Chapter VIII: Physical Causes of Suicide

Influence of climate—The foggy climate of England does not
increase the number of suicides—Average number of suicides in
each month, from 1817 to 1826—Influence of seasons—Suicides
at Rouen—The English not a suicidal people—Philip Mordaunt’s
singular reasons for self-destruction—Causes of French
suicides—Influence of physical pain—Unnatural vices—Suicide
the effect of intoxication—Influence of hepatic disease
on the mind—Melancholy and hypochondriasis, Burton’s
account of—Cowper’s case of suicide—Particulars of his
extreme depression of spirits—Byron and Burns’s melancholy
from stomach and liver derangement—Influence of bodily
disease on the mind—Importance of paying attention to it—A
case of insanity from gastric irritation—Dr. Johnson’s
hypochondria—Hereditary suicide, illustrated by cases—Suicide
from blows on the head, and from moral shocks communicated to
the brain—Dr. G. Mantell’s valuable observations and cases
demonstrative of the point—Concluding remarks p. 130-161

CHAPTER IX.

MORAL TREATMENT OF SUICIDAL MANIA.

Diseases of the brain not dissimilar to affections of other
organs—Early symptoms of insanity—The good effects of
having plenty to do—Occupation—Dr. Johnson’s opinion on the
subject—The pleasure derived from cultivating a taste for
the beauties of nature—Effect of volition on diseases of
the mind—Silent grief injurious to mental health—Treatment
of _ennui_—The time of danger, not the time of disease—The
Walcheren expedition—The retreat of the ten thousand Greeks
under Xenophon—Influence of music on the mind in the cure of
disease—Cure of epidemic suicide—Buonaparte’s remedy—How the
women of Miletus were cured of the disposition to suicide, and
other illustrations—Cases shewing how easily the disposition
to suicide may be diverted—On the cure of insanity by
stratagems—On the importance of removing the suicidal patient
from his own home—On the regulation of the passions p. 162-194

CHAPTER X.

PHYSICAL TREATMENT OF THE SUICIDAL DISPOSITION.

On the dependence of irritability of temper on physical
disease—Voltaire and an Englishman agree to commit
suicide—The reasons that induced Voltaire to change his
mind—The ferocity of Robespierre accounted for—The state
of his body after death—The petulance of Pope dependent
on physical causes—Suicide from cerebral congestion,
treatment of—Advantages of bloodletting, with cases—Damien
insane—Cold applied to the head, of benefit—Good effects of
purgation—Suicide caused by a tape-worm—Early indications of
the disposition to suicide—The suicidal eye—Of the importance
of carefully watching persons disposed to suicide—Cunning
of such patients—Numerous illustrations—The fondness for a
particular mode of death—Dr. Burrows’ extraordinary case—Dr.
Conolly on the treatment of suicide—Cases shewing the
advantage of confinement p. 195-220