viii THE HUMAN RACES 341 



darker than that of those inhabiting temperate climates and that 

 the blood of northern peoples is lighter ; Eanke, however, states 

 that this belief is not borne out by scientific research and is 

 probably based merely on the fact that the skin of peoples 

 inhabiting the tropics contains more colouring matter than that 

 of northern races. 



The number of red corpuscles varies but little ; in Europeans 

 they number (as we saw in Vol. I.) 5 millions per c.mm. ; in Indians 

 and negroes, 4J millions ; in Tierra del Fuegians, 5 J millions 

 (Maurel, Hyades, Deniker). Eijkman finds no great difference 

 in the specific gravity or in the proportion of water and haemoglobin 

 in the blood of the natives of tropical climates as compared with 

 that of Europeans living either in the tropics or at home. 



The frequency of the cardiac pulsations varies considerably 

 more. We must bear in mind that Eanke considers Quetelet's 

 law that the frequency of the pulse diminishes in proportion to 

 the increase in the size of the body has been proved to be inaccurate 

 by the examination made by Gould and Baxter of the soldiers of 

 North America belonging to all the different races inhabiting that 

 continent. 



We know that on an average the rate of the pulse of Europeans 

 is 71 to 72 a minute (Vierordt) ; the rate in Tierra del Fuegians 

 and the Tarantchis of Chinese Turkestan is the same 72 and 

 72*9 respectively (Hyades and Deniker); that of the white and 

 negro populations of the United States is higher, 74'8 and 74 

 respectively ; higher still is that of Indians and mulattos, 76'3 

 and 76'9, of the same country (Gould) ; the Torgutis, 76'6, the 

 Kirghizis, 77*7 (Ivanowsky). Eijkman finds no great difference 

 in the frequency of the pulse in the inhabitants of the tropics and 

 Europeans. 



The frequency of the respiratory movements does not vary to 

 any great extent in the different races. The examination made 

 by Hutchinson of 2000 English adults showed that the number of 

 these movements ranged between 16 and 24 per minute, 20 being 

 the commonest rate. Extreme cases, of very rare occurrence, 

 showed a minimum of 9 and a maximum of 40 per minute. 



Quetelet found that the number of respiratory movements per 

 minute in Belgians varied according to age; the figures are as 

 follows: Infant, 44; child five years of age, 26; 15 to 20 years, 

 20 ; 20 to 25 years, 18'7 ; 25 to 30 years, 16 ; 30 to 35 years, 181. 



Hyades, Deniker, and Ivanowsky state the frequency of the 

 respiratory movements to be between 16 and 20 in Tierra del 

 Fuegians ; from 18 to 26 in Torgut Mongolians ; 19 in Kirghiz ; 

 18 in Afghans. 



The data collected by Gould and Baxter in their military 

 statistics give us the following figures relating to North 

 Americans : 



