SUICIDE IN AUSTRALIA.' A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE FACTS. 227 



Secular Frequency cf Suicide in Australia. 



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Year. 



Explanation of Graph — Each vertical division represents five 

 suicides per annum per million of the general population, and each 

 horizontal division denotes one year. The rectangular lines shew the 

 actually observed group-rate oj suicide for the years 1858 ^o 1 91 0. The 

 general mean is shewn by a firm horizontal line, and the two horizontal 

 broken lines shew the averages for the period 1859 to 1886 and for the 

 period 1887 to 1910. The fine inclined dotted line shews the general 

 trend of the frequency for the period 1889 to 1910, if that trend be 

 regarded as linear in character. The heavy curved line shews the 

 general trend on the assumption that it tends to be periodic, which 

 assumption agrees more closely with the observed frequency than the 

 assumption of a linear trend. 



The result for 1858 is abnormal and is rejected from all 

 consideration of the question of means, or of development. 



The aggregate number of suicides in the whole period 1859 

 to 1910 inclusive was 15,242, and since the sum of the 

 annual populations was 133,136 millions, the actual mean 

 rate of suicide for the ivhole period was 1144*8 per 10 

 millions per annum. The average of the annual numbers 

 per 10 million is only 1117*6, hence this is the mean 

 tendency to commit suicide about which fluctuation takes 

 place from year to year. The yearly differences from this 

 mean value are given in the table hereunder. 



