SUICIDE STATISTICS

Evening Star, Issue 22578, 20 February 1937, Page 7

SUICIDE STATISTICS

So many suicides occurred at tlie Isartal Bridge over the Isur Valley, in Germany, a few years ago that wide safetv rails were- set up to make the task more difficult. The top rail was electrified “as a deterrent.” During Vienna’s economic crisis, a record of 22 suicides in a day was made, To-dav, however, compilers of the grim statistics of self-destruction assert that Japan is beating' all the records, with an average of over 3,000 suicides in a year. Poison, jumping into volcano craters, and drowning are the favourite methods, the spectacular hara-kiri being comparatively neglected. The beautiful Kegon waterfall at Tokio is a favourite place for the “ happy despatch.” In the United States, where 50,000 people annually attempt suicide, it has been pointed out by curious statisticians that the zero hour for suicides is 11 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The reason why more people decide to die then than at other times is, according to the president of the Save-a-Life League, that people, disheartened during the week, await a promised Monday for fulfilment. When the day dawns and brings disappointment with it they decide to die on Tuesday.