CHAPTER III. 

 THE PHASES OF LIFE. 



972. THE child has at birth, on an average, rather less than 

 one-third the maximum length, and about one-twentieth the 

 maximum weight, to which in future years it will attain. 



The composition of the body of the new-born babe, as com- 

 pared with that of the adult, will be seen from the following table, 

 in which the details are more full than those given in 519 ; the 

 figures in brackets are more recent observations. 



Weight of organ in percentage Weight of organ in 



of Body-weight adult, as compared 



with that of new-born 

 New-born babe. Adult. babe taken as 1. 



Eye -28 -023 1-7 



Brain 14'34 (12-28) 2'37 (2'25) 37 (3'34) 



Kidneys -88 -48 12 



Skin 11-3 6-3 12 



Liver 4'39 (5'03) 277 (3'05) 13'6(11'05) 



Heart -89 (73) "52 (-49) 15 (121) 



Stomach andj 

 Intestine } 



Lungs 2-16 2-01 20 



Skeleton 167 15'35 26 



Muscles, &c. 23-4- 43'1 48 



Testicle -037 '08 60 



It will be observed that the brain and eyes are, relatively to 

 the whole body-weight, very much larger in the babe than in the 

 adult. This disproportion is a very marked embryonic feature, 

 and has a morphological or phylogenic, as well as a physiological 

 or teleological, significance. Inasmuch as the smaller body has 

 relatively the larger surface, the skin is naturally proportionately 

 greater in the babe ; but the same disproportion is observed in 



982 



