SEX-RATIO AT BIRTH AND DEATH. The fact that, so far as statistical evidence is forthcoming, there is a preponder ance of males at birth throughout the human race, has given rise to endless theories as to its cause. The further fact that this preponderance is not equally spread, there being a considerable variation in its amount, has multiplied the attempts to explain this seeming anomaly.
Some interesting figures are given below. The first and prob ably the most important of the factors affecting the sex-ratio at birth is that of race. This term is used in its proper sense and not as a synonym to nationality, as a physical and not a political distinction. In that congerie of peoples making up the former em pire of Austria were to be found political divisions inhabited by populations of which the great majority had more or less clearly differentiated racial characteristics. An investigation into the births for the three years 1904, 1907 and 1910 showed that among the Jews inhabiting the whole of the empire there were 1,091 males born to 1,000 females. In Dalmatia, with a prepon derating Serbo-Croat population the male plurality was only 1,037. Bohemia and Moravia (Czechs) had a ratio of 1,056; Galicia (Poles) one of 1,060 and the coast-lands (Italians) one of These figures relate to racial rather than political divisions, to populations living under strictly comparable conditions, and they show a well marked variation in masculinity at birth. A similar investigation into the births recorded in the Indian empire for the years 1912-14, showed that in the Central Provinces, Berar and Madras with a preponderance of the Dravidian element, the ratio of males to females at birth was 1,045-6; in Assam (predom inantly Mongoloid) it was 1,07o, in the Punjab (mainly Indo Aryan) it was 1,097. Here again we are dealing with racial types, and the result is similar to that shown for Europe. Again in the Japanese empire, the recent sex-ratios have been (1921-24), in Japan proper 1,041 males to r,000 females; in Formosa 1,053 in Corea 1,124. Figures for the negro peoples are as yet some what exiguous, but they point to a much lower relative mascu linity. In the Cape Colony the ratios were: whites 1,054, blacks
1,026. In New York the white ratio was 1,045, the black 1,016; in New Orleans whites 1,020, blacks 982. These figures, drawn from a very wide area may be said to prove conclusively that race is an important factor in affecting masculinity at birth.
Urbanization.—It appears that urbanization lowers mascu linity, the ratios in rural areas being generally higher than those for urban areas in the same countries. The following table gives a selection from different parts of the world : There is reason to expect, it is suggested, a slightly higher male ratio among first than subsequently born children. The figures for Australia and also for the city of Budapest, which are reliable, give a male ratio for the first born of 1,052 and 1,051 respectively as against 1,050 and 1,049 for the subsequently born.
Influence of War.—The question as to whether a state of war did or did not raise masculinity at birth was one over which controversy raged furiously. Neither supporters of the conten tion that it did nor opponents had much sound material on which to draw. (See also the previous article on SEX and the observa tions of Savorgnan.) The following table has been specially pre pared to show the effect of the World War on eight of the belliger ent and four of the non-belligerent countries of Europe: It will be seen that the war-period was marked by substantial increases of masculinity in Great Britain, Belgium, France, Ger many and in the two non-belligerent countries most closely af fected, viz., the Netherlands and Switzerland, both of which had large bodies of troops under arms. Finland was less affected by the war in every way, and Italy is the only other belligerent show ing no increase. It appears abundantly proved that, for some un known reason, a war on such a scale does increase masculinity at birth. Moreover, the effect is seen in the last period shown, where all the countries showing a higher war-time masculinity have a ratio higher than they had in the pre-war decade.