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NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS. MORAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS. 149
the former period, I0-o °/oo of the patients admitted died, while during the
latter period, only 4-4 °/oo died. According to the information available, the
frequency of these diseases seems to be lower in Sweden than among our
nearest neighbours.
Respecting the frequency of still-born children, which is considered by
medical authorities to be very illustrative of the question of the greater or lesser
occurrence of syphilis, it has already been shown on a preceding page (122)
that this frequency increased till about 1865, but that, since then, it has
diminished in a high degree. The figures for Sweden in this respect, are, on the
whole, unusually favourable.
The death-rate among the different groups, according to civil conditions,
gives certain stand-points for judging of the moral conditions of the people. As
is known, the death-rate among unmarried men is always considerably higher
than that of married men, a fact which, however, depends partly on the
circumstance that the latter group, in certain respects, represents a select number, so
to say. The difference in the death-rates of married and unmarried men is,
however, unusually high in Sweden in the more advanced ages, which, in itself,
cannot be a favourable sign. It should be observed, however, that here, too, a
change for the better has been noticeable during the last few years. — Between
the death-rates of men and women there appeared a great difference during
the period of the greatest consumption of spirits, to the disadvantage of the
former; during the last decades that difference has been essentially reduced.
The chapter on auleides is, as is well known, one among the saddest in the
history about the end of the nineteenth century, and the remark holds good for
Sweden, no less than for most other countries. In the following table a survey
is given of the frequency of suicides, both for certain groups of ages, sexes, and
civil conditions and amongst the population as a whole.
Table 27. Annual number of suicides per 100,000 inhab. in each group.
Average for the years Total. Married men. Married women. Single men and widowers. Single women and widows.
15/25. 25/50. 50/ot. 15/25. 25/50. 50/o. 15/25. 25,50. 50/e>. 15/25. 25/50. 50/a>.
1831/50... «-47 131 18 6 19-6 1-6 3! 58 5 6 28-4 22 2 2 6 6*8 37
1851,70... T21 14 2 16-5 23 4 2 4 3 8 5"8 56 302 36 8 28 6"6 66
1871/80 ... 8-68 7-2 181 26-9 3i 4*2 7*1 6i 367 544 29 80 86
1881/90... I«74 7-8 19-9 34-8 3 2 4 8 8 0 8 4 41-6 65 3 54 111 8*6
1891/95... 14-40 9-1 22-2 38 6 2 8 5 8 118 9 6 50 2 86-91 15 6 22 l 121
The great increase, on the whole, is apparent. It is, however, peculiar to
find that little or no deterioration has taken place among the married men of
young and middle age; among the youngest married men, the frequency has even
diminished. The greatest increase amongst men is to be found among the
unmarried of the higher ages, in which class the number of suicides has almost
quadrupled. Still greater, however, of låte years, is the increase amongst young,
nnmarried women, of which more will be said in the section, »The Woman
Question*, in the following pages.
Compared with other West-European countries, the position of Sweden, as
regards the frequency of suicides, has in former times been fairly favourable, but
the great deterioration of låte years — of which the general cause is somewhat
difficult to discover — seems to be setting this favourable position at stake. The
figures of Sweden are much surpassed, however, by those of Denmark and also
by those of Germany and France.
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