Mortality of Male Children . 3 61 
the former was about 6 lbs. 9 oz., that of the latter about 
6 lbs. 2 oz. 2 dr. Whether he and I ufed the fame weights, I 
cannot exadtly fay. He obferves, that he ufed the civil pound of 
Gottingen, which I can eafily perceive confided of 16 ounces, 
as mine did ; but whether a German ounce be the fame with ours, 
I have not data to determine. The average length of the males 
meafured by him is about 204. inches, and of the females about 
1944- He weighed alfo the placentae of 21 lying-in women, 
16 of whom had borne male children, and five female. The 
average weight of the former was 1 lb. 2\ oz. ; that of the 
latter 1 lb. 2 oz. Hence it appears, that in other circum- 
fiances, befides thofe I have taken notice of, the male and 
female fex differ. So far I thought it neceffary to take extradls 
from Dr. Roederer’s paper, as his obfervations and mine 
throw light on each other, and add confirmation to both. 
The limits of this letter will not permit me, Sir, to trefpafs 
.much farther on your patience. There is one circumftance or two 
fo intimately connected with my former letter, that I cannot 
pafs them over in filence. Having found that males fuffer 
more in the birth than females, I was defirous of knowing 
whether the chance of the mother’s recovery was thereby in 
any degree affe&ed ; and to determine this I was once more at 
the pains of turning over our regiftry with care. I found, 
that of 214 women, dead of fingle children, 50 were deli- 
vered of ftill-born males, and 15 of ftill-born females; 76 of 
living males, and 73 of living females. Of the 15 dead of 
twins, 6 had twins one of each fex ; 6 others had twins both 
of the male fex ; and three had twins both of the female fex. 
All of which twins (two or three excepted), it is very re- 
markable, furvived the death of their mothers. It would 
appear then, that the life of the mother is principally endan- 
Vol. LXXVL B b b gered 
