500 



HEIGHT AND WEIGHT IN RELATION TO BUILD 



The relative volume and surface-area of the upper extremities are remarkably 

 constant throughout life. The volume is approximately 10 per cent of the total vol- 

 ume, the surface-area nearly 20 per cent. The ratio of relative area to relative 

 volume is therefore nearly 2:1. Both relative volume and surface are less in 

 women than in men, in the thin than in the fat. 



A few examples will suffice to illustrate the relation of volume and surface-areas 

 of the different segments of each limb to the limb as a whole : 



TABLE 8. 



1 For the Du Bois cases the surfaces of the arm and forearm are combined. 



An inspection of this table will show that while the relative volume of the hand 

 decreases from infancy to maturity, and that of the arm increases, the relative 

 surface-area of the three segments remains remarkably constant. Relative to the 

 limb as a whole, the volume and surface of forearm are nearly equivalent, while the 

 surface of the hand is increased relatively to its volume and that of the arm decreased. 

 In fat individuals and in very tall individuals the volume and surface of the hand 

 are relatively small. 



In the lower extremity the relative volume and surface-area of the foot are 

 both decreased, those of the thigh are increased from infancy to maturity, while 

 those of the leg are little altered. The proportional relations of volume to surface 

 in the three segments are comparatively little changed. The volume of the female 

 thigh is relatively large, but the surface does not appear to be so. It is interesting 

 to observe that in the excessively fat woman, No. 5, the proportional area of the 

 three segments of the lower extremity are nearly like those of other adults, while 

 the hand is relatively small. 



LINEAR PROPORTIONS. 



In the study of the proportions of the body it is of fundamental importance to 

 have standards of typical proportions with which the proportions of a given individ- 

 ual or of a group of individuals of a given race and stage of development may be 

 compared. The most extensive set of standards of this kind is that prepared by 

 Quetelet (1870) in his study of Belgians. He gives tables of mean absolute and 



