Show Utah Disproves T Theory eory That I W Ian ar Results in hi More Boys By Stephen J. J I r i H nERE are more boy babies 1 I It It is all aU bunt bunK uN they sa and I r i H nERE are more boy babies T THERE born in war times than Inthe in inthe inthe the times of peace goes the theold theold old saying say statisticians statistician Bunko say the doctors And they are both right according accordIng according accord accord- ing to all available statistics and to a census of opinion of the tho doctors doctors doctors doc doc- tors of Salt Lake Every timo there has been a w war ar statisticians have taken their pencil pencils pencils pen pen- cil and pads and after figuring have come to the conclusion that boy babies predominate In ht war war- time The cause of increase In Inthe Inthe inthe the sterner sex no nc one has been able to tell Theories have been advanced from time to time in efforts to settle the question once and for allBut all But theories are always advanced when there Is a question to settle and while they are still theories and not proved by facts they are usually supplanted by some other I and equally unreliable theory It It is Is nature trying to readjust Itself has been the pet theory for I years Many physicians for the thelast last lait century have evaded the question question question ques ques- tion because of confessed Ignorance Ignorance ignorance Igno Igno- rance as to the reason for predominance predominance predominance pre pre- dominance of boys Probably it is nature trying to balance its losses they have said and probably it Other doctors have Immediately taken up the fight and advanced the questions NATURE MAY BE READER Does nature read the newspapers newspapers news news- news news- papers Is Is It aware of the fact that there is a war in Europe and that the male population has been decimated deci deci- mated And b by quoting Webster and other prominent lexicographers they prove that nature is a collective collective tive tive- abstract term for the entire universe and embracing all aU Us ex existences forces and laws regarding t 1 as constituting a system m of unity I which may be covered however vaguely aguel by one exception and designated designated designated des des- as an abstract term it cannot closely follow tho the wars of tho the world in the tho newspapers or keep In touch with the male death lists of war stricken Europe or of anarchy stricken Mexico And na naI nature nn- nn ture is laid upon the tho shelf sheI a as another another another an an- I other exploded theory And then there is another smother that the people of a warring nation are sterner and stronger than the people peo pee pIe of a nation Theory has it that boys predominate among the children of a stern warlike family At practically the same time that this theory was advanced the announcement came that tho the second addition to the family since the be beginning beginning beginning be- be ginning of the war has has' been a girl jirl And there is no on one who will not admit that the are a a. stern and warlike family And theories still come and go but the question still remains Doctors have delved deep Into medical dictionaries and arranged various lengthy and learned articles articles arti artl- cles des composed mostly of long technical medical phrases an and un- un encouraging possibilities and have said that hat the problem m is solved Scientists have attributed the predominance predominance predominance pre pre- dominance of boy babies In time of war var variously ly to the sun moon stars and warlike ee spirit of the nations LOCAL DOCTORS' DOCTORS VIEWS VIEWS And what do local doctors think of the tho r remarkable gains in trio tho boy bo baby crop in wartime y 1 I It It is all aU bunt bunK uN they sa and to prove their case they quote the selfsame statistics which were quoted to prove that boy babies are aie in predominance In wartime Others Others Others Oth Oth- ers ers admit or rather do not deny that the sterner sex is in the ascendant In wartime but attribute it to no cause ause at aUIt all aU It It t juL happens they sal sa and up to the present no one has been abl able to account for It it Doctors of of Salt Lake are loath to put forward any def definite cause for tor the well advertised state of affairs Others admit that there Is really a margin in favor of the boy babies but refuse to advance theo theo- of their own It is I believe m merely rely coincidence coincidence coincidence dence is the statement Of Dr John J J. Galligan of the medical officers' officers reserve corps who is stationed stationed stationed sta sta- at Ft Douglas The question n has been brought up time and time again but there seems to be no satisfactory ex explanation explanation explanation ex- ex he says say It if If boy babies are are really in n predominance in wartimes wartimes wartimes war war- times it seems to be mere J Jand coincidence coincidence coin coin- and not due to an of the effects of the war There Theio is not any effect of the war that is given by medical science as a factor In determining the sex of a child In fact medical science does not at attempt attempt attempt at- at tempt to explain any of the number number num num- ber her of factors given in determining sex DR KEYTING FIXES BLAME Dr W W. Yo S S. I police surgeon surgeon surgeon sur sur- I geon lays layo the whole blame for the much mooted question Do boy babies ba babies hables ha- ha bies bles predominate in war upon the tho statisticians About the most explanation ex- ex explanation ex ex- t I the subject that I have ever heard said sard Dr Keyting Is is that there is really no difference in the e number of boys and girls born in wartime than any other time It seems to be the genEral general gen gen- eral opinion that girl babies are usually In predominance But the tho reverse is true I bell believe eye that from all medical statistics that have been obtained it Is proved that there are six boys born to every five girls in times Umes of peace Statisticians are not so careful in keeping records record In normal times Birth records in this country are aro very poorly kept and often not at atall all But in Germany where there is a penalty for failure fallum to report births and where records are well kept It seems that in times of peace the ratio of males to females in the birth records is six to five The same rame Is true of other countries In this cou try stry however there has been no given to que question until the war began and sta statisticians Immediately discovered discovered er ered d that boy babies are aro in predominance predominance pre pre- dominance and attribute it to the war I believe It Is that they have I just discovered what Iris lias alwa always s 's sI I been true that the births of boys exceed the births of girls I know of no effect that the war could have in determining the sex of a achild child Statisticians claim that since the tho beginning of records lC in Jn all wars a a. decided predominance of births of boys has been shown Medical men declare that the same Is true of times of peace and that the ra ratie ratio ra- ra j tie tio is not materially changed Is the present war about to ex explode explode explode ex- ex the old theory Medical men believe it will re reverse rot roI ro- ro t I verse all medical traditions as iff ItI it has ha other traditions And the tho records records records rec rec- are aie beginning to prove It It they I say Although th the thu statistics in other parts of the United States show that male children still lead in the birth records there seems to be beno beno beno no appreciable difference as to the ratio And Salt Lake Lalee has undertaken undertaken undertaken under under- taken to disprove that the males are In predominance at all GIRLS IN MAJORITY Instead of the births of males In Increasing Increasing Increasing In- In creasing the reverse is apparently becoming true rue rue here Since April when the United States entered the war tl the e births of females lu hr gained steadily and the number f inow i II now far ahead of the birth of males And doctors are unable to account for it and statisticians are silent on the subject Surely tho the war cannot be blamed for that for It la is credited with exactly the reverse conditions And nature cannot be trying to readjust itself for the death rate of males Is now noel nearly neaily double that of females And AndIs Is this question too to remain unsolved In April the first month of tho the war children were born In Salt Lake Lale There were girl babies and bo boy babies giving the females an excess of 15 In the following month the males gained slightly with males being born bora bornand bornand and females In July the tho fourth month of the war the births of males and females were even being recorded for each Last month however the fifth month of the war the females again had hada a large majority There were females born and only males Can it be that nature particularly particular particular- ly applied to Salt Lake has not heard of President Wilson's Wilsons declaration declaration declaration dec dec- of war Is it not cognizant of the fact that probably thousands It I l the sons of Utah will be killed in the war Or Is Salt Lake Lalee just doing its bit to explode the old theory and to stop discussion No one seems to knowIs know Is the ratio of males born In wartime greater than in times of peace Or is the reverse true Or ate conditions unchanged Doctors are still arguing the tho question and so are statisticians and likewise fJ If It they cannot cannot agree agree who does know |