Montesquieu was one of the many writers who attributed this propensity as being nearly exclusive to the English. "Les Anglais," he says, "se tuent sans qu'on puisse imaginer aucune raison qui les y determine; ils se tuent dans le sens meme du bonheur. Cette action, chez les Romains etait l'effet de l'education, elle tenait a leur maniere de penser et a leurs coutumes; dans les Anglais c'est l'effet d'une maladie, elle tient a l'etat physique de la machine." Two very curious works on suicide have been lately published in Germany by Dr. Arntzenius and Dr. Schlegel. The former writer divides this fatal propensity into acute and chronic; the first marked by great physical excitement, the latter accompanied or preceded by sadness, moroseness, and love of solitude. Curious cases are related in illustration of this doctrine, amongst others we remark that of an English nobleman who cast himself into the crater of Vesuvius. A German in the same year, not being able perhaps to travel so far, threw himself into a smelting furnace. Several cases are recorded of individuals who formed the desperate resolution of starving themselves. It appears that in many instances the most trifling circumstance has driven these reckless beings to the commission of this desperate action. The case of a young Parisian author of the name of Escoupe, who suffocated himself because one of his dramatic productions had been severely criticised, is well known. A German student destroyed himself because he had a club-foot, and another youth put an end to his existence in consequence of his not having been allowed to put on his Sunday clothes. Dr. Schlegel has given a curious table of the means of destruction resorted to according to the several ages of individuals, and we give the following abstract: By pistol. By hanging. Between 10 and 20 years of age. 61 68 " 20-30 " 283 51 " 30-40 " 182 94 " 40-50 " 150 188 " 50-60 " 161 256 " 60-70 " 126 235 " 70-80 " 35 108 " 80-90 " 2 ---- ---- 1000 1000 In classing 9000 cases of suicide which happened in Paris between the years 1796 and 1830, Dr. Schlegel concludes that what he terms the "philosophic suicide," is that which is perpetrated after deliberation, during the night or shortly before sunrise; whilst when it is not the result of premeditation, it occurs during the day.