Some diseases require, in addition to the general means of prevention to be found in a strict observance of the laws of health, some special measures in order to effectually ward off their appearance. But the extent of this work will not admit of their discussion. Already, indeed, have we unduly, perhaps, extended our remarks upon inheritance. The interest and importance of the facts must be our justification.
WHY ARE WOMEN REDUNDANT?
It cannot be without interest to look into the relative proportion of men and women now living. It will interest us still more to inquire into the reason why one sex preponderates over the other in numbers. This done, we will answer the question; Is the production of sex at all under the influence of the human will?
The female sex is the more numerous in all thickly populated parts of the world where we have trustworthy statistics. In Austria, England, and Wales, there are nearly one hundred and five women for every one hundred men. In Sweden they are as one hundred and nine to one hundred. In all cities the disproportion is greater than in the country. In London there are one hundred and thirteen women to every one hundred men; and in the large towns of Sweden they stand as one hundred and sixteen to one hundred.
This is not true, however, of newly-populated regions. The relative difference is reversed in recent and thinly-settled localities. In our Western States, for instance, the number of the men exceeds that of the women. In California they are as three to one; in Nevada as eight to one; in Colorado, twenty to one. In the State of Illinois there were, according to a recent United States census, ninety-three thousand more men than women. In Massachusetts, on the contrary, there are between fifty and sixty thousand more women than men.
The disproportion of men to women in new countries is due to the disinclination of women to emigrate. They are also unfitted for the hardships of pioneer life.
How is this general preponderance in the number of women produced? Is it because there are more girls born than boys? Not at all. The statistics of over fifty-eight millions of persons show that there are one hundred and six living boys born to every one hundred girls. In the state of Rhode Island, for instance, the proportion for three years, from 1853 to 1855, was one thousand and sixty-four boys born to one thousand girls. But now we meet with the wonderful arrangement of nature, that a larger proportional number of male infants die during the first year of their lives than of females. In the second year, the mortality, though less excessive, still remains far greater on the male side. It subsequently decreases, and at the age of four or five years is nearly equal for both sexes. In after life, from the age of fifteen to forty, the mortality is something greater among women, but not sufficiently so to make the number of the two sexes equal. The greater tendency of male offspring to die early is seen even before birth, for more male children are still-born than female,—namely, as three to two. For this reason, the term 'the stronger sex,' applied to men, has been regarded by some authors as a misnomer. They are physically weaker in early life, and succumb more readily to noxious influences.
Having thus pointed out that there are more women actually living in the world than men, although a larger number of boys are born than girls, we will consider for a moment some of the laws of nature which determine the number of the sexes. Without giving the figures,—which would make dry reading,—we will state in brief the conclusions derived from many observations, extending over many years and many nationalities. The relative age of the parents has an especial influence upon the sex of the children. Seniority on the father's side gives excess of male offspring. Equality in the parents' age gives a slight preponderance of female offspring. Seniority on the mother's side gives excess of female offspring. This tallies with the fact that in all civilized countries, as has been stated, the proportion of male births is greater than that of females; for, in accordance with the customs of society, the husband is generally older than the wife. A curious instance, in confirmation of this law, has recently come under our observation. A patient, married for the second time, is ten years older than her husband. She has two children by him, both girls. Singular to relate, her former husband was ten years older than herself, and by him she had four children, of whom three were boys, the fourth (a girl) having a twin brother.
Still, the relative age is not the sole cause which fixes the sex of the child. Its operation is sometimes overruled by conflicting agencies. In some districts of Norway, for example, there has been a constant deficiency in boys, while in others the reverse has been the case. The circumstance is well known, that after great wars, and sometimes epidemics, in which a disproportionate number of men have died, more boys are born than usual. Men who pass a sedentary life, and especially scholars who exhaust their nervous force to a great extent, beget more girls than boys. So, also, a very advanced age on the man's side diminishes the number of males among the offspring. The quantity and the quality of the food; the elevation of the abode; the conditions of temperature; the parents' mode of life, rank, religious belief, frequency of sexual intercourse,—have all been shown to be causes contributing to the disproportion of the sexes, besides the relative ages of the parents.
Some writers have stated that a southerly or warm and humid constitution of the year is most favorable to the birth of female infants, while in cold and dry years most males are produced. This statement has not been supported by trustworthy statistics in regard to the human race, but in respect of domestic animals the agriculturists of France have long observed that the season has much to do with the sex. When the weather is dry and cold, and the wind northerly, mares, ewes, and heifers produce more males than when the opposite meteorological condition prevails.