The laws that make suicide a crime, in Britain as in some parts of the U.S., go back to the early roots of English jurisprudence. In 967 A.D., King Edgar, with characteristic Christian zeal, decreed that suicides should be denied the rites of the church for violating the Sixth Commandment. Custom, later elevated to law, demanded desecration of the corpse. Until well into the 19th century. British suicides were buried at night, at crossroads, with a stake driven through their bodies. All property of suicides was forfeit to the Crown. By 1900 most of these medieval monstrosities had been repealed. But...
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