Professor Bailey, of the Social Science De partment at Yale, after examining 10,009 cases of suicide, arrived at. the following conclusions: "Three and one-half males commit suicide to every female. From 30 to 40 is the popular suicide age, and the married are more apt to do away with themselves than the single. Among the single the maximum number of cases is between 20 and 30; among married persons between 30 and 40; among widowers, between 60 and 70, and among divorced per sons the same. In this country shooting is the favorite method of suicide, poisoning being a close second. Hanging is more popular in northern Europe, and drownings in southern countries. In Maine most of the suicides hang themselves; in the cities they jump from build ings or bridges, poison themselves or turn on the gas; in the South they shoot themselves. Women drown themselves, use poison and gas. Women as a rule commit suicide in such a way as to avoid injuring their features. Young per sons seem to prefer poison; the middle-aged shoot themselves and older people hang them selves. Despondency leads as the cause of suicides in America."
New York is the only American State in which attempted suicide is prosecuted as a crime. In England attempted suicide is also criminal, and the body of a person found to have committed suicide while sane is debarred from Christian burial. The feelings of rela tives are almost invariably spared, however both in America and England, by a verdict of' the coroner's jury that the act was the result of insanity.
Bibliography.— Durkheim, E., 'Le suicide; Etude de sociologic) (Paris 1897) ; Gaultier, 'Les maladies sociales> (Paris 1913) ; Lor., A., 'Le suicide ancien et moderne> (Pans 1:•:1) Medeville, 'Le suicide en droit penal) (Bordeaux 1911) ; Morselli, E. A., 'Suicide' (in International Scientific Series, Vol. XXXVI, New York 1882) ; Mona, E., 'Bibliografia del suicido' (Bellinzona 1890) ; Pfeiffer, 'Ueber den Selbstmord) (Jena 1912) ; Rost, H., 'Der Selbstmord' (Cologne 1905) ; Strahan, S. A. K. 'Suicide and Insanity: A Physiological and Sociological Study' (London 1893) ; American Statistical Association, Publications.