| Note: | Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See https://archive.org/details/suicideitshistor00west |
A Social Science Treatise.
BY
W. WYNN WESTCOTT, M.B. Lond.
DEPUTY CORONER FOR CENTRAL MIDDLESEX.
Joint Author of the
Extra Pharmacopœia.
LONDON:
H. K. LEWIS, 136, GOWER STREET, W.C.
1885.
TO
GEORGE DANFORD THOMAS, Esq., M.D.,
CORONER FOR CENTRAL MIDDLESEX,
THIS VOLUME IS
DEDICATED
WITH MUCH RESPECT AND ESTEEM
BY
THE AUTHOR.
v
In preparing an Essay on Suicide, which Irecently delivered before a Society of medicalmen in London, I found it impossible in thelimited time at my disposal to do anything likejustice to the gravity and importance of thesubject.
The question is one well worthy of the earnestconsideration of the community; indeed, it maybe legitimately regarded as one of our SocialProblems, as it involves matters which are intimatelyconnected with our social organisation,and is with propriety embraced in our legislativeenactments.
When we reflect, with satisfaction perhaps,that in England crime has been steadily decreasing,the fact that Suicide has been as steadily onthe increase in Great Britain, and in almostevery country in Europe, while it awakens oursympathy on behalf of the unhappy victims,vishould stimulate our exertions towards promotingthe diminution of this moral plague spot.
These considerations, added to the fact thatthere are but two books in the English languagedevoted entirely to this subject,─one dated as farback as 1840, and the other, a most valuable butalmost entirely statistical work, translated fromthe Italian,─have induced me to re-arrange andextend my notes, and I now offer them to myprofessional brethren and other students ofSocial Science in the following short treatise onthe History, Literature, Jurisprudence, Causation,and Prevention of Suicide.
As Deputy Coroner for Central Middlesexfrequent opportunities are afforded me of investigatingcases of Suicide, and I have added tothis volume original instances and estimatesderived from those suicidal deaths of London,upon which inquests have been held by Dr.Danford Thomas, or myself.
The works of Legoyt, Morselli, and Wagner,contain an almost complete estimat