the dreadful moment4 ,when the barrel became hot1 an explosion took place1 by which he was shot through the body4 ,he had1 some time before1 been in the habit of excessive drinking1 which had impaired his intellects1 and probably produced a derangement which led to the commission of the deed4 ,mr4 ,henry ,grymes1 of ,virginia1 ,u4 ,s41 whilst labouring under the influence of delirium1 broke his skull with a stone4 ,after having shattered it1 he took out a piece about three inches long1 and two broad4 ,concluding that this would not put a period to his existence1 he thrust his fingers into his head1 and tore out a considerable quantity of his brains4 ,instead of immediate death1 he instantly returned to the full exercise of reason6 walked home1 and lived to the second evening following4 ,he appeared very penitent and rational to the last moment of his life2 and in the meantime gave to his friends the above statement of the horrid transaction4 ,the cause of this derangement is believed to have been a disappointment in marriage4 ,through the whole of his life he supported an unsullied character4 8,a blacksmith charged an old gun-barrel with a brace of bullets1 and1 putting one end into the fire of his forge1 tied a string to the handle of his bellows1 by pulling which he could make them play whilst he was at a convenient distance1 kneeling down2 he then placed his head near the mouth of the barrel1 and moving the bellows by means of the string1 they blew up the fire1 he keeping his head1 with astonishing firmness and horrible deliberation1 in that position till the further end of the barrel was so heated as to kindle the powder1 whose explosion instantly drove the bullets through his brain4 ,though ,i know this happened literally as ,i relate it1 yet there is something so extraordinary1 and almost incredible1 in the circumstance1 that perhaps ,i should not have mentioned it1 had it not been well attested1 and known to the inhabitants of ,geneva1 and to all the ,english there40#hj ,a ,hanoverian1 eighty years of age1 resided at a country house near ,berne1 with his five daughters1 the eldest of whom was aged thirty1 and the youngest sixteen4 ,the family were of very retired habits1 but were governed chiefly by the eldest sister1 who was noted for her imperious disposition1 and opposition to religion4 ,a young ,englishman1 who had been for some time an occasional visitor to the house1 became smitten with one of the daughters2 and one fine evening1 as the five sisters were taking the air in a carriage in the avenues of the ,eugi1 they met him in his cabriolet1 accompanied by a friend4 ,after parading up and down for some time1 an exchange of vehicles was proposed to and accepted by the young ladies1 one of whom accompanied the ,englishman1 and his friend entered the carriage with the ladies4 ,a similar change was again effected1 until the ,englishman found himself with the object of his affections1 with whom he immediately decamped4 ,the others1 thinking he had returned to the house by another road1 gave themselves no uneasiness1 but continued their road homewards4 ,on arriving1 however1 they found he had not returned4 ,the eldest sister1 becoming alarmed1 sent and informed the police that her sister had been run away with2 and the next day1 news having been received that the runaways were at ,fribourg1 she immediately set out for that place1 accompanied by one of her sisters4 ,before her departure1 she told the two who remained1 that if she did not return by a certain hour1 it would be a proof that their family was dishonoured2 in which case1 it became the duty of them all to renounce life4 ,she required1 and even extorted1 from them a solemn oath1 that they would drown themselves if they 7the two elder sisters7 did not return at the hour mentioned4 ,on arriving at ,fribourg1 and finding their sister1 whom they could not persuade to return home1 they two resolved upon putting their resolution into effect2 for which purpose they repaired to the banks of the ,sarine2 but the younger1 on arriving1 finding her courage fail1 exclaimed1 8,kill me1 sister2 ,i can never throw myself into the river40 ,the eldest drew out a dagger1 and was about to perpetrate the deed1 when a peasant coming up1 interrupted the design4 ,she immediately despatched the peasant to prevent her other two sisters from putting their oath into effect2 but the precaution was too late4 ,after having prepared every necessary for their aged father during the day1 they dressed themselves in their best apparel1 and1 on arriving at the banks of the ,aar1 fastened themselves with a shawl1 and1 embracing each other1 precipitated themselves into the river1 in which position their bodies were found some time afterwards4 ,the particulars of the following extraordinary case we find recorded in the ,annual ,register for #ahbc4 ,it appears that a man of the name of ,spring and his paramour1 ,mary ,gooch1 had agreed to commit mutual suicide4 ,for that purpose a large dose of laudanum was purchased2 but the dose which ,spring took was not sufficient for his purpose1 and he recovered4 ,the poor woman was successful in killing herself4 ,the following is the evidence given by ,spring at the coroner's inquest3-- 8,john ,spring said1 that he was present with the deceased in bed when she died1 about seven o'clock on ,friday morning2 that she did not die in agony2 that on the ,wednesday evening the deceased and witness came to an agreement to buy some laudanum to take together1 that they might both be found dead together in the same bed2 that on the ,thursday morning1 he 7the witness7 went to the chemist's and bought some laudanum2 he thinks four ounces2 that when he came in1 ,mary ,gooch said1 #8,your heart has failed you2 you have not bought it for me2' that she got up and felt witness's pocket4 ,the deceased said1 #8,you have got something here4' ,witness replied1 #8,oh1 that will soon do our business1 if we take it4' ,she said1 #8,have you any money left of what ,i gave you to buy it with8' ,witness said1 #8,yes1 there are some halfpence4' ,the deceased said she would purchase some oranges with them1 to take after it1 and would send for them2 that she sent a boy of ,webb's1 who returned with two oranges2 that the deceased peeled them2 that she took two wine glasses off the shelf1 and placed hers on the box1 and said1 #8,now let us take it4' ,she poured half into one glass1 and half into another4 ,one glass she kept to herself1 and the other she gave to witness4 ,the deceased said1 #8,let us take hold of each other's hands4' ,witness said1 #8,no1 my dear2 if we do1 we shall not take it2 let us turn back to back1 and take it4' ,deceased and witness turned their backs to one another1 and drank the contents of the glasses4 ,after they had drunk the laudanum1 the deceased said1 #8,what shall we do with the bottle8' ,witness said1 he would go and throw it away4 ,she said1 she would in the mean time wipe the glasses4 ,he threw away the bottle1 and the deceased had wiped the glasses by the time he came back4 ,the deceased said1 #8,let us go to bed4' ,they both went to bed together4 ,the deceased afterwards got out of bed1 placed a chair against the door1 to fasten it1 and drew the window blinds4 ,the deceased then said1 #8,now we shall die happily together4' ,this was between two and three o'clock4 ,he asked the deceased how she came by the money she had given him2 the deceased said1 #8,that is of no consequence1 and does not signify2' the deceased and witness conversed together about various things1 till eight o'clock4 ,she said1 she had sent her gown to her aunt's1 and that the money came from her4 ,the laudanum did not take any effect till about two2 she then began to sleep4 ,the witness was sick about four1 and the deceased was awake at that time4 ,the deceased was not sick at all1 and fell into a sound sleep at six4 ,the witness awoke her between six and seven2 the deceased then said1 #8,how large your eyes look6' ,witness said to her1 #8,mary1 ,i am afraid my laudanum will take no effect4' ,the deceased said1 #8,oh dear6 if ,i should die without you1 and you are taken before a court of justice1 ,i shall not die easy4' ,witness told her she might be quite happy1 for1 if it did not take effect1 he would get up and buy some that would1 as he would die with her4 ,the deceased said1 #8,my dear1 pray give me that blue muslin handkerchief1 that ,i may have it in my hand when ,i die4 ,pray1 don't you take anything2 but let me die1 and you will get over4' ,she then laid her head on the shoulder of the witness1 and died almost immediately4 ,the body began to grow cold by the time he came in from the town1 about half-past eight4 ,the deceased had been in a bad state of mind ever since he had known her4 ,she always appeared to wish to die1 and had attempted to destroy herself before1 when the witness was at a fair4 ,about a month previous1 the deceased having come home in an unhappy state of mind1 got up about twelve at night1 took a linen line1 pinned her cap over her head1 and went out of the house1 taking a small chair with her4 ,she had one end of a rope about her neck1 and was about to throw it over the arm of an apple-tree1 when he overtook her1 brought her in1 and took the rope from her4 ,the deceased1 all ,wednesday evening1 was very anxious to die1 and wished witness to die with her4 ,on ,thursday1 she expressed a desire that they should both die together4 ,the witness had known the deceased ever since ,michaelmas ,bury fair4 ,she had been very anxious about the payment of the half-year's rent2 the witness said1 he could go to his friends and get it2 deceased said1 #8,if you go away1 ,i shall be afraid that you will not come back again4' ,it was not from want that they committed the act2 it had been in contemplation some time40 ,a young lady1 at a boarding school near ,birmingham1 had been set a task1 and felt indignant at being obliged to learn it out of an old book1 while some of the other scholars were indulged with new ones4 ,she went next day to an old woman in the neighbourhood1 and told her 8that she had had a singular dream1--that she was dead1 and had been carried to her grave by such and such young ladies10 naming some of her companions and young friends2 and asked the old woman what she thought of it2 who replied1 8that she put no faith in dreams40 ,a few days after1 when going a walk with the other scholars1 she loitered behind1 and making her escape from the party1 drowned herself in a pool near the school4 ,she left her hat 7or bonnet7 on the edge of the pool1 wherein was pinned a letter for her parents1 entreating their forgiveness of such a rash act4 ,she therein requested to have for her bearers those whom she had said she dreamed had carried her to her grave2 and enclosed some locks of her hair as mementos of friendship4 ,she was only about eleven years of age1 and the daughter of very respectable parents in the neighbourhood4 ,sophia ,edwards and ,mary ,west1 two female-servants1 in the family of the ,rev4 ,john ,gibbons1 of ,brasted1 in ,kent1 were left in care of the house for some weeks1 in consequence of the absence of their master and mistress4 ,during this time they had the misfortune to break some articles of furniture1 and to spoil four dozen of knives and forks1 by incautiously lighting a fire in an oven where they had been placed to keep them from rust4 ,the unfortunate girls1 however1 bought other knives and forks4 ,upon the return of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,gibbons1 the servants were severely reprimanded for what had happened1 and one of them received notice to leave her place4 ,they both appeared to be very uncomfortable for two days afterwards2 and1 on the second day1 the footman heard them in conversation respecting ,martha ,viner1 a late servant in the same family1 who had drowned herself in a pond in the garden1 and observing one to the other1 that she had done so through trouble4 ,the elder then said to the younger--8,we will have a swim to-night1 ,mary60 ,the other replied--8,so we will1 girl40 ,the footman thought they were jesting1 and said--8,ay1 and ,i will swim with you60 ,sophia ,edwards replied--8,no1 you shan't2 but ,i will have a swim1 and afterwards ,i will haunt you40 ,after this conversation1 they continued about their work as usual1 and at six o'clock asked the footman to get tea for them4 ,while he was in the pantry for that purpose1 he heard the kitchen door shut2 and on his return into the kitchen1 they were both gone4 ,the footman afterwards thought he heard them upstairs1 and therefore took no notice of their absence1 until eight o'clock1 when he told his master and mistress4 ,search was made for them about the house1 garden1 and neighbourhood1 during the whole night2 and early next morning1 the same pond was dragged which had so recently been the watery grave of ,martha ,viner1 when both their bodies were found in it1 lying close to each other4 ,the following whimsical instance of indifference as to the mode of suicide is related in ,sir ,john ,hawkins's ,history of the ,science and ,practice of ,music1 vol4 v4 #g3--8,one ,jeremiah ,clarke1 organist of ,st4 ,paul's1 an4 dom4 #agjj1 was at the house of a friend in the country1 from whence he took an abrupt resolution of returning to ,london4 ,his friend having observed marks of great dejection in his behaviour1 and knowing him to be a man disappointed in love1 furnished him not only with a horse1 but a servant to take care of him4 ,a fit of melancholy seizing him on the road1 he alighted and went into a field1 in the corner whereof was a pond1 and also trees2 where he began to debate with himself1 whether he should then end his days by hanging or drowning4 ,not being able to resolve on either1 he thought of making what he looked on as chance1 the umpire4 ,he tossed a piece of money into the air1 which came down on its edge and stuck in the clay4 ,though the determination answered not his wishes1 it was far from ambiguous1 as it seemed to forbid both methods of destruction2 and would have given unspeakable comfort to a mind less disordered than his4 ,being thus interrupted in his purpose1 he returned1 and mounting his horse1 rode on to ,london1 where1 in a short time after1 he shot himself4 ,falret relates the case of an apothecary who1 on receiving a reproof from his sweetheart1 went home and blew out his brains1 having first written the following sentence on his door--8,when a man knows not how to please his mistress1 he ought to know how to die40 ,a ,german merchant1 aged thirty-two1 depressed by severe reverses of fortune1 came to the resolution of starving himself to death4 ,with this view he repaired1 on the #aeth of ,september1 #ahah1 to an unfrequented wood1 where he constructed a hut of boughs1 and remained1 without food1 till the #crd of ,october following4 ,at this period1 he was found1 by the landlord of a public-house1 still alive1 but very feeble1 speechless1 and insensible4 ,broth1 with the yolk of an egg1 was administered to him2 he swallowed some with difficulty1 and died immediately4 ,in the pocket of the unfortunate man was found a journal1 written in pencil1 singular of its kind1 and remarkable as a narrative of his feelings and sentiments4 ,it commences in these words3--8,the generous philanthropist1 who shall one day find me here after my death1 is requested to inter me2 and in consideration of this service1 to keep my clothes1 purse1 knife1 and letter-case4 ,moreover observe1 that ,i am no suicide1 but have died of hunger1 because through wicked men ,i have lost the whole of my very considerable property1 and am unwilling to become a burden to my friends40 ,the ensuing remark is dated ,september #agth1 the second day of abstinence3--8,i yet live2 but how ,i have been soaked during the night1 and how cold it has been4 ,o ,god6 when will my sufferings terminate6 ,no human being has for three days been seen here2 only some birds40 ,the journal continues1 8,and again1 three days1 and ,i have been so soaked during the night1 that my clothes to-day are not quite dry4 ,how hard this is no one knows1 and my last hour must soon arrive4 ,doubtlessly1 during the heavy rain1 a little water has got into my throat2 but the thirst is not to be slaked with water2 moreover1 ,i have had none even of this for six days1 since ,i am no longer able to move from the place4 ,yesterday1 for the first time during the eternity which1 alas6 ,i have already passed here1 a man approached me within eight or ten paces4 ,he was certainly a shepherd4 ,i saluted him in silence1 and he returned it in the same manner2 probably1 he will find me after my death60 8,finally1 ,i here protest before the all-wise ,god1 that1 notwithstanding all the misfortunes which ,i have suffered from my youth1 ,i yet die very unwillingly1 although necessity has imperiously driven me to it4 ,nevertheless1 ,i pray for it4 ,father1 forgive him2 for he knows not what he does6 ,more ,i cannot write for faintness and spasms2 and this will be the last4 ,dated near the forest1 by the side of the ,goat public-house4 8,sept4 #bi1 #ahah4 ,j4 ,f4 ,n40 ,it is evident1 from the above account1 that consciousness and the power of writing remained till the fourteenth day of abstinence4 ,the operation of famine was aggravated by mental distress1 and still more by exposure to the weather4 ,this1 indeed1 seems to have produced his most urgent sufferings4 ,subsequent to the common cravings and debility of hunger1 his first physical distress appears to have been the sensation of cold2 then cold and thirst2 lastly1 faintness and spasm4 ,in this case we find no symptoms of inflammation4 ,a want of nervous energy1 arising from the reduction in the quantity or quality of the blood1 appears to have been the principal disease4 ,the effort of swallowing1 and the oppression of food on the exhausted stomach1 completed the catastrophe4#ha ,there is an extraordinary instance of suicidal design recorded1 and which is worth noticing1 were it only to shew the extent to which the human powers can sustain life unaided by proper nourishment1 even though the intelligent principle be subverted4 ,an officer1 having experienced many mortifications1 fell into a state of deep melancholy4 ,he resolved to die of famine2 and he followed up his resolution so faithfully that he passed forty-five days without eating anything1 except on the fifth day1 when he asked for some distilled water1 in which was mixed a quarter of a pint of spirits of aniseed4 ,this lasted him three days4 ,upon being told that this quantity of spirit was too much1 he then took in each glass of water no more than three drops of it1 and the same quantity of fluid lasted him thirty-nine days4 ,he then ceased drinking1 and took nothing at all daring the last six days4 ,on the thirty-sixth day1 he was obliged to recline on a couch4 ,every request to induce him to break his resolution was useless1 and he was regarded as already lost1 when chance recalled within him a desire to live4 ,having seen a child with a slice of bread and butter1 the sight excited in him so violent an appetite that he instantly asked for some soup4 ,they gave him every two hours some spoonsful of rice bouillie1 and by degrees more nourishing diet1 and his health1 though slowly1 was established4#hb ,two young men1 mere youths1 entered a restaurant1 bespoke a dinner of unusual luxury and expense1 and afterwards arrived punctually at the appointed hour to eat it4 ,they did so1 apparently with all the zest of youthful appetite and glee4 ,they called for champagne1 and quaffed it hand-in-hand4 ,no symptom of sadness1 thought1 or reflection of any kind1 was observed to mix with their mirth1 which was loud1 long1 and unremitting4 ,at last came the caf noir1 the cognac1 and the bill2 one of them was seen to point out the amount to the other1 and then burst out afresh into violent laughter4 ,having swallowed each a cup of coffee to the dregs1 the garon was ordered to request the company of the restaurateur for a few minutes4 ,he came immediately1 expecting1 perhaps1 to receive the payment of his bill1 minus some extra charge which the jocund but economical youths might deem exorbitant4 ,instead of this1 however1 the elder of the two informed him that the dinner had been excellent1 which was the more fortunate1 as it was decidedly the last that either of them should ever eat2 that for his bill1 he must of necessity excuse the payment of it1 as1 in fact1 that neither of them possessed a single sous2 that upon no other occasion would they have thus violated the customary etiquette between guest and landlord2 but that finding this world1 with its toils and its troubles1 unworthy of them1 they had determined once more to enjoy a repast of which their poverty must for ever prevent the repetition1 and then take leave of existence for ever6 ,for the first part of this resolution1 he declared that it had1 thanks to the cook and his cellar1 been achieved nobly2 and for the last1 it would soon follow1 for the caf noir1 besides the little glass of his admirable cognac1 had been medicated with that which would speedily settle all their accounts for them4 ,the restaurateur was enraged4 ,he believed no part of the rhodomontade but that which declared their inability to discharge their bill1 and he talked loudly in his turn of putting them into the hands of the police4 ,at length1 however1 upon their offering to give up their address1 he was induced to allow them to depart4 ,on the following day1 either the hope of obtaining his money or some vague fear that they might have been in earnest in the wild tale that they had told him1 induced this man to go to the address they had left with him2 and he there heard that the two unhappy boys had been that morning found lying together1 hand-in-hand1 on a bed hired a few weeks before by one of them4 ,when they were discovered1 they were already dead and cold4 ,on a small table in the room lay many written papers1 all expressing aspirations after greatness that should cost neither labour nor care1 a profound contempt for those who were satisfied to live by the sweat of their brow1 sundry quotations from ,victor ,hugo1 and a request that their names and the manner of their death might be transmitted to the newspapers4 ,many are the cases of young men1 calling themselves friends1 who have thus encouraged each other to make their final exit from life1 if not with applause1 at least with effect4 ,and more numerous still are the tales recounted of young men and women found dead1 and locked in each other's arms1 fulfilling literally1 and with most sad seriousness1 the destiny sketched so merrily in an old song-- 8,gai1 gai1 marions-nous-- ,mettons-nous dans la misre2 ,gai1 gai1 marions-nous-- ,mettons-nous la corde au cou40#hc ,a woman drowned herself by breaking a hole in the ice of a pond sufficiently large to admit her head1 which she put into the water1 so that her body remained quite dry4 ,a ,greenwich pensioner1 who had his allowance stopped from some misconduct1 committed suicide by stabbing himself with his spectacles1 which he sharpened to a point for that purpose4 ,a man1 with a determination to sacrifice his life1 threw himself among the bears in the ,jardin du ,roi1 in ,paris4 ,a bear sprung immediately upon him1 and before he could be rescued from ,bruin's grasp1 he was so mutilated that he died a few hours afterwards4 ,prior to his death he expressed much pleasure at having effected his purpose4 ,a young lady1 at the age of nineteen1 was extremely beautiful1 in possession of a large fortune1 and by no means deficient in understanding or wit2 but was immoderately fond of play4 ,she soon gambled away her whole fortune4 ,reflections on the past became bitter2 anticipation of the future alarming2 melancholy increased1 and weariness of life succeeded4 ,being at ,bath1 in the year #agca1 she was seen to retire to her chamber with her usual composure1 and was found in the morning hanging by a gold and silver girdle to a closet door4 ,her youth1 beauty1 and distress1 rendered her an object of pity to every one but a near relation1 who1 on hearing of her death1 was inhuman enough to exclaim1 in a punning style--8,then she has tied herself up from play40 ,on the morning of her death she left these lines in the window3-- 8,o death1 thou pleasing end of human woe6 ,thou cure for life6 thou greatest good below6 ,still mayst thou fly the coward and the slave1 ,and thy soft slumbers only bless the brave40 ,on reading which a gentleman wrote thus3-- 8,o dice1 ye vain diverters of our woe6 ,ye waste of life6 ye greatest curse below6 ,may ne'er good sense again become your slave1 ,nor your false charms allure and cheat the brave40 ,a man whose name and connexions were unknown1 was found dead in his chamber at an inn1 in ,kent1 with the following paper lying beside him3-- ,lost to the world1 and by the world forsaken1 ,a wretched creature1 ,who groaned under a weary life ,upwards of thirty years1 without knowing ,one happy hour4 ,and all ,in consequence of one single error1 ,committed in early days1 ,though highly venial ,as being the mere effects of juvenile folly1 ,and soon repented of4 ,but1 alas6 ,the poor prodigal ,had no kind father that would take him home1 ,and welcome back his sad repentant virtue ,with fond forgiveness and the fatted calf4 ,here ,he sinks beneath his mighty load of ills1 ,and with ,his miserable being lays them down1 ,heart-broken1 ,at the age of fifty4 ,tender reader1 give him a little earth ,for charity4 ,a middle aged ,frenchman1 decently dressed1 hanged himself in a public-house in ,old ,street ,road4 ,a letter written in ,french was found in his pocket1 setting forth that some years ago1 he dreamt he was to die that day1 if not1 he was to be damned2 and therefore1 for the salvation of his soul1 he had thought it necessary to put an end to his life4 ,a young gentleman1 living in ,london1 had paid his addresses to an agreeable young lady1 won her heart1 and obtained the consent of her father1 to whom she was an only child4 ,the old gentleman had a fancy to have them married at the same parish church where he himself had been1 at a village in ,westmoreland2 and they accordingly set out alone1 the father being at the time indisposed with the gout1 in ,london4 ,the bridegroom took only his man1 and the bride her maid2 and when they arrived at the place appointed1 the bridegroom wrote the following letter to his wife's father3-- 8,,sir1--,after a very pleasant journey hither1 we are preparing for the happy hour in which ,i am to be your son4 ,i assure you the bride carries it1 in the eyes of the vicar who married you1 much beyond her mother2 though he says1 your open sleeves1 pantaloons1 and shoulder-knot1 made a much better shew than the finical dress ,i am in4 ,however1 ,i am contented to be the second fine man this village ever saw1 and shall make it very merry before night1 because ,i shall write from thence1 ,your most dutiful son1 8,t4 ,d40 8,p4 ,s4 ,the bride gives her duty1 and is as handsome as an angel4 ,i am the happiest man breathing40 ,the bridegroom's servant knew his master would leave the place very soon after the wedding was over1 and seeing him draw his pistols the night before1 took an opportunity of going into his chamber and charged them4 ,upon their return from the garden they went into that room1 and1 after a little fond raillery on the subject of their courtship1 the bridegroom took up one of the pistols1 which he knew he had unloaded the night before1 presented it to her1 and said1 with the most graceful air1 whilst she looked pleased at his agreeable flattery1 8,now1 madam1 repent of all those cruelties you have been guilty of towards me2 consider1 before you die1 how often you have let a poor wretch freeze under your casement4 ,you shall die1 you tyrant6 you shall die with all those instruments of death about you1--with that enchanting smile1 those killing ringlets of your hair60 8,give fire10 said she1 laughing4 ,he did so1 and shot her dead4 ,who can speak his condition8 ,but he bore it so patiently as to call up his man4 ,the poor wretch entered1 and his master locked the door upon him4 8,will10 said he1 8did you charge these pistols80 ,he answered1 8,yes20 upon which his master shot him dead with the undischarged instrument of death4 ,after this1 amidst a thousand broken sobs1 piercing groans1 and distracted motions1 he wrote the following letter to the father of his dead mistress3-- 8,,sir1--,two hours ago1 ,i told you truly ,i was the happiest man alive4 ,your daughter lies dead at my feet1 killed by my own hand through a mistake of my man's charging my pistols unknown to me6 ,i have murdered him for it4 ,such is my wedding-day4 ,i will follow my wife to her grave2 but before ,i throw myself upon my sword1 ,i command my distraction so far as to explain my story to you4 ,i fear my heart will not keep together till ,i have stabbed it4 ,poor1 good old man1 remember that he who killed your daughter died for it6 ,in death ,i give you thanks1 and pray for you though ,i dare not pray for myself4 ,if it be possible1 do not curse me4 ,farewell for ever6 8,t4 ,d40 ,this being finished1 he put an end to his life4 ,the body of the servant was interred in the village where he was killed2 and the young couple1 attended by their maid1 were brought to ,london1 and privately interred in one grave1 in the parish in which the unhappy father resided4 ,the following case occurred in ,england not many years ago4 ,a young couple1 the wife aged sixteen and the husband nineteen1 discovered1 a few months after marriage1 that money was much more easily spent than procured2 and being unable to live in the style they wished1 they determined1 after having held a long consultation on the subject1 that their best and only remedy was at once to put an end to their imaginary miseries by committing suicide4 ,after dinner1 the husband attended his usual business1 and brought home with him at tea-time a quarter of a pound of sugar of lead1 for the purpose of executing their design4 ,the whole of this poison was dissolved in a pot of coffee1 and carefully strained and sweetened1 to render it more palatable4 ,the young man then deliberately wrote a letter1 explaining the circumstances to his father1 to whom he had previously sent a message1 requesting him to call in the evening4 ,at the time appointed the husband and wife drank off the poison1 and then1 embracing each other1 laid down to die4 ,when they were discovered1 all that they could be induced to say was the word 8poison40 ,medical assistance was immediately procured1 but no persuasions could induce them to take an antidote1 both of them heroically resolving to die4 ,the young woman1 however1 reconsidered the point1 and began to think that death was not so agreeable a thing as she first supposed2 but1 retaining her feelings of obedience strong in death1 imploringly said to her husband1 when she was pressed to take the medicine offered1 8,shall ,i take it1 dear80 ,to this he gave a direct negative1 enforcing it with an oath2 but her love of life triumphed over her sense of obedience to the commands of her lord1 and she consented to swallow the antidote4 ,the husband1 however1 was not so willing to venture upon the cares and vexations of the world1 and obstinately persisted in dying2 but as this was not thought prudent1 he was made by physical force to swallow the medicine1 and was restored to life1 and is still in the land of the living4 ,instances of mutual suicide are by no means uncommon on the ,continent1 and were not unknown in ancient times4 ,the inhabitants of ,england have not become as yet romantic enough for these exhibitions4 ,the case of ,m4 ,kleist1 the celebrated ,prussian poet1 and ,madame ,vogle1 may be fresh in the minds of our readers4 ,madame ,vogle1 it is said1 had suffered long under an incurable disorder2 her physicians had declared her death inevitable2 she herself came to a resolution to put an end to her existence4 ,m4 ,kleist1 the poet1 and a friend of her family1 had also determined to kill himself4 ,these two unhappy beings1 having confidentially communicated to each other their horrible resolution1 resolved to carry it into effect at the same time4 ,they repaired to the inn at ,wilhemstadt1 between ,berlin and ,potsdam1 on the borders of the ,sacred ,lake4 ,for one night and one day they were preparing themselves for death1 by putting up prayers1 singing1 drinking wine and rum1 and concluded by drinking sixteen cups of coffee4 ,they wrote a letter to ,m4 ,vogle1 to announce to him the resolution they had taken1 and to beg him to come as speedily as possible1 for the purpose of seeing their remains devoutly interred4 ,after having despatched the letter to ,berlin1 they repaired to the bank of the ,sacred ,lake1 where they sat down opposite to each other4 ,m4 ,kleist then took a loaded pistol and shot ,madame ,vogle through the heart1--she instantly fell back dead2 he then reloaded the pistol1 and applying the muzzle to his own head1 blew out his brains4 ,a horrid scene of mixed murder and suicide1 accompanied with great calmness in its execution1 was exhibited in the year #agcb1 in the family of one ,richard ,smith1 a bookbinder4 ,this man being a prisoner for debt within the walls of the ,king's ,bench1 was found hanging in his chamber1 together with his wife2 and their infant of two years old lay murdered in a cradle beside them4 ,smith left three letters behind him1 one of which was addressed to his landlord1 in which he says3--8,he hopes effects enough will be found to discharge his lodgings1 and recommends to his protection his ancient dog and cat40 ,a second was addressed to his cousin ,brindley1 and contained severe censure on the person through whose means he had been brought into difficulties1 with a desire also that ,brindley would make the third letter public1 which was as follows3-- 8,these actions1 considered in all their circumstances1 being somewhat uncommon1 it may not be improper to give some account of the cause2 and that it was an inveterate hatred we conceived against poverty and rags1 evils that through a train of unlucky accidents were become inevitable4 ,for we appeal to all that ever knew us1 whether we were idle or extravagant1 whether or no we have not taken as much pains to get our living as our neighbours1 although not attended with the same success4 ,we apprehend the taking our child's life away to be a circumstance for which we shall be generally condemned2 but for our own parts we are perfectly easy on that head4 ,we are satisfied it is less cruelty to take the child with us1 even supposing a state of annihilation as some dream of1 than to leave her friendless in the world1 exposed to ignorance and misery4 ,now in order to obviate some censures which may proceed either from ignorance or malice1 we think it proper to inform the world1 that we firmly believe the existence of an ,almighty ,god2 that this belief of ours is not an implicit faith1 but deduced from the nature and reason of things4 ,we believe the existence of an ,almighty ,being from the consideration of his wonderful works1 from those innumerable celestial and glorious bodies1 and from their wonderful order and harmony4 ,we have also spent some time in viewing those wonders which are to be seen in the minute part of the world1 and that with great pleasure and satisfaction4 ,from all which particulars we are satisfied that such amazing things could not possibly be without a first mover1--without the existence of an ,almighty ,being4 ,and as we know the wonderful ,god to be ,almighty1 so we cannot help believing that he is also good--not implacable1 not like such wretches as men are1 not taking delight in the misery of his creatures2 for which reason we resign up our breath to him without any terrible apprehensions1 submitting ourselves to those ways which in his goodness he shall please to appoint after death4 ,we also believe in the existence of unbodied natures1 and think we have reason for that belief1 although we do not pretend to know their way of subsisting4 ,we are not ignorant of those laws made in terrorem1 but leave the disposal of our bodies to the wisdom of the coroner and his jury1 the thing being indifferent to us where our bodies are laid4 ,from hence it will appear how little anxious we are about a #8hic jacet4' ,we for our part neither expect nor desire such honours2 but shall content ourselves with a borrowed epitaph1 which we shall insert in this paper3 #8,without a name1 for ever silent1 dumb2 ,dust1 ashes1 nought else is within this tomb2 ,where we were born or bred it matters not2 ,who were our parents1 or have us begot4 ,we #8were1 but are not4' ,think no more of us1 ,for as we are1 so you'll be turn'd to dust4' 8,it is the opinion of naturalists1 that our bodies are at certain stages of life composed of new matter2 so that a great many poor men have new bodies oftener than new clothes4 ,now1 as divines are not able to inform us which of those several bodies shall rise at the resurrection1 it is very probable that the deceased body may be for ever silent as well as any other4 7,signed17 8,,richard ,,smith1 8,,briget ,,smith40 ,a lady and gentleman visited an hotel in the neighbourhood of ,paris1 and ordered dinner to be prepared in a private room4 ,the lady1 who appeared only nineteen years of age1 was most magnificently attired4 ,the gentleman was observed to pay her marked attention1 and addressed her with the most endearing epithets4 ,the dinner consisted of every luxury of the season4 ,after drinking a large quantity of wine1 the gentleman requested that they should not be disturbed1 and he was heard to lock the door4 ,half an hour afterwards1 a report of a pistol was heard in the room4 ,the master of the hotel was alarmed4 ,the assistance of the police was obtained1 and the door of the room in which the lady and gentleman had dined forced open4 ,the lady was found on the floor dead1 and the gentleman a short distance from her1 in the last struggle of death4 ,two pistols were found near the bodies4 ,it appeared that they had agreed to commit mutual suicide1 and each being provided with a loaded pistol1 fired at and killed each other4 ,on the table was found a piece of paper1 on which were written with a pencil the following words3--8,we1 ,h999999d and ,maria 99991 were enamoured of each other4 ,circumstances beyond the control of man prevent our alliance4 ,we have no alternative but separation or death2 and believing death to be one eternal dream of bliss1 we1 after much meditation1 have determined to kill each other4 ,we affix our signatures to this document4 8,h999999,d1 8,,maria 999940 ,two devoted lovers1 disappointed in obtaining the consent of their parents to their union1 resolved upon dying4 ,they experienced some difficulty in deciding how to effect their purpose4 ,the lady expressed an abhorrence of pistols1 and the gentleman was equally repugnant to the rope4 ,after much hesitation1 they agreed to throw themselves into the river1 and stated their intention to a friend1 who1 thinking they were merely joking1 observed--8,well1 ,i think you will find the water very cold2 ,i should advise you to put on warm clothing before you jump in40 ,in the evening they were missing1 and on searching the river1 they were discovered1 tied to each other1 quite dead4 ,the suicide of ,sir ,r4 ,croft has often been alluded to4 ,he attended the late ,princess ,charlotte in her confinement1 and her much lamented death1 although not owing to any want of skill on his part1 preyed much on his mind1 and drove him to the rash act4 ,he fancied he saw the spirit of the princess glide through his room4 ,the sight of an open razor on the table first suggested the idea of self-destruction to him4 ,he was a physician of great skill1 and was much beloved by all who knew him4 ,a bishop of ,grenoble affords an instance of suicidal ingenuity4 ,he took a rod on which his bed-curtains hung1 and suspended it across by a stick1 which communicated with the trigger of his fowling-piece4 ,he then sat quietly down1 with his feet hanging over the rod1 and placing the muzzle of the gun in his mouth1 held it fast4 ,he had nothing more now to do than to drop his leg upon the rod1 when the gun went off1 and three bullets entered his brain4 ,the fortitude which suicides display is amazing4 ,a servant girl of the ,dean of----1 who had always borne a most excellent character1 was accused by the family of theft4 ,she immediately repaired to the wash-house1 immersed her head in a pail of water1 and was found dead in that position4 ,what must have been the courage of this poor creature1 who1 when writhing under the lash of a false accusation1 kept her head under water1 despite the horrible sense of suffocation that must have come on6 ,a ,french soldier of the name of ,bordeaux1 being determined to put an end to his life1 persuaded a comrade1 called ,humain1 to follow his example4 ,they both repaired to an inn at ,st4 ,denis1 and bespoke a good dinner4 ,one of them went out to buy some powder and balls4 ,they spent the day 7,christmas7 together with great cheerfulness1 called for more wine2 and1 about four o'clock in the evening1 blew out their brains1 leaving some empty bottles1 their will1 a letter1 and half-a-crown1 in addition to the amount of their bill4 ,the following letter was addressed by ,bordeaux to the lieutenant of his troop1 and was as follows3-- 8,,sir1--,during my residence at ,guise1 you honoured me with your friendship4 ,it is time to thank you4 ,you have often told me that ,i appeared displeased with my situation4 ,i was sincere1 but not absolutely true4 ,i have since examined myself more seriously1 and acknowledge that ,i am disgusted with every state of man1 the whole world1 and myself4 ,from these discoveries a consequence should be drawn1--if disgusted with the whole1 renounce the whole4 ,the calculation is not long1--,i have made it without the aid of geometry4 ,in short1 ,i am about putting an end to the existence that ,i have possessed for near twenty years1 fifteen of which have been a burden to me2 and from the moment that ,i have ended this letter1 a few grains of powder will destroy this moving mass of flesh1 which we vain mortals call the king of beings4 ,i owe no one an excuse4 ,i deserted4 ,that was a crime2 but ,i am going to punish it1 and the law will be satisfied4 ,i asked leave of absence from my superior officers1 to have the pleasure of dying at my ease4 ,they never condescended to give me an answer4 ,this served to hasten my end4 ,i wrote to ,bord to send you some detached pieces ,i left at ,guise1 which ,i beg you will accept4 ,you will find that they contain some well chosen literature4 ,these pieces will solicit for me a place in your remembrance4 ,adieu1 my dear lieutenant6 ,continue your esteem for ,st4 ,lambert and ,dorat4 ,as for the rest1 skip from flower to flower1 and acquire the sweets of all knowledge1 and enjoy every pleasure4 #8,pour moi1 j'arrive au trou1 ,qui n'echappe ni sage ni fou1 ,pour aller je ne sais o4' 8,if we exist after this life1 and it is forbidden to quit it without permission1 ,i will endeavour to procure one moment to inform you of it2 if not1 ,i shall advise all those who are unhappy1 which is by far the greater part of mankind1 to follow my example4 ,when you receive this letter1 ,i shall have been dead at least twenty-four hours4 ,with esteem1 c4 8,,bordeaux40 ,lord ,scarborough exhibited the same nonchalance in the act of killing himself as he did when he resigned his situation as master of the horse4 ,he was reproached in the ,house of ,peers with taking the king's part because he had a good place at court4 8,my ,lords10 said he1 8to prove to you that my opinion is independent of my place1 ,i resign it this moment40 ,he afterwards found himself in a perplexing dilemma between a mistress whom he loved1 but to whom he had promised nothing1 and a woman whom he esteemed1 and to whom he had promised marriage4 ,not having sufficient resolution to decide which to choose1 he killed himself to escape the embarrassment4 ,perhaps the coolest attempt at self-destruction on record1 the chef d'uvre of a suicide1 is one related by ,foder4 ,an ,englishman advertised extensively that he would on a certain day put himself to death in ,covent ,garden1 for the benefit of his wife and family4 ,tickets of admission a guinea each4 ,voltaire states that ,creech1 the translator of ,lucretius1 wrote on the margin of the manuscript1 8,remember to hang myself after my translation is finished10 and he accordingly did so4#hd ,zimmerman asserts that he committed suicide in order to escape from the contempt of his countrymen1 in consequence of the ill-success that attended the translation of ,horace1 which followed ,lucretius4 ,mr4 ,jacob1 however1 observes1 in reply to the statement of ,zimmerman1 that ,creech did not hang himself until seventeen years after the appearance of his ,horace4 ,his death was attributed at the time to some love affair1 or to his morose and splenetic temper4 ,the history of the unfortunate ,madame de ,monnier is full of interest4 ,it has been asserted that her death was the result of an ardent passion for ,mirabeau2 but we think it has clearly been established that1 at the time of her suicide1 she had abandoned all claim to his affection1 and had formed a strong attachment to a person who1 although highly respectable in point of rank1 was very inferior to herself4 ,it is well known that ,mirabeau had a liaison with ,madame de ,monnier1 the wife of the ,marquis de ,monnier1 whom she abandoned4 ,after residing seven years with her seducer1 mutual jealousies and suspicions arose1 and all intercourse between them ceased4 ,after the death of her husband1 the ,marquis de ,monnier1 she became enamoured of ,m4 ,edme4 ,benoit de ,poterat1 a retired captain of cavalry1 a widower1 thirty-five years of age4 ,the lovers were mutually captivated1 and they agreed to marry4 ,before this happy event1 however1 could be arranged1 the ill health of ,m4 de ,poterat forced him to quit the country1 and ,madame de ,monnier resolved to terminate her own existence4 ,she often conversed with her intimate friend ,dr4 ,ysabeau on the effects of suffocation from charcoal wood4 ,she asked whether death necessarily ensued8 ,the doctor replied1 that when suffocation was gradual and incomplete1 instances had been known of persons saved by the instinctive effort of introducing air into the room4 ,on the death of ,m4 de ,poterat1 which took place on the #hth of ,september1 #aghi1 ,madame de ,monnier was overcome with grief4 ,dr4 ,ysabeau and his wife did all they could to console her1 but without effect4 ,being alone one day1 she collected her papers1 tied them in bundles1 sealed them1 wrote a letter containing her last directions1 and entered a closet1 the smallness and closeness of which she considered well suited to the design she had long resolved to carry into execution4 ,she then closed and carefully calked the door and the window4 ,two chafing dishes full of charcoal1 which she had just lighted1 were then placed by her1 one on each side of the arm chair upon which she seated herself4 ,in order to prevent her purpose from being counteracted by any instinctive effort of nature1 she bound her legs1 first under and then above her clothes4 ,she then tied one of her arms to the chair1 and fixed the other1 and in this position calmly awaited death4 ,when it was discovered that she had attempted suicide1 ,m4 ,bousseau1 ,procureur du ,roi of the ,bailliage1 proceeded to the house1 attended by a surgeon1 who1 without adopting the most simple means of resuscitation1 commenced opening the body1 on the supposition that she was enceinte4 ,in the meanwhile1 a messenger was dispatched for ,dr4 ,ysabeau1 who rode full gallop towards ,madame de ,monnier's house2 but he arrived too late2 the operation had been performed1 and life was extinct4 ,from the symptoms which were present before the ignorant and barbarous surgeon commenced the operation1 ,dr4 ,ysabeau expressed a firm belief that he could have restored her to animation4#he ,m4----1 aged twenty-seven1 a native of ,burgundy1 who was equally favoured by nature and by fortune1 fell passionately in love with a young lady4 ,for a long time he solicited in vain the consent of his parents to the match1 but at length love triumphed4 ,scarcely a month had elapsed after his marriage1 when he was seized with a lowness of spirits1 a disgust of life1 and a frightful desire to commit suicide4 ,everything which the tenderness of a young and loving wife1 and the solicitude of the whole family1 by whom he was loved1 could suggest1 was done to disperse these gloomy ideas1 and reconcile him to life2 but the unfortunate fellow was too deeply sunk in his melancholy4 ,he at length quitted ,burgundy1 and went to ,paris with his brother to consult a physician4 ,the day after he had arrived1 he went to ,m4 ,esquirol1 made known his sad state to him1 assuring him that his weariness of life was not the result of any physical disease1 of any disappointment1 or of any moral pain2 affirming1 on the contrary1 that he was surrounded with nothing but subjects of contentment4 ,his brother confirmed this declaration4 ,he left ,m4 ,esquirol1 and promised to return the next day and commit himself to his care in his establishment4 ,the next day arrived1 the young man went out at six o'clock in the morning1 purchased a pair of pistols1 and returned at seven4 ,he then proposed to his brother to set out together for ,rouen2 but he reminded him of the promise he had given to ,m4 ,esquirol1 adding1 to prevent his changing his mind1 that he had months suitable to go4 ,at that instant ,m4---- took out his two pistols1 and placing the mouth of one of them at his brother's forehead1 said1 8,if you do not consent to go with me immediately1 ,i will instantly blow out your brains with this pistol1 and afterwards kill myself with the other40 ,the brother1 on hearing this1 fell at his feet in a swoon1 and when he recovered1 he no longer saw his unfortunate relative who had threatened him1 and he trembled lest he should have gone to some secret place to terminate his life4 ,he at once gave notice to the police1 and demanded that the most active of their body should be sent in search of him4 ,on his part1 he neglected nothing which could give him any clue to his discovery2 he inquired of his friends and his acquaintances1 but heard nothing of him until the next day1 when he received intelligence from the police that the body of a man shot through the head1 had been found in the forest of ,seuart4 ,it was that of his unfortunate brother4 ,m4 ,escousse1 author of a drama called ,faruck le ,maure1 about twenty1 and ,m4 ,lebras1 about fifteen1 both united by the closest ties of friendship1 and each of a melancholy turn of mind1 committed suicide at ,paris4 ,they had often complained of the miseries of this world1 and talked of the necessity of quitting it4 ,m4 ,escousse wrote the following note to his friends3--8,i shall expect you at half-past eleven o'clock2 the curtain will be raised2 come1 and we will at length arrive at the dnouement40 ,the young ,lebras arrived at the appointed time1 the charcoal was ignited1 and the two friends expired together4 ,a young woman of ,marseilles1 remarkable for her beauty1 formed a connexion with a cabinetmaker1 whose parents objected to their union4 ,they were found quite dead1 clasped in each other's arms1 having been suffocated by a quantity of burning charcoal4 ,they were both dressed in the most elegant manner1 and must have spent many hours at their toilet preparing for their last adieu4 ,the following case related by ,gall cannot easily be paralleled4 ,the first lieutenant of a company in which a man named ,prochaska served became enamoured of the wife of the latter2 but she resisted all his entreaties4 ,the officer1 irritated by this obstinacy1 was guilty of some injustice to the husband4 ,prochaska appeared dejected and morose1 but the following day he appeared at the dinner table and seemed quite tranquil4 ,a few days afterwards he and his wife attended the confessional and took the sacrament4 ,he dined in good spirits1 and took a few glasses of wine4 ,in the evening1 he and his wife went out to walk1 and he expressed himself in terms of great affection for her4 ,he asked her1 however1 if she had made a candid and full confession to the priest2 and on being answered in the affirmative1 he coolly plunged a poniard in her breast2 seeing that she was not instantly dispatched1 he cut her throat across1 in order to release her from her sufferings4 ,he now repaired to his house1 and seizing his two children1 who were in bed asleep1 he actually hacked them in pieces with a hatchet4 ,having committed these three murders1 he repaired to the main guard1 and with the most perfect coolness and deliberation detailed the whole particulars of the bloody deed4 ,he concluded in these words3--8,let the lieutenant now make love to my wife if he pleases60 ,shortly after this1 he stabbed himself to the heart4 ,a young lady threatened1 without ceasing1 to kill herself1 and made many attempts at it4 ,an old uncle with whom she lived1 tired by her repeated menaces1 proposed a walk in the country2 and taking her to the brink of a piece of water1 he commenced undressing himself4 8,now1 niece10 said he1 8throw yourself into the water1 and ,i will follow after you40 ,he continued pressing her1 and pushed her towards it2 but after some struggling1 she cried out that she was unwilling to die1 and would never more talk of killing herself4 ,a young woman1 married to a churlish husband1 and who1 although the mother of many children1 was unhappy in domestic life1 determined to fall by her own hands4 ,she threw herself into a part of the river sufficiently deep for the execution of her project1 but a man1 passing by1 drew her out1 and compelled her to go home4 ,the necessary attentions were paid her1 and she recovered2 but it was observed that she stood in much dread of water1 and felt a pain even in going into a bath4 ,she1 besides1 had a fit of melancholy at the time in which she endeavoured to drown herself4 ,this fit lasted two or three months2 it was followed by a month of great excitement1 and then she remained calm during the remainder of the year4 ,the bell of the church at ,fressonville1 in ,picardy1 was heard to sound at an unusual hour1 and in a very extraordinary manner4 ,the people hastened to make inquiry1 and found a man suspended from the clapper4 ,he was immediately cut down1 and after some time restored to life4 ,no motives are assigned for the act4 ,a person of melancholy temperament1 and who detested his parents on account of their injustice towards him1 had recourse to the chase as a diversion from his domestic sorrows4 ,one day1 being weary1 he lay down in the shade by the side of his weapon and his dog1 the faithful companion of his misfortunes1 and fell into a profound sleep4 ,he awoke in an agitated state of mind1 and the idea occurred to him of making an eternal sleep follow the temporary one he had so much enjoyed4 ,pleased with this1 he got up1 increased the charge of his fowling-piece1 and was about to blow out his brains1 when he sensibly reflected in this manner--8,what6 am ,i about to shorten my days because my unjust and unnatural parents deprive me of their property8 ,this is to give them their utmost desire1 and to abandon to them that which they cannot take from me40 ,matthew ,lovat was born at ,casale1 a hamlet belonging to the parish of ,soldo1 in the territory of ,belluno4 ,his father's name was ,mark1 and being in poor circumstances1 the son was employed in the coarsest labours of husbandry4 ,his education and habits must have been in accordance with his station2 but it appears that1 being attracted by the comfortable and easy circumstances of the rector and curate1 the only persons in the parish who lived without manual labour1 he placed himself under the latter with the desire of entering the priesthood4 ,from him he learned to read and write a little1 but he was too poor to gratify this inclination1 and betook himself to the trade of a shoemaker4 ,whether this disappointment had any effect on ,lovat we cannot tell1 but he never became expert at his trade1 and was distinguished for his gloominess and silence4 ,when he grew older1 he became subject to attacks of giddiness in the head in the spring1 and to eruptions of a leprous character4 ,except this gloominess and his great attention to religious exercises1 nothing remarkable was noticed about ,lovat until ,july1 #ahjb4 ,at this period he performed an operation upon himself1 which subjected him so much to the ridicule of his neighbours that he was compelled to remain within doors1 and to refrain even from going to mass4 ,he left the village in ,november1 and went to ,venice1 where he had a younger brother1 who recommended him to a widow1 with whom he lodged until the #bast of ,september in the following year1 working regularly as a shoemaker1 and without exhibiting any signs of insanity4 ,on that day he made his first attempt to crucify himself4 ,having constructed a cross out of the wood of his bed1 he proceeded to nail himself to it in the middle of the street1 called the ,cross of ,biri1 and was only prevented by some persons who seized him as he was about to drive the nail through his left foot4 ,he was interrogated as to his motives1 but would give no answer1 except on one occasion1 when he said that the day was the festival of ,st4 ,matthew1 and that he could not explain further4 ,a few days after this had happened1 he left ,venice1 and went to his native village1 but returned soon after1 and continued working at his trade for nearly three years without exhibiting further signs of his malady4 ,having taken a room in a third story in the street ,delle ,monache1 his old delusion again seized him1 and he commenced making at his leisure hours the machine on which he intended to accomplish his purpose1 and providing the nails1 ropes1 bands1 crown of thorns1 c4 ,he perceived that it would be difficult to nail himself firmly to the cross1 and therefore made a net1 which he fastened over it1 securing it at the bottom of the upright beam a little below the bracket he had placed for his feet1 and at the ends of the two arms4 ,the whole apparatus was securely tied by two ropes1 one from the net1 and the other from the place where the beams intersected each other4 ,these ropes were fastened to the bar above the window1 and were just sufficiently long to allow the cross to lie horizontally upon the floor of his apartment4 ,having finished these preparations1 he next put on his crown of thorns1 some of which entered his forehead2 and then1 having stripped himself naked1 he girded his loins with a white handkerchief4 ,he then introduced himself into the net1 and seating himself on the cross1 drove a nail through the palm of his right hand by striking its head against the floor until the point appeared on the other side4 ,he now placed his feet on the bracket he had prepared for them1 and with a mallet drove a nail completely through them both1 entering a hole he had previously made to receive it1 and fastening them to the wood4 ,he next tied himself to the cross by a piece of cord round his waist1 and wounded himself in the side with a knife which he used in his trade4 ,the wound was inflicted two inches below the left hypochondre1 towards the internal angle of the abdominal cavity1 but did not injure any of the parts which the cavity contains4 ,several scratches were observed on his breast1 which appeared to have been done by the knife in probing for a place which should present no obstruction4 ,the knife1 according to ,lovat1 represented the spear of passion4 ,all this he accomplished in the interior of his apartment1 but it was now necessary to shew himself in public4 ,to accomplish this1 he had placed the foot of the cross upon the window sill1 which was very low1 and by pressing his fingers against the floor1 he gradually drew himself forward1 until the foot of the cross overbalancing the head1 the whole machine tilted out of the window1 and hung by the two ropes which were fastened to the beam4 ,he then1 by way of finishing1 nailed his right hand to the arm of the cross1 but could not succeed in fixing his left1 although the nail by which it was to have been fixed was driven through it1 and half of it came out of the other side4 ,this took place at eight o'clock in the morning4 ,some persons by whom he was perceived ran up stairs1 disengaged him from the cross1 and put him to bed4 ,a surgeon in the neighbourhood who was called in ordered his feet to be put in water1 introduced some tow into the wound in the hypochondre1 which he said did not reach the cavity1 and prescribed some cordial4 ,luckily1 ,dr4 ,bergierri1 to whom we are indebted for the particulars of this case1 was passing near1 and came immediately to the house4 ,when he arrived1 his feet1 from which but a small quantity of blood had flowed1 were still in water2 his eyes were shut2 he gave no answer to the questions of those around him2 his pulse was convulsive2 his respiration difficult2 he was1 in fact1 in a state which required the most prompt means of assistance4 ,having obtained permission of the director of police1 who had come to the spot to ascertain what had happened1 he had him removed by water to the ,imperial ,clinical ,school at the ,hospital of ,st4 ,luke and ,st4 ,john1 of which he then had the superintendence4 ,the only observation ,lovat made while being conveyed was to his brother ,angelo1 who was lamenting his extravagance2 he replied1 8,alas6 ,i am very unfortunate40 ,his wounds were examined afresh on his arrival at the hospital1 and it was quite evident that the nails had entered at the palm of the hand1 and passing between the bones of the metacarpus without doing them much injury1 had gone out of the back4 ,the nail which fastened the feet first entered the right foot between the second and third bones of the metatarsus1 and then passed between the first and second of the left foot1 laying them open and grazing them4 ,the wound in the hypochondre was found to extend to the point of the cavity4 ,the patient all this time was quite docile1 and did everything that was required of him4 ,the wounds in the extremities were treated with fresh oil of sweet almonds and bread and milk poultices1 renewed several times a day4 ,some ounces of the mixture cardiaca opiata and a little very weak lemonade were taken at intervals during the first six days4 ,on the fifth day the wounds of the extremities suppurated1 and on the eighth1 that in the hypochondre was perfectly healed4 ,dr4 ,bergierri frequently questioned him as to the motives he had in crucifying himself1 and always received the same answer--8,the pride of man must be mortified2 it must expire on the cross40 ,lovat seldom spoke2 he sat with his eyes closed1 and a gloomy expression of countenance4 ,the impression on his mind that he must crucify himself was very deep4 ,he seemed fully persuaded that this was an obligation imposed on him by the will of the ,deity1 and wished to inform the tribunal of justice that this was his destiny1 in order that they might not suspect that he had received his death from any other hand than his own4 ,he had expressed these ideas on a paper which he wrote before his attempt1 and which afterwards fell into the hands of ,dr4 ,b4 ,he did not complain much of pain during the first seven days1 but on the morning of the eighth he suffered severely2 this1 however1 was soon removed by the remedies had recourse to4 ,in the course of a short time ,lovat was completely restored to bodily health1 but his mind retained until his death the same melancholy caste1 although he never had another opportunity of putting his sanguinary project into execution4#hf ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,can ,,suicide ,,be ,,prevented ,,by ,,legislative ,,enactments8--,,influence ,,of ,,moral ,,instruction4--,,conclusion4 ,the legitimate object of punishment--,the argument of ,beccaria--,a legal solecism--,a suicide not amenable to human tribunals--,evidence at coroners' courts1 ex-parte--,the old law of no advantage--,no penal law will restrain a man from the commission of suicide--,verdict of felo-de-se punishes the innocent1 and therefore unjust--,are suicides insane1 and therefore not responsible agents8--,the man who reasons himself into suicide not of sound mind--,rational mode of preventing suicide by promoting religious education4 ,the only legitimate object for which punishment can be inflicted is the prevention of crime4 8,am ,i to be hanged for stealing a sheep80 said a criminal at the ,old ,bailey1 addressing the bench4 8,no10 replied the judge2 8you are not to be hanged for stealing a sheep1 but that sheep may not be stolen40 ,every punishment1 argues ,beccaria1 which does not arise from absolute necessity is unjust4 ,there should be a fixed proportion between crimes and punishments4 ,crimes are only to be estimated by the injury done to society2 and the end of punishment is1 to prevent the criminal from doing further injury1 as well as to induce others from committing similar offences4 ,the act of suicide ought not to be considered as a crime in the legal definition of the term4 ,it is not an offence that can be deemed cognizable by the civil magistrate4 ,it is to be considered a sinful and vicious action4 ,to punish suicide as a crime is to commit a solecism in legislation4 ,the unfortunate individual1 by the very act of suicide1 places himself beyond the vengeance of the law2 he has anticipated its operation2 he has rendered himself amenable to the highest tribunal--viz41 that of his ,creator2 no penal enactments1 however stringent1 can affect him4 ,what is the operation of the law under these circumstances8 ,a verdict of felo-de-se is returned1 and the innocent relations of the suicide are disgraced and branded with infamy1 and that too on evidence of an ex-parte nature4 ,it is unjust1 inhuman1 unnatural1 and unchristian1 that the law should punish the innocent family of the man who1 in a moment of frenzy1 terminates his own miserable existence4 ,it was clearly established1 that before the alteration in the law respecting suicide1 the fear of being buried in a cross-road1 and having a stake driven through the body1 had no beneficial effect in decreasing the number of suicides2 and the verdict of felo-de-se1 now occasionally returned1 is productive of no advantage whatever1 and only injures the surviving relatives4 ,when a man contemplates an outrage of the law1 the fear of the punishment awarded for the offence may deter him from its commission2 but the unhappy person whose desperate circumstances impel him to sacrifice his own life can be influenced by no such fear4 ,his whole mind is absorbed in the consideration of his own miseries1 and he even cuts asunder those ties that ought to bind him closely and tenderly to the world he is about to leave4 ,if an affectionate wife and endearing family have no influence in deterring a man from suicide1 is it reasonable to suppose that he will be influenced by penal laws8 ,if the view which has been taken in this work of the cause of suicide be a correct one1 no stronger argument can be urged for the impropriety of bringing the strong arm of the law to bear upon those who court a voluntary death4 ,in the majority of cases1 it will be found that some heavy calamity has fastened itself upon the mind1 and the spirits have been extremely depressed4 ,the individual loses all pleasure in society2 hope vanishes1 and despair renders life intolerable1 and death an apparent relief4 ,the evidence which is generally submitted to a coroner's jury is of necessity imperfect2 and although the suicide may1 to all appearance1 be in possession of his right reason1 and have exhibited at the moment of killing himself the greatest calmness1 coolness1 and self-possession1 this would not justify the coroner or jury in concluding that derangement of mind was not present4 ,if the mind be overpowered by 8grief1 sickness1 infirmity1 or other accident10 as ,sir ,mathew ,hale expresses it1 the law presumes the existence of lunacy4 ,any passion that powerfully exercises the mind1 and prevents the reasoning faculty from performing its duty1 causes temporary derangement4 ,it is not necessary in order to establish the presence of insanity to prove the person to be labouring under a delusion of intellect--a false creation of the mind4 ,a man may allow his imagination to dwell upon an idea until it acquires an unhealthy ascendency over the intellect1 and in this way a person may commit suicide from an habitual belief in the justifiableness of the act4#hg ,if a man1 by a distorted process of reasoning1 argues himself into a conviction of the propriety of adopting a particular course of conduct1 without any reference to the necessary result of that train of thought1 it is certainly no evidence of his being in possession of a sound mind4 ,a person may reason himself into a belief that murder1 under certain circumstances not authorized by the law1 is perfectly just and proper4 ,the circumstance of his allowing his mind to reason on the subject is a prima facie case against his sanity2 at least it demonstrates a great weakness of the moral constitution4 ,a man's morale must be in an imperfect state of development who reasons himself into the conviction that self-murder is under any circumstances justifiable4 ,we dwell at some length on this subject1 because we feel assured that juries do not pay sufficient attention to the influence of passion in overclouding the understanding4 ,if the notion that in every case of suicide the intellectual or moral faculties are perverted1 be generally received1 it will at once do away with the verdict of felo-de-se4 ,should the jury entertain a doubt as to the presence of derangement1 7and such cases may present themselves17 it is their duty1 in accordance with the well-known principle of ,british jurisprudence1 to give the person the benefit of that doubt2 and thus a verdict of lunacy may be conscientiously returned in every case of this description4 ,having1 we think1 clearly established that no penal law can act beneficially in preventing self-destruction1--first1 because it would punish the innocent for the crimes of the guilty2 and1 secondly1 that1 owing to insanity being present in every instance1 the person determined on suicide is indifferent as to the consequences of his action1--it becomes our province to consider what are the legitimate means of staying the progress of an offence that undermines the foundation of society and social happiness4 ,in the prevention of suicide1 too much stress cannot be laid on the importance of adopting a well-regulated1 enlarged1 and philosophic system of education1 by which all the moral as well as the intellectual faculties will be expanded and disciplined4 ,the education of the intellect without any reference to the moral feelings is a species of instruction calculated to do an immense amount of injury4 ,the tuition that addresses itself exclusively to the perceptive and reflective faculties is not the kind of education that will elevate the moral character of a people4 ,religion must be made the basis of all secular knowledge4 ,we must be led to believe that the education which fits the possessor for another world is vastly superior to that which has relation only to the concerns of this life4 ,we are no opponents to the diffusion of knowledge2 but we are to that description of information which has only reference 8to the life that is1 and not to that which is to be40 ,such a system of instruction is of necessity defective1 because it is partial in its operation4 ,teach a man his duty to ,god1 as well as his obligations to his fellow-men2 lead him to believe that his life is not his own2 that disappointment and misery is the penalty of ,adam's transgression1 and one from which there is no hope of escaping2 and1 above all1 inculcate a resignation to the decrees of ,divine ,providence4 ,when life becomes a burden1 when the mind is sinking under the weight of accumulated misfortunes1 and no gleam of hope penetrates through the vista of futurity to gladden the heart1 the intellect says1 8,commit suicide1 and escape from a world of wretchedness and woe20 the moral principle says1 8,live2 it is your duty to bear with resignation the afflictions that overwhelm you2 let the moral influence of your example be reflected in the characters of those by whom you are surrounded40 ,if we are justified in maintaining that the majority of the cases of suicide result from a vitiated condition of the moral principle1 then it is certainly a legitimate mode of preventing the commission of the offence to elevate the character of man as a moral being4 ,it is no legitimate argument against this position to maintain that insanity in all its phases marches side by side with civilization and refinement2 but it must not be forgotten that a people may be refined and civilized1 using these terms in their ordinary signification1 who have not a just conception of their duties as members of a ,christian community4 ,let the education of the heart go side by side with the education of the head2 inculcate the ennobling thought1 that we live not for ourselves1 but for others2 that it is an evidence of true ,christian courage to face bravely the ills of life1 to bear with impunity 8the whips and scorns of time1 the oppressor's wrong1 and the proud man's contumely20 and we disseminate principles which will give expansion to those faculties that alone can fortify the mind against the commission of a crime alike repugnant to all human and ,divine laws4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,csar's reply on being told of ,cato's death was reported to be--8,cato1 ,i envy thee thy death1 for thou hast envied me the preservation of thy life20 on which ,plutarch remarks1 8,had ,cato suffered himself to be preserved by ,csar1 it is likely he would not so much have impaired his own honour1 as augmented the other's clemency and glory40 ,but ,cato's own idea was1 that it was an insupportable instance of ,csar's tyranny and usurpation that he should 8pretend0 to shew clemency in saving lives over whom he had no legal authority4 #b ,the affection and resolution of an obscure private soldier was very remarkable1 who1 standing before ,otho with his drawn sword1 spoke thus--8,behold in my action an instance of the unshaken fidelity of all your soldiery4 ,there is not one of us but would strive thus to preserve thee10 and immediately he stabbed himself to the heart4 ,many private soldiers1 after ,otho's death1 gave the same proof of fidelity to their deceased lord4--,plutarch's ,life of ,otho4 #c ,it is said that the night before the battle the same spectre appeared to ,brutus1 but vanished without saying anything4 #d ,tac4 ,an4 xvi4 #e ,at ,anchiale1 there was a monument erected to the memory of ,sardanapalus4 ,it consisted of an image carved in stone work1 and having the thumb and the finger of the right hand joined1 as if making some sound or noise with them4 ,on the monument was inscribed these words in ,assyrian characters3 8,sardanapalus1 the son of ,anacyndarax1 founded ,anchiale and ,tyre in one day4 ,eat1 drink1 and be merry4 ,as for the rest1 it is not worth the snap of the finger40 #f ,varro de ,ling4 ,lat41 lib4 iv4 #g #a ,samuel1 xxxi4 #h ,this is the only case of suicide recorded in the ,new ,testament4 ,judas's conduct is condemned in the strongest language2 he is called in the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john 7vi4 #gj17 8a devil1 and the son of perdition20 and in the first chapter of the ,acts of the ,apostles1 at the #beth verse1 after the account given of his violent death1 he is said to have gone to his own peculiar place4 7 47 ,virgil thus alludes to the 8place of punishment0 allotted to those who sacrifice wantonly their own lives3-- 8,proxima deinde tenent msti loca1 qui sibi letum ,insontes peperre manu1 lucemque perosi ,projecre animas4 ,qum vellent there in alto ,nunc et pauperiem et duros perferre labores6 ,fas obstat4 ,tristique palus inamabilis und ,alligat1 et novies ,styx interfusa corcet40 7,,neis1 lib4 vi4 ver4 #dcd et seq47 8,the next in place and punishment are they ,who prodigally throw their souls away3 ,fools1 who1 repining at their wretched state1 ,and loathing anxious life1 suborn their fate3 ,with late repentance now they would retrieve ,the bodies they forsook1 and wish to live2 ,their pains and poverty desire to bear1 ,to view the light of heaven and breathe the vital air4 ,but fate forbids1 the ,stygian floods oppose1 ,and with nine circling streams the captive souls inclose40 7,,dryden47 #i ,macc4 i4 #f4 #aj ,there is something sublime in the stern copiousness with which the stoics dwelt particularly on the facility with which suicide may be committed4 8,ante omnia cavi1 ne quis vos teneret invitos3 ,,patet ,,exitus4 ,si pugnare non vultis1 licet fugere4 ,ideoque ex omnibus rebus1 quas esse vobis necessarias volui1 nihil feci facilius1 quam mori4 ,attendite modo et videbitis quam brevis ad libertatem et quam expedita ducat via4 ,non tam longas in exitu vobis quam intrantibus1 moras posui10 c4--,seneca de ,providentia1 in fine4 ,vide epistle lxx4 #aa ,epistles xii4 and lxx42 and ,de ,ir1 lib4 iii4 #ab ,corpus ,juris ,civilis1 lib4 xlviii4 tit4 xxi4 parag4 #c4 #ac ,vide ,potter's ,antiquities4 #ad ,universal ,geography1 vol4 iii4 p4 #aee4 #ae ,it is generally believed that ,rousseau killed himself by taking arsenic2 but this has been denied4 ,judging from the character and disposition of the man1 we should feel disposed to credit the statement respecting his voluntary death4 ,rousseau always maintained that the following stanza of ,tasso had a direct application to him1 and accurately described his feelings and position in the world-- 8,still1 still 'tis mine with grief and shame to rove1 ,a dire example of disastrous love2 ,while keen remorse for ever breaks my rest1 ,and raging furies haunt my conscious breast1 ,the lonely shades with terror must ,i view1 ,the shades shall every dreadful thought renew3 ,the rising sun shall equal horrors yield1 ,the sun that first the dire event revealed2 ,still must ,i view myself with hateful eye1 ,and seek1 though vainly1 from myself to fly40 #af ,duverger de ,haurane1 abbot of ,st4 ,cyran1 regarded as the founder of ,port ,royal1 wrote1 in the year #afjh1 a treatise on suicide1 which has1 says ,voltaire1 become one of the scarcest books in ,europe4 ,he says the decalogue forbids us to kill4 ,in this precept1 self-murder seems no less to be comprised than murder of our neighbour4 ,but if there are cases in which it is allowable to kill our neighbour1 there likewise are cases in which it is allowable to kill ourselves4 ,we must not make an attempt upon our lives until we have consulted reason4 ,the public authority1 which holds the place of ,god1 may dispose of our lives4 ,the reason of man may likewise hold the place of the reason of ,god1--it is a ray of the eternal light4 ,voltaire1 disposed as he was to advocate the right of committing suicide whenever a man considered death preferable to a dishonourable life1 had sufficient sagacity to see through the glaring sophistry of ,st4 ,cyran's reasoning on this point4 ,the same author says1 8,a man may kill himself for the good of his prince1 for that of his country1 or for that of his relations40 #ag ,it is evident that the great dramatist considered that suicide was opposed to the divine will4 8,against self-slaughter ,there is a prohibition so divine1 ,that cravens my weak hand40 ,again1 he says-- 8,or that the ,everlasting had not fixed ,his canon 'gainst self-slaughter60 #ah ,warder's 8,letters from the ,northumberland40 #ai ,london ,medical and ,surgical ,journal1 vol4 v4 p4 #ea4 #bj ,in a table given by ,professor ,caspar1 of ,berlin1 one hundred and three cases of suicide are attributed to mental affections2 thirty of these may be classed under this head1 and thirty-two under that of fear and despondency combined4 #ba ,the massacre of ,st4 ,bartholomew lasted seven days1 during which more than #ejjj persons were slain in ,paris1 and from #dj to #ej1jjj in the country4 ,during the execution1 the king betrayed neither pity nor remorse1 but fired with his long gun at the poor fugitives across the river2 and on viewing the body of ,coligni on a gibbet1 he exulted with a fiendish malignity4 ,in early life1 this monster had been noted for his cruelty3 nothing gave him greater pleasure than cutting off the heads of asses or pigs with a single blow from his couteau de chasse4 ,after the massacre1 he is said to have contracted a singularly wild expression of feature1 and to have slept little and waked in agonies4 ,he attributed his thirst for human blood to the circumstance of his mother having at an early period of his life familiarized his mind with the brutal sport of hunting bullocks1 and with all kinds of cruelty4 ,it is recorded that1 when dying1 he actually sweated blood4 #bb ,hist4 ,eccles4 edit4 ,duaci1 #afbb1 pp4 #fdc-d4 #bc ,meaning the ,duke of ,gloucester4 #bd ,king ,henry1 ,act #c4 #be ,dr4 ,johnson's ,rasselas4 #bf ,gothe1 in allusion to one of his own early attachments4 #bg ,love1 it is said1 often turns the brains of the ,italians1 even the men4 ,m4 ,esquirol says1 8,frenchmen seldom go mad from love4 ,a ,frenchman often kills himself in a sally of passion and feeling1 but is seldom in love long enough to go mad about it40 #bh 8,love40 #bi ,o',meara's 8,voice from ,st4 ,helena10 vol4 i4 p4 #eg4 #cj 8,life of ,napoleon10 vol4 viii4 p4 #bdd4 #ca ,it is worthy of remark that the judge who condemned1 as well as the disciple who betrayed1 our ,saviour1 were both driven by despair to suicide4 ,the fate of ,judas is recorded in the ,gospel2 the concluding scenes in the life of ,pontius ,pilate are related by two learned historians 7,josephus and ,eusebius74 ,the former says that 8,pontius ,pilate1 after having exercised great cruelties in his government of ,juda1 was1 before the ,roman ,emperor 7,caligula71 stripped of all his dignities and fortunes1 and banished to ,gaul1 where it is said he suffered such extreme hardships of body and despair of mind1 that1 after lingering for two years1 he became his own executioner40 #cb ,lessing4 #cc ,on ,lunatic ,asylums4 #cd ,vide ,mathews' ,life1 by his widow1 vol4 ii4 p4 #aeh4 #ce ,dr4 ,haslam4 #cf 8,revue ,mdicale10 ,dec4 #ahba4 #cg ,under the heathen mythology1 it was believed that the struggles of death continued till ,proserpine had cropped the hair on the crown of the head1 as victims were treated at the altar4 ,virgil has preserved this opinion in the fourth book of the neid1 where he gives so fine a picture of the dying agonies of ,dido4 #ch ,it is only by reasoning physiologically that we can conclude that the act of dying is not a painful process4 ,in proportion as death seizes its victim1 so must consciousness be suspended4 ,what can be more painful to the beholder than to witness the convulsive struggles1 and the foaming at the mouth1 of a person in an epileptic fit1 who1 when restored to consciousness1 has no recollection of what has occurred8 ,he remembers the premonitory indications1 and that is all4 ,death is but an epileptic struggle4 ,a phenomenon attends the dying moment which we do not recollect to have seen noticed4 ,a man who fell into the water1 and who rose several times to the surface1 had a consciousness of the hopelessness and awfulness of his situation2 he felt that death was inevitable4 ,with this conviction on his mind1 he saw presented to him a picture of his past life2 the minutest action in which he had been engaged was brought in a kind of tableau before him4 ,circumstances that had long been forgotten were conjured from his brain1 and he had a bird's-eye view of his past career4 ,possibly1 this may occur to every person at the moment of dying4 ,the expressions of those placed under such circumstances would indicate as much4 #ci ,foreign ,quarterly ,review1 vol4 xvi4 #dj ,vol4 xxi4 for #ahcg4 #da ,it is related by ,lord ,bacon1 in his 8,historia ,vit et ,mortis10 that a friend of his1 who was particularly anxious to ascertain whether criminals suffered much pain in undergoing the sentence of the law1 on one occasion suspended himself by the neck1 having for that purpose thrown himself off a stool1 on which he supposed he could readily remount1 when he had carried his experiment sufficiently far to satisfy his curiosity4 ,the report goes on to state1 that the loss of consciousness which followed would have led to a fatal termination of the experiment1 had not a friend accidentally entered the apartment in time to save the life of the adventurous experimentalist4 ,foder relates a similar incident of one of his fellow-students4 ,this young man1 after an argument respecting the cause of death in hanging1 resolved personally to gratify his curiosity1 by passing a ligature round his neck1 and attaching it to a hook behind the door4 ,to accomplish this1 he had raised himself on tip-toe1 and now gradually brought his heels to the ground4 ,he soon lost all consciousness1 but was cut down by a companion1 who discovered him1 in a state of insensibility1 very soon after the commencement of the experiment1 and by the prompt application of remedial measures he was finally recovered4 ,from cases of this description we learn that the first effect experienced in hanging is the appearance of a dazzling light before the eyes1 accompanied by tingling in the ears4 ,these sensations are1 however1 momentary1 for insensibility and death rapidly close the scene4 #db ,gazette ,litteraire4 #dc ,foreign ,literary ,gazette4 #dd ,in #ahjf1 upwards of sixty voluntary deaths took place at ,rouen1 during ,june and ,july1 the air being at that time remarkably humid and warm2 and in ,july and ,august of the same year1 more than three hundred were committed at ,copenhagen1 the constitution of the atmosphere presenting the same characteristics as it did at ,rouen4 ,the year #agic1 presented in the town of ,versailles alone the horrible spectacle of thirteen hundred suicides4 #de ,this was ,philip ,mordaunt1 cousin-german to the celebrated ,earl of ,peterborough1 so well known to all ,european courts1 and who boasted of having seen more postillions and kings than any other man4 ,mordaunt was young1 handsome1 of noble blood1 highly educated1 and beloved by those who knew him4 ,he resolved to die4 ,preparatory to his doing so1 he wrote to his friends1 paid his debts1 and even made some verses on the occasion4 ,he said his soul was tired of his body1 and when we are dissatisfied with our abode1 it is our duty to quit it4 ,he put a pistol to his head and blew out his brains4 ,an uninterrupted course of good fortune was the only motive that could be assigned for this suicide4 #df ,m4 ,falret4 #dg ,dict4 des ,sciences ,med41 vol4 liii4 #dh ,previous to ,cowper's attempt at suicide1 he had fallen into the company of two sophists1 who both advanced claims to the right of self-destruction1 and whose fallacious arguments won him to their pernicious views1 which were1 besides1 aided by his recollection of a certain book containing similar reasoning1 which1 however weak in itself1 now seemed to his disordered mind irrefragable4 #di ,dr4 ,j4 ,johnson4 #ej ,vide ,dr4 ,conolly4 #ea ,wordsworth4 #eb ,the possunt quia posse videuntur feeling is not sufficiently encouraged by medical philosophers in treating mental affections4 #ec ,history of ,music4 #ed ,edinburgh ,medical ,trans4 #ee ,lib4 xii4 cap4 #ea4 #ef ,when ,pope was on his death-bed1 ,bolingbroke observed to the weeping attendants1 8,i have known ,pope these thirty years2 he was the kindest-hearted man in the world40 #eg ,prior to the more urgent symptoms developing themselves1 he appeared to be endeavouring to recollect ,dr4 ,b41 and addressed him as ,dr4 ,death4 #eh ,a medical student1 twenty years of age1 was seized with mania1 arising from the presence of worms in the intestines4 ,he felt the most acute pains in the different regions of his body1 appearing to him as if persons were driving arrows into him1 more particularly in the palms of his hands and soles of his feet4 ,this caused him to utter most distressing cries1 to seek to be alone1 and prevented him from walking4 ,the intolerable pains and madness left him as soon as the worms were expelled4 #ei 8,when powerful feelings or passions are in active operation1 in the insane or in the sane1 they draw the muscles of the face into particular forms2 and1 if they continue for a length of time to be greatly predominant1 they impress upon the countenance an appearance indicative of the character4 ,this is felt and acted upon unconsciously in the common intercourse of life4 ,a good countenance is a letter of recommendation2 and we have1 in spite of ourselves1 an unfavourable feeling towards a stranger where this is absent4 ,now in the generality of suicidal cases1 the desponding feelings are in constant and active operation2 hence there is usually a melancholy and gloomy expression of countenance4 ,this arises from no mysterious cause peculiar to insanity1 but is perfectly intelligible on common physiognomical principles2 but there are numerous instances where the most experienced physician would be unable to detect1 by inspection only1 the slightest mark of either a disposition to suicide or insanity4 ,the absence of this expression must not1 therefore1 induce us to suppose that this disposition does not exist40--,,sir ,w4 ,,ellis4 #fj ,ellis on ,insanity4 #fa ,indications of ,insanity4 #fb ,journ4 ,gen4 de ,mdecine1 ,juillet1 #ahbb4 #fc 8,pain is an evil2 death1 the deprivation of every hope or comfort in this life4 ,no man in his senses will burn1 drown1 or stab himself2 for these all produce what are called evils2 neither can any of these actions be executed without the probability of pain in the convulsive action or struggles of death4 ,as no rational being will voluntarily give himself pain1 or deprive himself of life1 which certainly1 while human beings preserve their senses1 must be acknowledged evils1 it follows that every one who commits suicide is indubitably non compos mentis1 not able to reason justly1 but is under the influence of false images of the mind2 and therefore suicide should ever be considered an act of insanity40--,,dr4 ,,rowley4 #fd ,lowness of spirits ought to be regarded and treated as insanity1 says ,ellis1 and not dreaded as its forerunner4 ,for it is at this stage that suicide is resorted to4 ,should this not be the case1 specific hallucinations may speedily appear1 and the agony of mind will be endured as a consequence of bankruptcy1 the unfaithfulness of a friend1 the persecutions of enemies1 or the ravages of an incurable disease4 ,no demonstration of the untenableness of such grounds1 no picture of brighter and happier circumstances1 will avail to refute or encourage4 ,the sufferer clings to his hoarded misery4 ,there is generally great loss of physical strength in cases of this kind1 and the pale emaciated countenance1 dull and sunken eye1 and listless dejected form1 tell as plainly as the querulous complaint1 or the long intricate description of sorrows and anticipated evils1 to what class the patient belongs4 #fe ,vide ,lord ,dover's ,life of ,frederick1 and ,ray on ,med4 ,juris4 #ff ,dr4 ,j4 ,johnson4 #fg ,hill on ,insanity4 #fh ,this was no doubt an hallucination of the senses4 ,on another occasion1 when in the ,house of ,commons1 ,lord ,castlereagh fancied he saw the same 8,radiant ,boy40 ,does not this fact establish that his lordship's senses were not always in a healthy condition8 ,it is possible that when impelled to suicide he laboured under some mental delusion4 #fi ,notes to ,metzger4 #gj ,annales de ,hyg4 pub4 et de ,md4 ,lg4 tom4 v4 p4 #aef4 #ga ,we have availed ourselves of ,dr4 ,taylor's translation of the particulars of the prince's death1 which are recorded with much minuteness in the 8,annales d',hygine ,publique1 et de ,mdecine ,lgale40 #gb ,foder1 vol4 iii4 p4 #afg2 from the ,causes ,clbres4 ,see also ,grimm's ,historical and ,literary ,memoirs1 7from #agec to #agfi17 vol4 ii4 pp4 #da1 #aag1 and #aff4 #gc ,travels in ,asia1 ,africa1 c4 #gd ,to which may be added1 anticipation of punishment1 or disgrace from misconduct4 #ge ,md4 ,lgale1 iv4 #idh2 and ,smith on ,med4 ,jurisprudence4 #gf ,the committee made no report4 ,lord ,delamere undertook to draw it up1 but before he did so1 parliament was prorogued4 ,bishop ,burnet1 who has given the particulars of the case with great minuteness1 says1 he had no doubt that the ,earl of ,essex committed suicide4 ,he was subject to fits of deep melancholy1 and maintained the lawfulness of suicide4 ,this is also ,hume's opinion4 #gg ,this is confirmed by the fact that within the jurisdiction of the metropolitan police1 the two districts in which the greatest number of suicides were committed or attempted1 in #ahcf or #ahcg1 were those of the ,regent's ,park and ,stepney1 through both of which the ,regent's ,canal runs4 ,this circumstance tends to shew that drowning is the mode of suicide most frequently resorted to in ,london1 and that a canal offers greater facilities for that purpose than the river4 #gh ,the disposition to suicide may be manifested very early in life4 ,m4 ,falret knew a boy1 twelve years old1 who hanged himself because he was only twelfth in his class4 ,a similar case occurred at the ,westminster school about seventeen years ago4 ,harriet ,cooper1 of ,huden ,hill1 ,rowly-,regis1 aged ten years and two months1 upon being reproved for a trifling fault1 went upstairs1 after exhibiting symptoms of grief by sighing and sobbing1 and hung herself with a pair of cotton braces from the rail of a tent bed4 ,a girl named ,green1 eleven years old1 drowned herself in the ,new ,river1 from the fear of correction for a trifling fault4 ,dr4 ,schlegel states1 on the authority of ,casper1 that in ,berlin1 between the years #ahab and #ahba1 no less than thirty-one children1 of twelve years of age and under1 committed suicide1 either because they were tired of existence or had suffered some trifling chastisement4 #gi 8,oh1 supreme ,god1 who inhabitest the highest heavens1 heal my afflictions2 as with the wretched in hell1 the joyful in heaven1 shew mercy to the guilty40 #hj ,dr4 ,moore's ,travels through ,france1 vol4 i4 let4 #cb4 #ha ,hufeland's ,journal4 #hb ,hist4 de l',acad4 ,roy41 #agfi4 #hc ,paris and the ,parisians1 by ,mrs4 ,trollope4 #hd ,voltaire observes1 that if ,creech had been translating ,ovid1 he would not have committed suicide4 #he ,we refer our readers1 for a minute and deeply interesting account of this unfortunate woman's career1 to a work from which we have gleaned the above facts2 the particulars of her life will be perused with great interest4--,vide 8,memoirs of ,mirabeau1 by himself10 vol4 iii4 chap4 xi4 #hf ,vide ,frontispiece4 #hg ,a singular case of this kind was brought under the notice of the ,westminster ,medical ,society by ,dr4 ,stone1 as an argument in favour of the possibility of a person committing suicide when in possession of a sane mind4 ,t4 ,c4 ,savill1 ,printer1 #ajg1 ,st4 ,martin's ,lane1 ,charing ,cross4