The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-05
THE PROBLEM OF SEX.
Why Are Some Born Girls While 9th
ers Are Born Boys.
From the Chicago Herald.

FROM the Chicuoo Herald
"The most interesting of studies are ba-
bies," said DR.. Childs, the famous &C
coucheur. 81 am aware of the fact that
everybody doesn't agree with me. Bachelors
don't, for instance. Again, the poet says:
The proper study of mankind is man.
And others will be found to maintain that
woman is the most interesting subject to
investigate. But as for woman herself, surely
she will side with me, babies is my dictum.
Now, as for babies. it has often struck me
that the question of their sex is physio-
logical mystery which awaits solution"
''What do you mean by that, doctora" in
terjected the reporter.
well, I'll try to make my meaning lit
tie palmer. There are certain things taken
in connection with the sex of babies which
are as yet unsolved riddles to science. The
fact itself, above all, why one baby is born
girl and another a boy has never yet been
satisfactorily explained. All that has been
said on the subject by psychologists physl-
clans, specialists and others has been either
in the nature of mere surmises and hypo-
theses or else arrant nonsense. Then think
how much superstition there is connected
with this very matter. Why, old and
young women are full of it. BUT that
wasn't so much what l was referring to.
No, sir There are other questions to an
swer. Why is it, for example that in one
country more males than females are horn,
while in others the reverse is the cases
Why is it that this is also true of certain
towns, villages, even wards! Why is it that
during certain months the female births
outnumber the male ones, while during other
months tits not 500"
"Pm sure l don't know, doctor, if you
DON'T" quoth the visitor. 81 come to you
for information and enlightenment on this
momentous matter, whereas you do nothing
but fling questions to me, one harder than
the otner to answer. Do you know your
self! If you do, please don't withhold
been aching to know all this ever since
Noah first stepped from his ark. Tell us all
about itln
But the great scientist and practitioner
only let his head fall into the hollow of his
good right hand, and then whistled softly TO
himself, an utter prey to meditation and
self-communion.
"If were to tell you what 1 think it
wouldn't do any good, since, after all, it's
nothing but guesswork."
But are those facts, doctor, which you
stated moment ago"
Yes, they are facts. However, I'll not
ask you to believe nue.. just you go to the
county clerks office, where they keep the
records of all the births on file, and where
they make them up in statistics You will
see all said verified there"
And, sure enough, the doctor was right
Porting over the ponderous tones there col
lected and over the figures collated from
them, summary of facts was gradually
evolved which might be stated, like con-
densed catechsm, in this wise:
Chicago produces more boys than girls.
The average annual excess of male
births over female births is about 1000,
or. ROUGHLY. s per cent more of boysthan
girls.
Births are heaviest in number in the
months of August, September, October and
December. the latter month leading all the
rest
February shows the smallest number of
births, April, May and June being next.
There are nine months of the year when
more male than female children are born.
There is one month-May-whent there is an
equilibrium (which is in some years exactly
maintained. like May, 1885 when there were
722 births each of males and females), and
there are two months which show an excess
of female over male births These two
months are April and December.
Why this was and is thus, the official
whose massive brow ponders day by day
over these vital statistics knew no more than
the medical authority had known. He, too,
could onlv give vent to surmises.