VOL. LXXI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 1'23 



Men. Women. 



329 "ere born in London, and . . 495 or 166 more than men. 



952 in different counties 917 or 35 fewer than men. 



135 in Scotland 74 or 6"l fewer than men. 



l6"2 in Ireland 1 19 or 43 fewer than men. 



40 were foreigners .. 13 or 27 fewer than men. 



1618 16"18 166 



Thus, of 824 married persons born in London, there were J- more women 

 than men. This may be accounted for either by supposing a greater number of 

 males to die or to migrate before they attain a marriageable age than women. It 

 is also to be observed, that of the Scotch and of the foreigners, the women are 

 in proportion to the men as about 1 to 3; but of the Irish they are as 3 to 7 . 



By this table we find at how great an expense to the country this city is main- 

 tained; and as we may suppose that the bulk, of the Scotch, Irish, and foreigners, 

 who come into the kingdom, reside in the metropolis, we hence may also learn 

 in what proportion they contribute to repair the waste which is incurred by its 

 excessive populousness. A more complete knowledge of these facts may give 

 rise to regulations which, if the calculations of Dr. Price shall be found to be 

 just, are but too necessary. 



XXIII. Account of a Child who had the Small-pox in the IVomb. In a Letter 

 from Wm. Wright, M. D., F. R. S., to John Hunter, Esq., F. R. S. p. 372. 



I have read with much pleasure and information Mrs. Ford's case, which you 

 published in Philos. Trans., vol. 70, p. 1'28. From the facts you have adduced 

 it amounts to a certainty, that her foetus had received the variolous infection in 

 the womb. This induces me to lay before you a singular case, that fell under 

 my care some years ago. 



In 1768 the small-pox was so general in Jamaica that very few people escaped 

 the contagion. About the middle of June Mr. Peterkin, merchant at Martha- 

 brae, in the parish of Trelawney, got about 50 new negroes out of a ship; soon 

 after they landed, several were taken ill of a fever, and the small-pox appeared; 

 the others were immediately inoculated. Among the number of those who had 

 the disease in the natural way, was a woman of about 22 years of age, and big 

 with child. The eruptive fever was slight, and the small-pox had appeared before 

 I saw her. They were few, distinct, and large, and she went through the disease 

 with very little trouble, till on the 14th day from the eruption she was attacked 

 with the fever, which lasted only a few hours. She was however the same day 

 taken in labour, and delivered of a female child with the small-pox on her whole 

 body, head, and extremities. They were distinct and very large, such as they 

 commonly appear on the 8th or gth day in favourable cases. The child was 

 small and weakly; she could suck but little; a wet nurse was procured, and 



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