Part 5

On the other hand in tubercular hip-disease, the left leg is affected in 80 per cent. of cases. Congenital dislocation of the hip is seven times more common in female children than in male. Prenatal and spontaneous amputation of fœtus limbs is usually to be found in girls only. The disaster of being joined together, like the Siamese Twins, is more often suffered by girl-twins, only a very few similar cases among boys being mentioned in medical records at any time. In phthisis, the left lung is the first to be affected in 80 per cent. of all cases recorded. The teeth on the left jaw are the first to arrive, and likewise the first to decay or drop out, with but few exceptions. Again the right hip, leg, foot and hand are almost always larger than the corresponding members of the left side.

So, too, it comes about that the right ovary, the seat of the male ova, is also the more developed, the larger, and the best able to nourish the fertilised embryo. It can afford fuller space and freedom for male offspring than the left ovary can do for the female ova it produces.

As regards the reason _why_ there should be one side for each sex, one might as well inquire why the heart is on the left and the liver on the right. _Galen_ has said that “the right side in both parents produces boys, because it is warmer.” But many people would have judged the side governed by the heart to be the warmest. Be that as it may, the fact remains that in France brides are seriously advised to sleep on the right side if they desire sons, and in 1870 the _Lancet_ observed that “habitual sleeping on the right side produces boys.”

And so we come to my conclusion. With an organism entirely self-contained and independent, as I have endeavoured to show the female anatomy to be, the only reasonable inference is that _the male is in no way a determining factor in the sex of the ovum_ fertilised by him. On woman and woman alone does the sex of the unborn child depend.

IX

FOR A BOY

“Laws wise as nature, and as fixed as Fate.”—POPE.

Just as the male ovum proceeds from the larger ovary, so does the development of the male fœtus take place in the larger and more expansive side of the uterus. The male ovary, being more perfectly developed, and more self-contained than the left, throws out its ovum on the third day of the menstrual period, _never before_. The earliest boy-pregnancy ever recorded started on the third day of the period. It was the notable case reported by Dr. Guérin, of Anne of Austria, wife of Louis XIII of France, who thus conceived her eldest son. Again we are told by Jourdain that Henri II consulted the eminent Fernel as to a means of rendering his Queen Catherine de Medici, fruitful. Fernel advised intercourse “immediately after the period,” and his advice proved successful. After years of disappointment, the Queen gave birth to a son.

My researches convince me, however, that only in rare cases does male conception occur in the early menstrual flow, i.e., from the third day to the sixth day of the period. The greater majority of _normal_ male conceptions occur between the eighth and fifteenth day, counting from the very beginning of the period. _The twelfth day is certainly the fruitful day_, par excellence, _for the conception of male offspring_, experience having afforded conclusive proof that the ovum proceeding from the right ovary is then at the height of its receptivity. It must, however, be borne in mind that a boy can only be conceived every alternate month, one month being fruit_ful_ and one fruit_less_. This is further dealt with in a subsequent chapter. In my formula I have always given the fifth day after cessation of the period as the most likely date, allowing a full seven days for the duration of the menstrual period. The reason for allowing seven days to elapse before risking pregnancy is, that, although the actual flow may only last three or four days, the uterus remains in a perturbed state for a whole week, and the ensuing muscular flabbiness is not propitious to really healthy offspring. It is interesting to refer to the Law of the Talmud, which goes to prove that the fourteenth day was largely utilized by the Jews. The direction in Leviticus is “But if she be cleansed of her issue, then shall she number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean, and on the eighth day”[18]....

I have known many cases where male-conception occurred on the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth days respectively from the beginning of the period. One happened for certain on the eighteenth day, though this is exceptional. Such belatedness may easily cause a meeting of two ova, as it were, in the so-called “blank week”; one a male ovum and the other a female, which may possibly have been thrown into the tube as early as ten days before menstruation. If these two happen to be fertilised on the same day, or within two days of each other, the result will probably be the conception of mixed twins.

Generally, however, the disappointed ovum, if unfertilised, perishes on or about the fifteenth day, for its life, unlike that of the spermatozoon, is only a matter of days. With the ovum thus dead the uterus is unable, for the next six or eight weeks, to conceive a male child, since, before the next male ovum is due, the fruitless month must elapse.

If, on the other hand, fertilisation takes place, the uterus closes up entirely, jealously guarding the precious ovum that has now become a male embryo. From the first month of conception the embryo is alive, and its sex fully determined. It is an amazing fact that many people still believe that sex can be determined any time after pregnancy until the child quickens. Again and again I have been asked how to change the sex of an unborn infant that was well on its way. People seem to think that a wave of the magic wand, a special diet, or some form of treatment can transform a full-blown girl-embryo into a boy fœtus, or vice versa!

It is equally childish to imagine that the embryo does not enjoy vitality from the first moment of its existence. The virtue which proceeds from the fertilisation of this germ has such prodigious power that the whole being of the woman, in mind and body, undergoes a subtle change. Many women are affected in various ways almost immediately. Some are the victims of nausea and vomiting which last either for the first two or three months, or for the whole time of gestation, and are most distressing and difficult to alleviate. Others suffer acutely from heartburn, cramp, undue salivation, and other disabilities.

As regards the movements of a fœtus, they may be detected by a doctor long before the mother discerns them. Possibly she will not feel them until the fifth month or sixth month of pregnancy, especially if she is of a passive and lymphatic nature. The quickening occurs earlier with boys than with girls. Hippocrates maintained that as a rule the male is felt at three months and the female at four, on account of the greater strength of the male.[19] Dr. Hamilton knew of quickening in the eleventh week.[20] Denman says “quickening may happen from the tenth to the twenty-fifth week, but it occurs most commonly about the sixteenth.”[21] I have found in the majority of cases that with boy-pregnancies it occurs at sixteen weeks and with girl-pregnancies at seventeen or eighteen. “Quickening” is caused by a change in the position of the uterus, which, on account of its increased weight, suddenly rises above the pelvis, thus enabling the movements of the fœtus to be discerned for the first time.

During the first three months or so the uterus seems to be flatter with a male pregnancy than with a female. This condition prevails up to the time of quickening, when the very opposite occurs. The explanation of this is simple. When the male ovum leaves the ovary and, after the menstrual flow, is fertilised, it finds little or no preparation for its nutriment in the decidua, from which it is to derive its support. Hence its inception is characterised by considerably less spontaneous vitality and development. The female ovum, on the other hand, starts its embryo existence with all the unwasted accumulations of a uterus which has not discharged its contents for three weeks or more. But, as the pregnancy advances, the male embryo makes up for lost time, and thrives apace on the more generous supply of nutrition provided by the larger male ovary.

With advanced male pregnancies, too, there is generally a distinct protuberance on the right side in front. The weight of the fœtus is thrown towards the right, and a characteristic of male-pregnancy is that it allows of a freer walk and less awkward bearing. A lady pregnant with a boy, describes her condition as follows:

I am very large, but it is all in front. I am so nervous lest it should be another girl, but the movements are certainly on the right side.

Another lady who subsequently gave birth to a son, wrote:

I feel all the violent kicking on the right side and I have cramps down my right thigh.

The male sex of a child often tends to cause an extension of the term of gestation beyond its natural limits. This is mainly due in my opinion to the larger size and greater elasticity of the right horn of the uterus, and also to the superior powers of nutriment of the larger ovary. Although quickening occurs earlier in male-pregnancy than female, the movements of the female embryo are generally quicker and less powerful.

We may certainly conclude that Nature intended women to produce more boys than girls, and that, with this end in view:

1. She provided the girl-child with more male ova in her right organ than female ova in her left.

2. She rendered easier the fertilisation of the right side ovary by placing the right cornu of the uterus, the tube and the ovary, in the more attainable position in the pelvis.

3. She made the right ovary and tube larger than the left and provided more seminal fluid for them to carry.

These facilities for the increase of males are the more necessary and desirable when we consider:

1. The greater tendency to abortion with male-pregnancies.

2. The great care which must be exercised with first children, if they be boys.

3. The lack of proper means for rearing male prematures born under seven months.

4. The extra attention that is always required by boy-children in the way of feeding, warmth, and such necessary treatment as circumcision.

When we have overcome these disabilities, we shall have made a very definite step forward. But even so we shall not be able to obtain a reasonable proportion of males and females until proper use is made of the simple law of determination, with which I have dealt, however imperfectly, in this chapter.

Now, for the benefit of the uninitiated and for those unacquainted with medical terms, I intend to make a brief and simple summary of the points outlined, so that any woman who desires to have male issue can make personal use of them.

Union should occur from the third day to the tenth day after cessation of period. The fifth day after the period or in other words, the twelfth day from its commencement, is the most certain date for conception.

It will be noticed by the careful reader that the times mentioned are of a very limited duration. My motto is “safety first,” but I do not wish to imply that other dates are wholly impossible for male conception.

To make sure of not having female issue marital relation must be avoided for ten days before each period and for three days after.

X

THE “BLANK WEEK”

“Great Nature spoke; observant man obeyed.”—POPE.

Having dealt with the workings of the right ovary, perhaps the simplest plan to follow now would be to examine the action of the uterine organs from day to day throughout the lunar month in their proper order. It is not very generally understood that the lunar month of every woman holds a “blank week,” or kind of close-time, during which no conception can occur. Yet this is true of all normal women who function regularly, and the exceptions merely go to prove the rule. Thus, _given that the menses be regular_, and counting from the first day of the period, a blank week exists from the sixteenth to the twenty-first day of the lunar month.

During that time both ovaries, male and female, are temporarily in a state of apparently complete inactivity. This is what actually happens. In the first week of the lunar month, counting from the period of menstruation, the ovum is discharged. Then follow eight days of expectancy, when fertilisation may have taken place, but after that the womb becomes atrophied, and from that time (i.e. the sixteenth to the twenty-first day) provided she be regular, a woman may safely consider herself immune from fertilisation. If more wives were aware of this fact, many would take advantage of the “immunity” to shield themselves from a too large or too rapid increase of family. In contrast with the drawbacks of so-called “preventive measures,” this is a harmless and innocent means of prevention offered by natural laws.

Unfortunately every woman is _not_ normal, and there are some who may never benefit from a “blank week.” This occurs where the period is habitually too early, often as much as a week or ten days before it is due. In such cases the “blank week” has been trespassed upon, the next period is already on its way, and no respite has been allowed to the harassed uterus. Such indications point to a state of weakness sometimes no more than temporary, and, with proper treatment and care may in time be remedied. But such a condition frequently denotes serious ill-health, such as anæmia, which, if allowed to continue, will cause much trouble. It is also at the root of many abortions.

On the other hand, where the period is retarded for two or three days, or more, the “blank” week may develop into a close-time of ten days or a fortnight. This state of affairs is usually beneficial both to the uterus, and to the general health of the individual. It should, in fact, be stated that the “late” period is a sign of strength, and as long as it is not attended by any other troubles, or by distressing “white discharges” in between the periods, should cause no kind of anxiety. Most healthy young girls are “late” for many years after menstruation begins, and sometimes go on for four months without a period. These girls I have found to be quite healthy and normal, enjoying easy confinements in married life, in contrast to those who are perpetually troubled by “early” or even “regular to the day” courses and by an over-profuse catamenial flow.

It is the latter class of women who are far more susceptible to the fertilisation of the female ova. With persons of rarer and “late” periods, the very opposite conditions prevail. To take a few instances, a woman I know had but one day of actual “flow” every six weeks and invariably relied on a “blank” of twenty days. She gave birth to seven boys, but not a single daughter. Again a certain French peasant woman only had a day’s period every two months; her family consisted of three boys and no girls. An American lady, who gave birth to eight sons and one girl, had a period regularly every five weeks, lasting half a day only. Her first-born was the girl, and it was remarkable that, in early married life, she had been more “regular” with scanty periods.

A lady wanting a son wrote to me as follows:

I fear my periods are very irregular—always three weeks late. I have never had a mishap and am very healthy and robust.

She had two boys in succession.

Another wrote:

I am very regular, but invariably “late,” 32 days being the usual time.

She had sons only.

Another letter runs thus:

Before the birth of my girl I was always very regular at 28 days; now somehow I am always “late.”

Her three following children were boys.

I could give innumerable cases in further support of this contention. In a like manner my available evidence goes to prove the tendency to girl-pregnancies among women of profuse and “early” periods. This is readily understood, when one considers how easily the “blank” week may cease to exist, obliterated by the over-active left ovary, so that the unfortunate wife becomes the mother of an unlooked-for girl. Every alternate month the danger is present, and, though often avoided, may sooner or later cause the advent of a daughter.

A lady writes thus:

My periods are very profuse and always too early; I long for a son, but have had only four girls.

Another writes:

I never have more than ten days entirely free ... but my confinements have been quite normal ... I have two little girls.

With the women of rare and scant menstruation, on the other hand, the “blank” week is very real and reliable.

Lady A. wrote to me as follows:

What you tell me about the blank week I have heard discussed, and some of my friends make use of it.... Twenty years ago, Lady E., a very old friend of mine, said to me in private: “Now, my dear, I do wish you would warn my niece not to have any more children. She is shocked at the idea of preventives, but were you to tell her all about the ‘blank week,’ as my mother told me, I am sure she would make full use of it.”

The mere fact of the right ovary remaining quiescent till its appointed time proves that the _male_ ovary is probably the healthiest and the most likely to produce ova for fertilisation. The right ovary unless diseased is _never_ too early. This is chiefly due to its being naturally stronger and more self-contained, and discharging its ovum _after_ the period has actually begun. Where the periods are too early, it will be generally found that one ovary works quicker than the other, and that this ovary is the _left_.

Thus it is possible for three weeks to elapse after one period, four after the next or two weeks one time, three and a half the next and so on. If it happens that the male ovary is also “early,” after years of irregularity, this is because of a “_reflex_” activity, resulting from the insistent stimulus of the left side.

Generally speaking, just as a tendency to constipation bespeaks in any given person better health than proneness to diarrhœa, so the longer “blank” week and the “later” period prove more strength in a woman than the “early” and profuse menstruation. The latter trouble needs drastic treatment; the former responds to gentle coaxing and modifying.

Having thus shown the existence of a “blank” week, which provides _immunity from conception_ to every female enjoying normal health and regular menstruation, we now arrive at the twenty-first day of a woman’s lunar month. Adhering to my programme, let us proceed to examine what occurs, in every normal woman, after the completion of the third week of this fruitful month.

I hope my readers will be clear in their minds, in so far as we have arrived at the point already demonstrated.

(1) When male children are safely and easily begotten.

(2) When the blank week affords nature’s means of repose to the organs of procreation.

XI

FOR A GIRL

“And binding nature fast in fate Left free the human will.”—POPE.

On the twenty-first day of a woman’s lunar month a change occurs in the uterus. Activity commencing in the left ovary affects the whole being in a greater or lesser degree. Slight pains are experienced in the back, and the sensitive and highly strung feel a tenderness in the left breast and left thigh, as in the same way during the next month such pains may be felt on the right side. The left ovary has become restive, and, already seven days, and sometimes nine, before her “flow” is due, has ruptured the Graafian follicle, setting free the female ovum. This premature rupture of the vesicle, with the bursting of the Graafian follicle, is brought about by the actual formation of the “female” ovary, and, its development being less than and its retentive qualities inferior to those of the right side, the female ovum is often launched as much as nine days before its menstrual flow is due. The life of this ovum, like that of all ova, is from eight to fifteen days, and, in a normal woman, it is receptive to fertilisation from the twenty-first to the twenty-eight day of the lunar month which terminates with the next period.

Thus in all normal cases, the twenty-first day of the lunar month, or the _seventh day before the next period is the most likely day for conception of the female offspring_. Healthy and regular cases are in a large majority; indeed, among native women, untouched by modern civilisation, they are probably the general rule.

A lady writes:

I have three little girls ... and they were all started _before the period_.... I seem never to be able to conceive at any other time.

Another says:

I was told that boys were conceived _seven days before the period_. I tried this method, but _it was a girl_.

Herein lies the true explanation of the fact that nearly all first children, who are not “prematures,” and born within the first nine and a half months of marriage, are girls. The bride generally arranges that her wedding shall take place the second week, after the period is safely over. She thus carefully selects for her marriage a date, at least ten days after the expiration of menstruation; which, if it happens to be the fruitful month, will fall in with the girl-conception time. And, if she conceives, _her first child is bound to be a girl_.

In order to make sure of my ground, and in deference to the expressed wishes of many gynæcologists, I have taken statistics relating to this over a number of years, running into a thousand cases, with the result that 80 per cent. confirm my dicta—than which there could hardly be better proof. If to these statistics is added the fact of the greater activity of the left ovary in young womanhood, I submit that the combination of conditions renders my statement of the facts almost irrefutable.

There are many women who can only conceive a girl on the last three days before the period is due, showing that in their case the ovum is discharged shortly before the flow starts. Other women again are unable to conceive at any time except on the very day the period is actually due—I know of many such; they all had _girls_ and never a son. But in all these cases I have found a certain morbidity of the uterine condition, combined with a tendency to hysteria and nervous disorders.

The closely impending flow, though not yet present, must render the existence of the germ precarious, and is usually conducive to bearing-down sensations at the menstrual times. This is often accompanied by a slight “show,” which may cause alarm, though not necessarily in any way a serious matter.

Here let me state most definitely for the benefit of those mothers who desire female issue, that the great majority of girl-infants are conceived _on the seventh or eighth day before the period is due_, those being by far the most actively receptive days for female pregnancies. It is the seventh day that I have always advocated in my formula, and on that day, in all normal cases, the strongest girl-babies are conceived.

It must be remembered by those wishing to profit by my formula that a girl can be conceived only every alternate month, one month being fruitful and one fruitless.

It is not difficult to find out which month is fruitful, but it is perhaps wiser to avoid confusing the issue by making calculations with regard to this contingency.

In order to avoid male issue relations must not take place for ten days after each period.

XII

THE FREAK OVARY