3 o8 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Among the most remarkable attempts at suicide upon record 

 is that of a man in Fressonville, in Picardy, as related by Dr. 

 Winslow, who was actuated by a desire to ring his own death- 

 knell. To accomplish this object he hanged himself to the clap- 

 per of the church-bell. But, fortunately, he chose an hour at 

 which it was not customary for the bell to ring, and attention 

 was attracted in time to save his life. Another very deliber- 

 ate attempt, probably the most extraordinary ever known, was 

 that made by an Italian shoemaker, named Matthew Lovat. This 

 case was originally reported by Dr. Bergierre, afterward en- 

 larged upon by Dr. Winslow in his " Anatomy of Suicide," and 

 has since been frequently quoted by various writers. The his- 

 tory of the case in brief is that the man determined to imitate as 

 nearly as possible the crucifixion of our Saviour, and therefore 

 deliberately set about making a cross, and providing himself with 

 all the adjuncts of that scene. " He perceived that it would be 

 difficult to nail himself firmly to the cross, and therefore made a 

 net which he fastened over it, securing it at the bottom of the 

 upright beam and at the ends of the two arms. The whole appa- 

 ratus was tied by two ropes, one from the net and the other from 

 the place where the beams intersected one another. These ropes 

 were fastened to the bar above the window, and were just suffi- 

 ciently long to allow the cross to lie horizontally upon the floor 

 of the apartment. Having finished these preparations, he next 

 put on his crown of thorns, some of which entered his forehead ; 

 then, having stripped himself naked, he girded his loins with a 

 white handkerchief. He then introduced himself into the net, 

 and, seating himself on the cross, drove a nail through the palm 

 of his right hand by striking its head upon the floor until the 

 point appeared on the other side. He now placed his feet upon a 

 bracket he had prepared for them, and with a mallet drove a nail 

 completely through them both, fastening them to the wood. He 

 next tied himself to the cross by a piece of cord around his waist, 

 and wounded himself in the side with a knife which he used in 

 his trade. The wound was inflicted two inches below the hypo- 

 chondrium, toward the internal angle of the abdominal cavity, but 

 did not injure any of the parts which the cavity contains. Sev- 

 eral scratches were observed upon his breast which appear to 

 have been done by the knife in probing for a place which should 

 present no obstruction. The knife, according to Lovat, repre- 

 sented the spear of the passion. All this he accomplished in the 

 interior of his apartment, but it was necessary to show himself 

 in public. To accomplish this he had placed the foot of the cross 

 upon the window-sill, which was very low, and by pressing his 

 fingers against the floor he gradually drew himself forward until, 

 the foot of the cross overbalancing the head, the whole machine 



