twenty-fifth to the thirtieth year. The fourth and third bones of the sternum 

 are united between the twentieth and twenty-fifth years, and the second is not 

 united to the third bone before the thirty-fifth year. The epiphyses of the ribs 

 commence to grow between the fifteenth and twentieth and are not completely 

 joined to the bone until the twenty-fifth year. The epiphyses of the scapulae 

 join between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-five; while the epiphysis of the 

 clavicle begins to form between the ages of eighteen and twenty years. The 

 internal condyle of the humerus unites at eighteen, but the upper epiphysis does 

 not join until the twentieth year. The epiphyses of the radius, femur, tibia and 

 fibula are all unjoined at eighteen years and are not completely united until the 

 twenty-fifth year. The epiphyses of the pelvic bones (crest of the ilium and 

 tuberosity of ischium) begin to form at puberty and are completed by the twenty- 

 fifth year. The greatest growth of the heart takes place between eighteen and 

 twenty-five years and even at the latter age has not attained its maximum. 

 When cardiac development is deficient, heart failure is liable to occur under 

 unwonted exercise and in emergencies, and irritable heart, unfitting for military 

 service, is thus favored. 



These observations are, broadly speaking, in entire conformity to 

 modern teachings of anatomy and physiology and to the earlier general 

 conclusions of Aitken, whose descriptive account of the "progressively 

 gradual development and growth of the recruit and the young soldier" 

 continues to the present time as a most reliable guide to the examiner, 

 whether an officer of the line or a thoroughly qualified officer of the 

 medical branch of the army service. 



STIGMATA OF DEGENERACY 



The general rules for the examination of recruits are also somewhat 

 obscure as regards the precise limitations upon the judgment which is 

 required to be exercised in medical matters by the recruiting officer of 

 the line. It is with reference to mental and nervous disorders, for 

 illustration, that the rules read: "The recruiting officer should use 

 every effort to exclude the mentally defective and those showing 

 evidence of serious nervous disorders." It is assumed that the term 

 "recruiting officer" has reference either to the line officer only or to 

 the line officer and the medical officer as well. A list of the principal 

 stigmata of degeneracy is given; but obviously, as made clear by the 

 following extract, it would be quite out of the question for any one not 

 thoroughly versed in anatomy or physiology to accurately ascertain and 

 adjudicate the significance of these so-called "stigmata of degeneracy," 

 the importance of which has been denied by so high an authority as 

 Goring in- his report on the Anthropometric Measurements of English 

 Convicts. * The stigmata of degeneracy enumerated in the Rules for 

 the Examination of Recruits are as follows : 



Anatomical stigmata : Cranial abnormalities in outline, capacity, or dimen- 

 sions; excessive development of the occipital protuberance and ridges, the 

 frontal eminences, and the mastoid processes ; reduction of the facial angle ; 

 asymmetrical facial development; lower jaw disproportionately large and 



* Of special value is the schedule of measurements and general anthropological data on 

 the English Convict, issued as a supplement to the report by Chas. Goring, M. D., London, 

 1913. 



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