21 



brigade and the police. Among growing boys in schools it is about 

 l|lbs. to the inch. The weight of adult persons between 25 and 

 30 is greater in England than in America or Belgium, being 

 respectively 150, 149, and 1461bs. in the three countries. In 

 America itself, the Anglo-Americans have the advantage in weight 

 over Americans born. At earlier ages, from 21 to 25, the 

 advantage seems to be in favour of the Americans over the English. 

 In general, however, the curves representing the two countries run 

 very closely together. As between the sexes, for the first 6 years 

 of life girls are lighter than boys ; their weights then gratlually 

 approximate, till at 12 years of age girls and boys are the same; 

 up to 16 girls are heavier tlian boys ; but from that age they begin 

 to lose ground, until at 18|- boys have tlie advantage of girls 

 by 201bs. 



We may take it as an established fact that tlie average height 

 and weight vary with the social position and occupation of the 

 people. The general body of the population may be roughly 

 divided into 15 per cent, of the professional and non-labouring 

 class, 47 per cent, of the labouring class, and 38 per cent, of the 

 artizan and operative classes. Throughout life the first-named class 

 has the advantage in heiglit and weight over the others. 



It is suggested by Mr. Roberts that the cause of these differ- 

 ences is to be found mainly in superior nurture ; that where the 

 influence of food, clothing, nursing, and domestic surroundings 

 generally are more favourable, there the average height and weight 

 will be the greater. Subordinate to this consideration, but still of 

 great importance, is that of the climatic and sanitary surroundings. 

 It becomes a very interesting question, therefore, how soon and to 

 what extent do the influences of nurture and of climate exercise an 

 influence on the growth of a child. For the answer, we may fairly 

 look to the statistics of boys between the age of 11 and 12 years 

 in tlie schools of various grades in various parts of the country. 

 Thiit will allow time for these influences to have exhibited them- 

 selves, and will exclude other influences which depend rather on 

 the individual than the class he springs from. 



The results are these : — In the public schools of the country 

 the mean height of boys of the age mentioned is 55 inches ; in the 



