profperity and adverfity; neither of which they bear with temper.-Ennui of the English.-High contempt of death.-Refinement of principle.-Quick fenfibility joined with gravity of temper.—Great degree of conftitutional liberty a fource of impatience and fuicide.—Whimfical and professional modes of suicide.—Remarks on above caufes.-The abomination of felf-murder feated in infidelity and licentioufness of manners; and in thefe and their fatal confequences our island abounds.-Concluding reflections. IT T may be laid down as a general maxim, that a certain equanimity of temper equally removed from the points of exceffive exaltation or depreffion of spirits, is the least liable to urge its poffeffor to the commiffion of fuicide. If it be asked, “what can an extraordinary share of vivacity or exhilaration of the fpirits have to do with fuicide?" it may readily be answered, that as well from the imbecillity of the human frame and conftitution, which is not able to sustain a perpetual exertion or violent flow of spirits, as from the numberlefs fcenes of imprudence, extravagance, and vice, into which high fpirits fo often inveigle their poffeffor, and which frequently end in a courfe of time in repentant diftraction and defpair;-that from thefe caufes, the point of violent depreffion in those most famed for the exuberance of their fpirits at a certain time of life, does often on the whole, and before their days are finished, exceed the point of exhilaration; and thus even an uncommon fhare of vivacity may prepare its own way for the commiffion of fuicide. Now the English are great ftrangers to that equanimity of temper, which preferves the mind [L] calm in adverfity and compofed in profperity, and which is a mark of true fortitude and wisdom; infomuch that their national impatience is remarked by all foreigners. Their verfatility of temper is very observable; a trifle elates, a trifle depreffes them, and they are apt to be extreme both in their joys and forrows. But as more caufes of [M] dejection than joyfulness ufually [M] It was Dr. Johnson's opinion, that the evils of human life preponderated against its enjoyments; and this opinion he would enforce (as some of his biographers remark) by an obfervation of the general usually intervene, the former is the extreme to which they are most liable, and which leads them into melancholy, defpair and fuicide. Whatever therefore tends to destroy this defirable equanimity of temper, tends alfo to "prepare" the mind under a proper combination of circumstances for the perpetration of felf-murder. An inquiry then shall be made into the causes, which are generally fuppofed to exert their influence over an Englishman's conftitution, and which, by disturbing the ferenity of his temper, tend to deprefs his fpirits, and thus incline him to tread in thofe paths of melancholy and defpair, which lead to felf-deftruction. The first point that occurs for confideration is the nature of that climate, in which an Englishman breathes; how far it is capable of affecting his health and conftitution, and what may be its influence towards debilitating the animal economy, depreffing the spirits, and thus urging to a languor and weariness of life? It would be a waste of time to fet about proving fo plain a point, as that various climes produce various effects on the human conftitution; and that the peculiar tone and habit of the body exerts a powerful influence in exalting or depreffing the vigour of the mind. Now what the inhabitants of other regions, who enjoy a more conftant and fettled atmosphere only can feel by travelling into different countries, the inhabitants of this ifland experience to a certain. degree, at different times, by abiding in their own: and though they can never be faid to suffer the extremes of heat or cold, yet they are often fenfible of changes more fudden, and therefore more trying to the conftitution, than they are who conftantly live in a burning or frozen region. For these frequent viciffitudes of weather muft needs have a great effect on the habit of body; and though a stout and robust constitution may withstand their attacks, yet they must be severely felt by invalids. It is well known, how much the spirits of Englishmen depend on the gloom or funshine of the day; and how, like `ufe of narcotics in all parts of the world; as in the eaftern and fouthern countries, of opium; in the western and northern, of fpirituous liquors and tobacco; and into this principle he refolved most of the temptations to ebriety. He has been heard alfo to remark, that fince the difufe of "fmoking" among the better fort of people, fuicide has been more frequent in this country than before. It is prefumed, that the principle on which Dr. Johnfon could maintain, that smoking was a preventive of fuicide muft be, that the "compofednefs" of a pipe, when a man was in the habit of using one, tended much to blunt the keen edge of diftrefs and forrow.. vanes, they veer with the wind through every point of exhilaration and depreffion. An atmosphere therefore fo remarkable as our own for its variableness, and which is fo often and so suddenly changed from clearness and ferenity into moisture and thick vapour, must be the occafion of much change in the tone of the human body, and caufe an uneven and irregular flow of the animal fpirits. When a man is troubled with fplenetic and atrabilarious diforders, it is ufual to fay, he is "vapourifh;"-a metaphorical expreffion plainly derived from the influence, which the exhalations or vapours of the air are fuppofed to exert over the health and fpirits. A pure air contributes to the health of the body, the ferenity of the mind, and the exertion of all the mental faculties: all which are so many obftacles in the way of fuicide. A moift air on the contrary obftructs perspiration and promotes putrefaction; it generates nervous and all other diforders, debilitates the human frame, and fetters down the powers of the understanding: but all this tends to deprefs the spirits, to nourish melancholy [N] and to terminate in suicide. The nature of our climate then, by often bringing us into a low and debilitated ftate of body and mind, or by acting powerfully on fuch conftitutions, as are already weakened by other disorders, contributes much to engender that liftleffness and melancholy, which is the parent of such [o] frequent fuicide. Another cause deftructive of equanimity of temper, and apt to occafion an uneven flow of spirits, and particularly in making them fink towards the point of depreffion, is the large ufe of grofs and animal food, of which the Englishman's daily confumption is greater than that of moft other nations. Animal [N] "A moift air is lefs fuited than a dry one to abforb the effluvia of bodies, particularly of the human body, as the perfpiratory and pulmonary difcharges. It alfo promotes the putrefaction of animal and vegetable fubftances. Hence may be derived in fome measure. the effects of a moist air on the mind and intellects. The found ftate of the mind, as well as the health of the body, is nearly connected with the freedom and regularity of perfpiration; and the obstruction of this difcharge is generally attended with low fpirits. The obstruction therefore which a moist air gives to perspiration, is a prefumption, that it is unfavourable to the powers of the mind and understanding."--FALCONER'S Remarks on the Influence of Climate on the Manners, &c. 4to. B. I. C. xxiii. [0] * "A breath thou art Servile to all the fkiey influence.” SHAKESPEARE, Measure for Measure. • Meaning life. Aaa 2 food food abounds more in ftrong nutritive juices than vegetable. When taken therefore in too great plenty, it will occafion a redundancy of nourishment, by which the veffels will be diftended, a load will be laid on the digeftive organs of the body, and a plethora will enfue, which muft either be carried off by violent. exercife, or by the efforts of nature in the crifis of a fever. But as frequent fickness weakens and impairs the general fate of the health and conftitution, so it tends to destroy an equanimity of temper, to cause uneafy and fretful senfations, to produce difguft at life, impatience and despondency. Yet further, as if the "quality" of the food itfelf, when largely taken, were not fufficient to disorder the human frame, every provocative that rich and poignant fauces can excite, or the exquifite exertion of the culinary art can fuggeft, is added to ftimulate the appetite, and thus increase the "quantity." The difficulty of digeftion is hereby completed; our food is not easily affimilated; and we all experience at times the ill effects of impofing too hard a task on our digeftive. faculties, by that complication of diforders, by that languor and [P] dejection of fpirits, which follows on thefe oppreffions and crudities of the ftomach."Do you wonder (fays Seneca) that diseases are innumerable --number the " cooks [a]." Another cause highly tending to deftroy all equanimity of temper is to be drawn from an exceffive ufe of ftrong and fpirituous liquors. These forts of cordials are known to be latent poifons, which may exhilarate for a time, but which deprefs for ever after. They even lafe their fhort enlivening quality by frequent [P] corpus onustum Hefternis vitiis animum quoque prægravat unà.-HOR.. [Q] It is trufted, that the learned reader will not be difpleafed at the following quotation from: Seneca, Ep. xcv. where is more to the fame purpose. Non eft mirum medicinam tunc minùs negotii habuiffe Armis adhuc folidifque corporibus & facili cibo ncc per artem voluptatemque corrupto. Qui (cibus) poftquam cœpit non ad tollendam, fed ad irritandam famem quæri; & inventæ funt mille condituræ, quibus aviditas excitaretur; quæ defiderantibus alimenta erant, onera funt plenis. Inde pallor & nervorum tremor, & miferabilior ex cru-ditatibus quàm ex fame macies. Inde incerti labantium pedes & femper qualis in ipsâ ebrietate titu-batio. Inde in totam cutem humor admiflus diftentufque venter, dum malè affuefcit plus capere quàm poterat. Inde fuffufio lurida bilis & decolor vultus tabefque in fe putrefcentium, & nervorum finefenfu jacentium torpor, aut palpitatio fine intermiffione vibrantium. Quid capitis vertigines dicam? Quid oculorum auriumque tormenta & cerebri æftuantis verminationes & omnia per quæ exoneramur, internis frequent repetition, and then nothing is left but to increase their quantity, or to fink under the evil effects of the preceding bad habit. But this increase operates in proportion in its counter-part of dejection, till the brain muft either be kept in a constant fever little fhort of actual phrenfy, or be subject to all the wretchedness of depreffion and melancholy-the parent of frequent fuicide. There is not perhaps a more falfe maxim than that the ufe of wine or ftronger liquors tends " upon the whole" to exhilarate the fpirits. The moft that can be urged in their favour is, that the ufe of them may produce in certain difpofitions a degree of prefent conviviality, which may be pleasant in the focial hour; but for which the temporary poffeffor pays a dear purchase in his own retirement; fince whatever is wound up like a piece of clock-work, must go down also at its limited period [R]. There is another liquor of a very different nature from fpirits, which is in great esteem amongst us, and which is thought by many to have great influence in debilitating the nervous fyftem, and of confequence in promoting lowness and dejection of fpirits, and that is "Tea;" of which the reader may take the following account in the words of Dr. Falconer (B. V. C. ii.) "Tea from. "the best experiments (fee Dr. Lettfom's effay on this fubject) produces fedative internis ulceribus affecta? Innumerabilia præterea febrium genera, aliarum impetu fubeuntium, aliarum tenui pefte repentium, aliarum cum horrore & multâ membrorum quaffatione venientium? Quid alios referam innumerabiles morbos, fupplicia luxuriæ? Immunes erant ab iftis malis, qui nondum fe deliciis folverant; qui fibi imperabant, fibi adminiftrabant. Corpora operà ac vero labore durabant, aut curfu defatigati aut venatu aut tellure verfata, excipiebat illos cibus, qui nifi efurientibus placere non. poterat. Itaque nihil opus erat tam magna medicorum fuppellectile, nec tot ferramentis atque pixidibus. Simplex erat ex fimplici causà valetudo; multos morbos multa fercula fecerunt. Vide quantum rerum per unam gulam tranfiturarum permiferat luxuria, terrarum marifque vaftatrix.-Innumerabileseffe morbos miraris?-Coquos numera. [R] "Wine passes. off quickly, prevents loading the stomach and powers of digeftion. Malt liquors for want of a "ftimulus" are nearly equally oppreffive with animal food. Wine and spirituous liquors differ much from each other. Digilled fpirits want the acid of wines (which either does not rife or is destroyed in the diftillation) and therefore they remain longer in the body, and are more inflammatory. They are alfo more narcotic and produce worfe effects upon the nervous fyftem in debilitating. it than wine. They are likewife deftitute of fixible air, to which wine in a great measure, owes its invigorating and cheering qualities; but which is deftroyed or diffipated in the diftillation of spirits.. Hence their cats upon the intellects are lefs happy than those of wine."--FALCONER, B..V.. C. i, and ii, "effects |