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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



weather' is utterly unfounded upon fact, at leart for the conditions cov- 

 ered by this study. 



Temperature. — Fig. 3 seems. to show plainly two things: (1) That 

 the greatest excesses of suicide are found at the two extremes of the tem- 

 perature scale, when the conditions entailed the maximum of actual 

 misery, and (2) that the next greatest excesses occur during the pleasant- 

 est conditions of temperature. I would here, however, call attention to 

 the fact that for all the figures the readings at the extremes of the con- 

 ditions are based upon fewer data than those nearer the middle, hence 

 are more liable to accidental error. For example, although the tem- 

 perature group zero to five degrees shows an excess of two hundred and 



Fig. ?,. 



ten per cent., the condition occurred but twice in the five years studied, 

 and the whole number of suicides was but eight, while the excess of 

 fifteen per cent, for the group sixty-five to seventy degrees is based upon 

 two hundred and sixty-eight. For this reason the value of the readings 

 at the extremes of all the figures, except Fig. 1 and the upper limit of 

 Fig. 5, at which point there were data enough to give validity to the 

 findings, is lessened when compared with other points in the curves. 



Taking this fact into consideration, the greatest numerical excesses 

 in suicide occur in the temperature group from forty-five to seventy de- 

 grees. This places them within the category of most agreeable tempera- 

 tures, for within those limits are found the monthly means of April, 

 May, June, September and October. The deficiencies of suicide occur 



