302 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERT. 



stratum and general physical appearance of the various recruits. In 

 stature, the American born ranked the highest, the English next, the 

 Irish next, the Germans next, and the French last. I found it at 

 first somewhat difficult to lay down many different rules of classifica- 

 tion, and I therefore adopted a very general division into four classes, 

 which were respectively termed, prime, good, indifferent, and bad. Un- 

 der the head ' prime ' I included, first, those who had a well-proportioned 

 osseous system (the groundwork of the personal figure), as shown by 

 the shape of the skull, the bones of the thorax and fibres, and the lines 

 of the extremities. The shape of the joints, the shape of feet and 

 hands, and the condition of the ligaments was especially noted.. Sec- 

 ondly came a good development of the muscular system, especially 

 those of the lower extremities, as the most reliable indication of the 

 vigor of spinal nutrition. Under the term ' good ' were classed those 

 who were then apparently healthy and strong, with more especially a 

 good muscular development, but who did not equal the prime in the 

 development of the osseous system, from lack of lateral symmetry, bow 

 legs, large joints, flat feet, etc. Under the head of ' indifferent ' might 

 be found good forms and tolerable muscular development, but who 

 had tendencies to constitutional diseases, as well as a good many who 

 may have had good constitution^ originally, but had become deterio- 

 rated from various causes. Under the head ' bad ' were such as had 

 never been good, nor ever would be so, from an originally vicious con- 

 formation. 



" Of American-born recruits 47.5 per-cent. had a prime physique; 

 the Irish 35 per cent., and the Germans 40.75 per cent. The percent- 

 age of good physique was, Americans 36, Irish 38, Germans 38.5. The 

 percentage of indifferent was, Americans 13.5, Irish 19.5, Germans 19. 

 The percentage of bad, Americans 3, Irish 7.5, Germans 3. From this 

 it will be perceived that the Americans show the highest rate of prime 

 physique, the Germans next, and the Irish last. Of good, the Irish 

 and Germans are nearly equal, and four per cent, more than the 

 Americans, but this is owing to the excess of the latter in prime. Of 

 indifferent, the Irish are one-half higher than the Germans, which 

 last are five and one-half per cent, higher than the Americans. Of 

 the bad, the Irish are more than double the Americans and Germans, 

 who in this respect stand alike. So far, therefore, these figures seem 

 favorable to the American born ; but there are several considerations 

 to be taken into account, which will, to a certain extent, modify the 

 inferences to be drawn from them. In the first place, the Americans 

 were largely from classes of society who from youth have been able to 

 command better facilities in food, clothing and shelter, than the classes 

 from whom the immigrant population is derived. What an influence 

 this must exert on physical development is sadly illustrated by the mor- 

 tality returns of New York City, which show that though the American 

 population is not exceeded by the foreign, yet that seven children of 

 foreign-born parents die in a year to one American child. Besides, 

 more than half the Americans were born and reared in country dis- 

 tricts, and the difference which this fact causes may be shown by com- 

 paring among them the city and country recruits. Thus the propor- 

 tion of prime among city Americans was forty-two per cent., country 

 fifty-eight per cent.; of good, city forty per cent., country twenty-nine 



