What are the outstandingly significant sex differences
which application of the above criterion leaves? (1)
A less active and more uneven metabolism of woman;
(2) Associated with this, less physical strength on
the average—hence an inferior adaptability
to some kinds of work, resulting in a narrower range
of choice of occupation, disadvantageous in competitive
society; (3) But the one fundamental difference, to
which all the others are as nothing, is the specialization
of the mammalian female body and metabolism to furnish
the intra-maternal environment (approximately nine
months in the human species) for the early development
of the young and lactation for some months afterward.
This last may be said to include the former two, which
were arbitrarily placed first because they are always
in evidence, whether reproduction is undertaken or
not. This takes us out of cell and endocrine biology
and into the general problem in group adjustment to
environment which that specialization entails.
1. Goldschmidt, R. Experimental Intersexuality
and the Sex Problem. Amer. Naturalist, 1916.
Vol. 50, pp. 705f.
2. Goldschmidt, R. Preliminary Report on Further
Experiments in Inheritance and Determination of Sex.
Proc. Nat. Acad. Sc, 1916. Vol.
II, No. 1, pp. 53f.
3. Goldschmidt, R. A Case of Facultative Parthenogenesis.
Biol. Bulletin, 1917. Vol. XXXII, No.
1, p. 38.
4. Goldschmidt, R. Intersexuality and the Endocrine
Aspect of Sex. Endocrinology, Vol. I, p.
434. 1917. Fine summary of the work done on moths,
birds and various forms by many biologists.
5. Riddle, Dr Oscar. Quantitative Basis
of Sex as indicated by the Sex-Behaviour of Doves
from a Sex-Controlled Series. Science, n.s.,
Vol. 39, p. 440, 1914.
6. Riddle, Dr Oscar. Sex Control and Known
Correlations in Pegeons. Amer. Nat.
Vol. L, pp. 385-410.
7. Benedict, F.G. & Emmes, L.E. A Comparison
of the Basal Metabolism of Men and Women. Jour.
Biol. Chem. Vol. 20. No. 3. 1914.
8. Schaefer, Sir E.A. Endocrine Glands and
Internal Secretions. Stanford University, 1914,
p. 91.
9. Paton, D. Noel. Regulators of Metabolism.
London, 1913, p. 146.
10. Weininger, Otto. Sex and Character.
London & N.Y., 1906. Eng. trans. of Geschlecht
u. Charakter, Vienna & Leipzig, 1901 & 1903.
11. Leland, C.G. The Alternate Sex.
London, 1904.
12. Carpenter, Edw. Love’s Coming
of Age. London, 1906.
13. George, W.L. The Intelligence of Woman,
Boston, 1916.
14. Bell, Dr Blair. The Sex Complex, London,
1916.
15. Bell, Dr. Blair. Gynaecology. London,
1919.
16. Bateson, W. Mendel’s Principles of
Heredity. 1909, pp. 169-70.
17. Marshall, F.H. A Physiology of Reproduction.
London, 1910.
