SELECTION IN MAN. 391 



disposed to think that both are the outcome of some 

 influences which increase in potency with the advance of 

 civilisation. In any case the frequency of dental caries 

 does not seem to have an unfavourable selective influence. 



Phthisis, however, may and does have such an influence. 

 And Houze, having shown that it is more prevalent among 

 the taller and fairer Flemings than among the shorter and 

 darker Walloons, concludes that it has been the principal 

 agent in producing the supposed reduction of the blond 

 type in Belgium and elsewhere. 



Now in England, as I have already stated, the propor- 

 tion of blonds in the general population is quite as great as 

 among the subjects of phthisis, but that of tall men among 

 the phthisical is greater than that of short men. Let us see 

 how it is in France. 



"Pulmonary disease," "scrofula" and weak "constitu- 

 tion ' seem to be so often confounded or interchanged in 

 the recruiting statistics, that I have thought it advisable to 

 class the three together, with the following results. 



The three together are, or rather were in Boudin's 

 time, the cause of rejection of conscripts in about the follow- 

 ing order : — 1 



49 in France. 



42 ,, 10 most blond departments. 



39 ,, 10 most brunet. 



41 ,, 10 departments with tallest population. 



44 ,, 10 ,, ,, shortest ,, 



54 ,, 6 ,, ,, combination of stature, 



blond complexion and long head. 

 48 ,, 5 departments with combination of stature, 



blond complexion and long head, 

 excluding the Nord. 



1 This is not the correct way of putting it ; but we have here the result 

 of averaging the ranks in each of the three classes of disqualification, and 

 counting each of equal value. In reality the number rejected for weak- 

 ness of constitution is vastly greater than that for scrofula, and that again 

 than for phthisis. 



The low position of France as compared with her components is due 

 to the greater and denser population of some of the vvorst departments, 

 such as Seine and Nord. 



