66 



THE RATE OF GROWTH 



[CH. 



but it is somewhat arrested for a wkile in childhood, from about 

 five years old to eight. According to Quetelet's data, there is 

 another shght interruption in the falhng rate between the ages of 

 about fourteen and sixteen ; but in place of this almost insignificant 

 interruption, the Enghsh and other statistics indicate a sudden 



70 

 mm. 

 per 



60 



50 



40 



30- 



< 20 



10 



10 



15 



20 



25 

 yrs. 



Fig. 4. Mean annual increments of stature {$), Belgian and American. 



and very marked acceleration of growth beginning at about 

 twelve years of age, and lasting for three or four years; when 

 this period of acceleration is over, the rate begins to fall again, 

 and does so with great rapidity. We do not know how far the 

 absence of this striking feature in the Belgian curve is due to the 

 imperfections of Quetelet's data, or whether it is a real and 

 significant feature in the small-statured race which he investigated. 

 Even apart from these data of Quetelet's (which seem to 

 constitute an extreme case), it is evident that there are very 



