532 HEIGHT AND WEIGHT IN RELATION TO BUILD 



reached and the corresponding height-weight index. Each curve begins one year 

 earlier than that indicated by the first Arabic numeral along the course of the curve. 

 Thus, in chart H, girl LXI at 11 years of age had a stature of 134.8 cm. (53.1 

 inches), weighed 96.5 pounds, and had an index of 0.646; at 12, stature 139 cm. 

 (54.7 inches), weight 110 pounds, index 0.671; at 13, stature 143 cm. (56.3 inches), 

 weight 122.8 pounds, index 0.688; at 14, stature 148 cm. (58.3 inches), weight 132 

 pounds, index 0.666. 



It is to be noted in these charts that the individual growth-curves correspond 

 fairly well with typical growth-curves based on averages. This would be still more 

 striking were it practical to plot the curves of all of the individuals tabulated by 

 Baldwin, but so many of the curves fall along the line of the typical growth-curves 

 that the picture becomes too confusing for the purpose of reproduction. The 

 curves selected, therefore, illustrate individuals of varied types, including the most 

 extreme. 



Fat individuals tend on the whole to remain short and to grow relatively fatter 

 with age. Tall individuals tend to be thin until growth is completed and to have 

 growth-curves which parallel the typical growth-curve. 



In addition to the data shown in the other tables of this series a curve marked 

 by dashes is shown in chart H to illustrate the average weight for a given height 

 found, irrespective of age, in the women tabulated in the medico-actuarial inves- 

 tigations. Allowance has been made in the chart for heels and for weight of 

 clothes. Short women are very much heavier than growing girls of the same height, 

 while the difference is slight between tall women and tall girls at the time they 

 cease to grow in stature. 



TRANSVERSE SECTION AND TRANSVERSE DIAMETER INDICES. 



In charts I, J, and K the curve labeled height-weight index represents 

 the height-weight-index growth-curve and enables one to compare the relations 

 which exist between weight and stature with those which exist between several 

 linear and volumetric measurements and stature during growth in height. Only 

 that part of the curve for females is shown which diverges markedly from that of 

 the male. This is shown by broken lines. The height- weight index is primarily 

 an expression of the relation between the volume of the body stated in terms of 

 pounds and the cube of the height. The smaller the index the smaller the relative 

 volume. Chart K, p. 538, shows clearly that there is a close correlation between the 

 decrease in the relative volume of the head and the increase in the relative volume 

 of the lower extremities, on the one hand, and decrease in height-weight index on 

 the other. In relative volume the trunk and upper extremities change compara- 

 tively little. In the latter part of adolescence and in maturity in the male, however, 

 as the height-weight index increases the relative volume of the trunk increases. In 

 the female the thighs appear to be about equally affected with the trunk in relative 

 increase in volume. Data on this subject, however, are scanty. 



If we assume that the volume of the body represents weight in pounds multi- 

 plied by 27 cubic inches and determine the ratio between the volume of the body and 



