The times., 1898-12-25
again DR.. Tracy figured.

again Dr. Tracy ugureu.
"t'This Is better for the theory he said
The ratio SO far for this month is 110
boys to every 100 girls. The average for
November and December Is just 109 boys
to 100 girls, and there isn't any getting
around the fact that the children boru
during these two months must have been
conceived while the war fever was at its
height, and most of them after the blow
ing up of the Maine. It's curious, but.
before We jump to conclusions, We will
find out what the ratio was for the cor
responding two months for year or two
back
"The statistics for the months of Novem-
ber and December. 1896 when there was
no war fever. were then figured. and the
result was an even bigger boom for the
martial spirit theory.
In November. 1885, said Dr. Tracy
when he had finished his computation,
there were born more girls than boys.
The figures are 2.225 boys and 2269 girls,
or about 1O2 girls to every 100 boys, De-
cem0er makes more normal showing.
but the ratio for the two months is only
10s boys TO every 100 girls
THE corresponding months of 1897
showed the normal birth rate
These statistics are certainly surpris-
ing. continued DR.. Tracy, although
am not reaSy to concede that the martial
spirit Of patriotic emotions of the parents
has had anything to do with the increase
In the birth rate of boys Another curl
Gus fact. however. bearing to some ex-
tent on the question Is that a big proper
ton of the children born during the war
have been named after famous generals.
war heroes and public men Our records
show n whole lot of George Dewey
Smiths. John Philip Joneses etc.
g Theodore Roosevelts name has been
used, think. more frequently than any
other. but Admirals Schley and Sampson
and Gems. Miles, Merritt. Shafter. Lee and
Wheeler are also great favorites OF
course President Mckinley has had hosts
of admirers. In some instances this craze
In nomenclature was carried to ridiculous
extremes One case came TO my attention
only last week, when the death of a little
girl was reported. She had been named
McKiHeyette.f ! know of another poor
child swhoieh she doesn't die too, must
carry through life the nanie of Dewiana.
''.Tthe martial spirit theory is surely
worth watching, at any rate. and 1 shall
certainly keep my eyes on the records for
the next few months
The statistics for the boroughs of
Brooklyn. Richmond and Queens show
at least an equal increase In the birth
rate of boys and reports from the interior
rural districts of the State, though they
are not official or complete. would indi-
cate that the increase in those localities
Is very much greater than in this city
One report from Oswego. n. Y, says that
of forty-five children born there since
November / thirty have been boys
Another report. from Midd,etown. N. Y.
which is the home of the Twenty-fourth
Separate Company. n. Y S. N c., and
late Company l of the First New York
Volunteers, just back from Honolulu,
gives the information that three Chi dren
have been born to the wives of as many
members OF the company since they went
TO war. and that all of the youngsters are
boys. (.
A trained nurse in Orarge N j., states
that of six cases attended BY her profes-
sionally within the past two months five
of the babies were boys. The one girl was
the child of a French woman. Those who
advocate the martial spirit theory find
additional comfort In the statement of
this nurse. They say that the French
woman was not affected by patriotic or
martial sentiments as were her American
sisters.
This principle, they say. holds good
throughout and is the reason why the in
crease in the birth of boys is greater in
the rural districts than in the big cities.
where the percentage of foreign popula-
ton is much greater than in the smaller
cities, towns and villages.