Academy of Sciences] 

 No. 3] 



MEASUREMENTS 



25 



or nearly the same, in the not old Americans the variation being 15.5 in the former and 10.6 in the 

 latter, or 13.9 for the combined group. More concordant data could hardly be expected. The 

 main data follow: 



Table 23. — Sitting height in percentage of stature 



Subjects 



Average ratio 



Minimum 



Maximum 



Range of variation in percentage of the average 



CV. 



All 



150 



52.92 



48.9 



57. 1 



15.50 



Members of the Academy 



Old Americans Not old Americans 



100 



52. 84 ±0.096 



48.9 



57. 1 



15.50 



1. 42 ±0.068 



2. 69 ±0. 13 



50 



52. 96 ±0. 128 



50.2 



55. 8 



10.57 



1. 34 ±0.091 



2. 53 ±0. 17 



Old Americans at 

 large (laboratory 



series) 



247 



52.94 



50.2 



57. 4 

 18.60 



FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION 



48.90- 

 48.99 



49- 

 50.99 



51- 



52.99 



53- 

 54.99 



55- 

 56.99 



57- 

 57.12 



Old Americans (100) 



Not old Americans (50). 



Percent 

 1 



Percent 

 6 

 6 



Percent 

 49 

 44 



Percent 

 41 

 46 



Percent 

 2 

 4 



Percent 

 1 



SITTING HEIGHT IN PERCENTAGE OF STATURE, AND AGE 



Members of the Academy 



Old Americans 



Not old Americans 



Subjects to 60 years of age, inclusive 



Average ratio 



<r 



CV 



Over 60 years of age 



Average ratio 



<7 



CV 



60 



52. 90 ±0. 129 



1. 48 ±0.091 



2. 80 ±0. 17 



40 



52. 75 ±0. 141 



1. 32 ±0. 099 



2. 50±0. 19 



22 



53. 09 ±0. 170 



1. 16 ±0. 120 



2. 18±0. 22 



28 



52. 86 ±0. 190 



1. 46 ±0. 130 



2. 76 ±0. 25 



A striking fact about this seemingly complex determination is its general small variability. 

 Both in the old Americans at large and in the academicians this variability stands at or near the 

 lowest limit of all those shown by the measurements or ratios that were dealt with. The reason 

 for this for the present is difficult to fathom. 



The next point of interest to approach will be the influence of age in this connection. Table 

 23 gives the data on the only two age divisions that with this limited series of subjects are legit- 

 imate. Advanced age has evidently had a slight effect on the reduction of the ratio. This con- 

 forms to the expectation, for it is known that senile involutionary changes affect the spine more 

 than they do the long bones. The noteworthy fact is that the effects are so small in this group. 

 Regrettably there are as yet no suitable data for comparison with outsiders. 



It is evident from all the above that in the trunk-neck-head height, and also in the sitting 

 height-stature ratio and hence the length of the lower limbs, the members of the Academy agree 

 closely among themselves, and that they present nothing exceptional as compared to the general 

 old American population. 



