32 ALES HRDLlCKA 



PRELIMINARIES 



Some day it may be possible to deal with the actual state of anthro- 

 pometry in general, and with the many individual modifications of and 

 tendencies in the same which are outside of international agreements ; 

 but what the American student of the branch needs most are 

 simple, practical, well tested instructions for his guidance in work 

 which is rapidly increasing. An active interest in the various lines of 

 research which fall within the scope of physical anthropology is rising 

 everywhere, as witnessed by the increasingly frequent calls at our 

 laboratories from different parts of the country for instruments help 

 and directions, by the number and calibre of our visitors, and in the 

 unprecedented demand for trained anthropologists. 



These conditions were brought about partly by the war, which 

 offered suddenly such great opportunities for applied as well as research 

 anthropometry; partly by the intensification of the problems of 

 immigration, Americanization, and conservation of child life, which 

 are receiving a steadily increased attention; and partly by a gradually 

 augmenting institutional demand for instruction and work in anthro- 

 pology. These rapidly developing demands found anthropology un- 

 prepared to give much material help. There were few available trained 

 men and others could not be produced in a short time. There was no 

 adequate supply of instruments, with curtailed or lost facilities for 

 having these made. And there was nothing in English in the way of 

 publications that would give the indispensable information as to 

 methods, technique and other essential aspects of anthropometric 

 procedure on modern lines. 



The results of this state of affairs, aggravated by various complica- 

 tions, were that anthropometric research in connection with the U. S. 

 Army has been a failure; that even the most important places in 

 anthropology could not be filled; and that in the absence of something 

 better a large amount of present anthropometric work on children and 

 older subjects is carried on with the instruments and the methods of 

 the gymnasia and physical culture establishments rather than those 

 of classical anthropometry, with the consequence that practically all 



