542 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION G. 
only to students of biology and psycho-physiology, but 
also to the vital statistician and the schoolmaster. 
Up to the present time nothing of importance in the 
field of anthropometry has been accomplished in Australia, 
although isolated measurements have been made. Some 
years ago, Dr. F. N. Manning measured the height of a 
number of children, both in the private and public schools 
of New South Wales. The results of these measurements 
were not made public, but were forwarded by Dr. Manning 
to Mr, Charles Roberts, the well-known authority on anthro- 
pometry, and are referred to in Mr. Roberts’ published 
works. In 1891, I was desirous of obtaining measure- 
ments of school children in connection with the Census, 
but I did not carry out my ideas, as proposals to do the 
same work had been made by certain leading surgeons of 
Sydney to the Minister for Public Instruction. The 
Minister was favorable to the proposals, and offered every 
facility for the making of the measurements, but the 
matter was not proceeded with. In 1894 the Anthro- 
pological Society of New South Wales was established, 
and for several years received an endowment of £150 a 
year from the State. The Society still exists, although 
the subsidy has been withdrawn. One of the main objects 
of the Society is to arouse sympathetic interest in child 
study, and to establish a laboratory wherein teachers and 
others having care of children may learn the principles 
of measurement. I believe that a number of persons have 
been measured by Dr. A. Carroll, the Secretary of the 
Society. In 1896 a paper was read before the Austra- 
lasian Association by Lieutenant-Colonel Surgeon Ahearne 
as to the effect of ‘tropical climates on the human race. 
Some measurements of Queensland children were given by 
the writer, but the number tested could not have been very 
large. 
In most countries a fair share of attention has been 
devoted to the measurement of adults, but the chief 
attention is being paid to children. This is as it should 
be, for the measurement of children is of the utmost 
importance, because here we are closest to the source of 
social and national life. The mental and physical defects 
and abnormalities of the child we may hope to counteract 
or remove, whereas similar shortcomings and peculiarities 
of the adult are beyond remedy. 
The object of all worthy educational systems is the freest 
and most symmetrical development of individual minds 
and bodies, and the training of our future citizens, so that 
