Many doubtful cases may be decided by taking into consideration the moral circumstances connected with them. A girl was discovered dead. Suspicion rested upon her mother, who had severely beaten the child. It was, however, clearly proved that the girl had been repeatedly heard to declare her intention to commit suicide. Persons should be examined as to the state of mind of the party found dead; whether he or she laboured under an hereditary predisposition to suicidal insanity, or had been exposed to the influence of causes likely to cause melancholy or a depressed state of feeling. If all these points be carefully considered, a fair conclusion may be arrived at in the majority of cases that occur, and which are made the subject of judicial investigation. CHAPTER XIII. STATISTICS OF SUICIDE. Number of suicides in the chief capitals of Europe from 1813 to 1831—Statistics of death from violence in London from 1828 to 1832—Number of suicides in London for a century and a half—Suicides in Westminster from 1812 to 1836—Suicide more frequent among men than women—Mode of committing—Influence of age—Effect of the married state—Infantile suicides—M. Guerry on suicides in France—Cases—Suicide and murder—Suicide in Geneva. In Great Britain, owing to the neglect of statistical science, much difficulty has been experienced in obtaining anything like correct data respecting the number of suicides committed annually. For the details given in this chapter we are indebted to various authorities. Every work has been consulted which it was supposed would throw some light on the subject. _Number of Suicides in the chief Capitals of Europe._ Places. Periods. Suicides. Proportion to Population. Berlin 1813-1822 360 1 in 750 Copenhagen 1804-1806 100 1 — 1,000 Naples 1828 330 1 — 1,100 Hamburg 1822 59 1 — 1,800 Berlin 1799-1808 60 1 — 2,300 Paris 1836 341 1 — 2,700 Milan 1827 37 1 — 3,200 Berlin 1788-1797 35 1 — 4,500 Vienna 1829 45 1 — 6,400 Prague 1820 6 1 — 16,000 Petersburg 1831 22 1 — 21,000 London 1834 42 1 — 27,000 Naples 1826 13 1 — 173,000 Palermo 1831 2 1 — 180,000 _Statistics of Suicide & Deaths from Violence in general, in London._ 1828. 1829. 1830. 1831. 1832. ---- ---- ---- ---- ----