MAKING SUICIDE SAFE

Evening Star, Issue 22451, 23 September 1936, Page 7

MAKING SUICIDE SAFE

ROARING TRADE IK HUNGARY The ‘ Nemzeti trjseg ’ reports that the epidemic of suicide, which spring brings to Budapest, has become a■ profession by which destitute persons are able to make money. The underworld of the city, which quickly turns current tendencies to its own advantage, has discovered that sham suicide is profitable, and old hands at the' game demand a fee of two pengos for giving instructions to beginners. The number ot persons who really desire death is now assessed at about 10 per cent. The other 90 per cent, of the would-be suicides are bent on extorting money from the charitable societies. Two or three attempted suicides occur daily, but it is no rare occurrence for 20 or 25 persons to be brought into the Rokus Hospital within 24 hours. •

The suicides’ day is Monday, as Sunday usually sees the last Of their well,or ill-earned, money. Those not conspicuous for • courage inflict a small wound on their persons, which brings them two or three days’ free food and rest in a clean hospital bed. When the epidemic of' suicide first swept the city 10 years ago the favourite method was to climb the “ Turul ” (the iron Hungarian eagles which surmount the Elizabeth Bridge), and after frightening the public for an hour or two, to be safely brought down by the fire brigade.

The number of riders on the “ Turul ’* increased so rapidly that the fir# brigade had to be kept in constant readiness, ’ and eventually the authorities stopped the nuisance by closing the access to the birds with wire netting. The second fashion in suicide was aspirin, which was bought by single tablets in a number of shops. Tma method brought sympathy without danger, and some less agreeable attention in the hospital. The next fashion was drowning, but the sham suicides took care to jump' into the Danube in the neighbourhood of one of -the police motor boats, so that risk of death was very small. , The fashion of the present season ia hanging., The denizens of the city’s underworld have acquired, proficiency .in cutting themselves down in the nick of time, with marks on the throat, which entitle them to aid from a charitable society. An unemployed painter ha* earned 90 pehgos by repeating this method in a short space .of time. The attention of a charitable society which provides would-be suicides with money, clothes,' and shoes, was accidentally drawn to the businesslike organisation of the “ suicide workers ” recently, when a message boy suffering from a slight poisoning calmly demanded “ the five pengos ” from a charitable worker.

“ What five pengos?” asked the nonplussed gentleman. “ The five pengos due to me,” the boy replied firmly. It transpired that the boy believed that the society’s gift of five pengos was legal payment for any form of self injury.