Academy of Sciences] 

 No. 3] 



PHYSIOLOGICAL TESTS 

 Table 69. — Foot and stature 



97 



Members of the 



Academy up to 60 



years, inclusive 



Old Americans 



at large 



(laboratory) 



Averagesof 12groups 

 of immigrants 



Subjects 



Foot: 



Length 



Breadth 



Module (mean diameter) 



Index 



Module X 100 



Stature 



77 



26.32 



9. 50 



17.91 



36. 10 



10. 23 



245 



26. 12 



9.49 



17.81 



36. S3 



10. 21 



25. 70-26. 60 



9. 90-10. 60 



17. 85-18. 63 



37. 90-40. 10 



10. 60-11. 02 



The foot, it is quite evident, is larger and especially broader in the immigrants. This is 

 even more striking when the size of the foot is regarded in its relation to stature. The causes are 

 doubtless on one hand the prevalence of going bare-footed among the children of the poorer 

 people, and on the other hand the greater stresses the feet in the immigrants were called upon 

 to endure due to their habits and occupations. In the life of the members of the Academy as 

 well as in that of the subjects of the "laboratory" series of the old Americans at large, there has 

 been from the time of their school age to that of their examination such a large proportion of 

 sitting, and hence resting the feet, during their waking hours, that the feet have not developed 

 as much as they have in the immigrants. If it were practicable to measure the total mass of the 

 feet and the stoutness of their bones the differences would doubtless be found to be even greater. 



What will become of the old American foot under modern conditions when its use has been 

 further greatly diminished by the automobile and other conveniences may be surmised and 

 apprehended. 



PHYSIOLOGICAL TESTS 



An effort was made with the members of the Academy to secure data on the pulse, respira- 

 tion, and temperature, but as the measurements had to be made during the meetings and it was 

 seldom possible to delay the subject, it was soon found that the records could not represent 

 strictly normal conditions and so these tests were abandoned. There were no such obstacles, 

 however, to the tests of strength and these were carried out on all those examined whose hands, 

 arms, and shoulders were in healthy condition. 



As with the old Americans at large, these tests were taken by the well known Collins (French) 

 dynamometer. They consisted of the optimum obtainable records of the pressure by each hand, 

 and of bimanual traction, 43 taken with the subject standing and with both shoes and clothing 

 on, barring the vest and coat. 



In tests of this nature age is naturally an important factor, and the test proved very dis- 

 turbing in the many aged members of the Academy. With many of the members above 70, 

 and occasionally even earlier, normal results plainly could not be obtained and the records 



» The medius of each hand hooked into the small ends of the arch of the dynamometer, the instrument held free from any contact with the body, 

 and the utmost pull exerted. The records obtained are, it is well known, not mechanically accurate, but the errors of the instrument are constant, 

 the instrument is easy to handle, and the results are quite comparable with others secured by the same make of dynamometer. The same instru- 

 ment was used in all the studies dealt with here. 



