226 



G. H. KNIBES. 



When its remarkable constancy and no less remarkable 

 annual periodicity is realised, the ethical interest of the 

 frequency and characteristics of self-determined death is 

 seen to be unique. While a given set of conditions is main- 

 tained it would seem that its frequency is approximately 

 constant, and variations from average conditions are 

 marked by increases or decreases about this average. 

 Though based on small numbers, this frequency therefore 

 may nevertheless have high sociological value as a measure 

 of reactions to economic or other stresses to which the 

 human race is subject under the conditions of modern 

 civilisation. 



2. Secular frequency.— The secular variation in the fre- 

 quency of suicide in the Commonwealth, presents no very 

 remarkable features. The total number in a growing 

 population is of no particular moment, but the number per 

 thousand, per million, etc., of the population measures the 

 trend of the suicidal tendency, and gives the necessary 

 grounds for comparisons. The following table gives the 

 results per 10 million inhabitants: — 



Annual Rate of Suicides per 10,000,000 persons in Australia, 

 1858-1910. 





No. per 





No per 





No. per 





No. per 





No. per 



Year. 



10 



Year. 



10 



Year. 



10 



Year. 



10 



Year. 



10 





million. 





million. 





million. 





million. 





million. 



1858 



575 



1870 



926 



1880 



1107 



1890 



1133 



1900 



1125 



1859 



1207 



1871 



917 



1881 



1076 



1891 



1117 



1901 



1192 



1860 



1037 



1872 



933 



1882 



859 



1892 



1140 



1902 



1170 



1861 



1188 



1873 



1010 



1883 



952 



1893 



1275 



1903 



1315 



1862 



L179 



1874 



1108 



1884 



995 



1894 



1202 



1904 



1260 



1863 



1117 



1875 



1077 



1885 



983 



1895 



1217 



1905 



1292 



1864 



1148 



1876 



1084 



1886 



995 



1896 



1241 



1906 



1214 



1865 



1003 



1877 



1078 



1887 



1245 



1897 



1350 



1907 



1109 



1866 



1082 



1878 



934 



1888 



1283 



1898 



1239 



1908 



1174 



1867 



1002 



1879 



1110 



1889 



1148 



1899 



1233 



1909 



1145 



1868 



104] 



1880 



1107 



1890 



1133 



1900 



1125 



1910 



1166 



1869 



981 







Mean 



11176 







i 





Notes :— 1858-9— State of Victoria only. 1860 to 1866— States of New 

 South Wales and Victoria. 1867 to 1872— States of New South Wales, 

 Victoria, and South Australia. 1873 - 1886 — Queensland and Tasmania 

 also included. 1887 - 1910— All the States of the Commonwealth. 



