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