534 



HEIGHT AND WEIGHT IN RELATION TO BUILD. 



In chart I the most striking feature of this curve, illustrating the ratio of the 

 "average" transverse diameter of the body to stature, is the fact that it is almost 

 a mirror picture of the curve of the sitting-height, labeled "crotch" in the chart. 

 Since these two curves have been plotted from entirely different data and from 

 different standpoints it is of interest to see how much alike they are. The part of 

 both curves up to the 30-inch line is somewhat artificial, since we are lacking in 

 abundance of data for the first year of development. The beginnings of both 

 curves at the 20-inch line are, however, based on a fair amount of data. Beyond 

 the 30-inch line both curves are based on a relatively large amount of data. They 



25 



HEIGHT IN INCHES 

 40 45 50 55 



Height-weight 

 index 

 90 



Top of larynx 



Top of tro- 

 cnanter 



Crotch 

 Wrist joint 



Ankle joint 



M 



F 



4 mo. 

 4'/z mo. 



l3'/2 mo 



15 mo. 2'.2yr. 



9 y r . 1 1 V<, y r 

 4'A.yr. 6'A.yr. 9'/-.yr IIYzyr. 



APPROXIMATE AGE IN YEARS 



14 yr 



16 yr. 1 

 . 16yr. 



+ yr 



CHART I. Height relative to stature of the level of the structures named at the right. Each level is shown by a curve 

 extending from the left-hand to right-hand side. Horizontal lines indicate percentage of stature as shown at 

 the left. Vertical lines indicate stature in inches as shown at the top. The approximate age at which the 

 average healthy American reaches a given stature is shown at the bottom. The curved heavy line labeled 

 "height-weight index" at the left represents the height-weight-index growth-curve. The heavy line marked by 

 an X at each end represents the curve of the square root of a tenth of the height-weight index of growth. The 

 dotted lines in the chart indicate the divergence of the relative proportions of the female from those of the 

 male. The data on which the curves are based are given in table K. 



show conclusively that the average transverse diameter of the body is in inverse 

 proportion to the length of the free lower extremities. The ratio of the sitting- 

 height, or of the length of the free lower extremities to stature and the height-weight 

 index, are the two most valuable simple means we have of estimating the propor- 

 tions of the body. They serve as a check on one another and should be made a 

 matter of routine recording in the study of anatomical data. 



