CHAPTER I. Introduction; the Ethics of the Subject 1

„ II. History: Ancient and Modern 7

„ III. Notable Suicides: Ancient, of the Middle Ages, and Modern 17

„ IV. Origin of the Name; Classic Authors, examples of the Literature of Suicide, English and Foreign 29

„ V. Jurisprudence; Suicide as a Crime in England, and abroad 43

„ VI. Jurisprudence; Suicide and Life Assurance; in respect to Marriage, and to Wills 51

„ VII. Present Rate, and Increase, in Europe 58

„ VIII. Causation in general, Classification 65

„ IX. Effect of Race, Climate, &c. 75

„ X. Effect of Education, Religion, and Morality 81

„ XI. Effect of Urban and Rural Life, and Employment; the effect of Military, Naval, and Prison Life 93

„ XII. Effect of Times and Seasons 102

„ XIII. Effect of Age, Sex, and Social State 107

„ XIV. Mental Diseases 116

„ XV. Epidemic Suicide, and Suicide from Imitation, and for Notoriety 129

„ XVI. Effect of Bodily Diseases, Alcoholism, Want of Sleep; Hereditary influence, and Spiritualism 135

„ XVII. Effect of Tædium Vitæ, the Passions, Misery, and Despair 141

„ XVIII. The Means of Suicide, their relative frequency at home, and abroad 144

„ XIX. Suicide compared to Crime in General; Attempted Suicide, its relative amount 154

„ XX. Suicide in British India 161

„ XXI. The Prevention, and Treatment of the Suicidal tendency 166

„ XXII. The Suicide of Animals 174

Appendix, Rules of Assurance Companies 180

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 182

GENERAL INDEX 187