The Growth of Children. 87 



to the greater number of sedentary occupations and trades 

 there presenting themselves, which, for their successful prose- 

 cution, neither demand nor favor a full development of the 

 physique. It is difficult to decide how much importance 

 should be attaclied to this consideration in tlie present case; 

 but it must be borne in mind that wealth implies ability to 

 choose one's occupation, and that, in England at least, an 

 occcupation exclusively sedentary is rarely adopted except 

 from necessity. Hence, if the term *' comfort" be used to 

 include all the favorable conditions, alimentary, hygienic, 

 etc., which can be secured by wealth, it seems fair to con- 

 clude that, in view of the stationary character of the English 

 population, and of the small variety of climatic conditions to 

 wliich it is exposed, the above-mentioned disparity in size 

 must be mainly due to the greater comfort enjoyed by the 

 non-laboring classes. 



If this view is correct, it seems reasonable to suppose that 

 the difference in size between Boston school children of 

 American and those of Irish parentage may be, to some ex- 

 tent, dependent upon the greater comfort and luxury in 

 which the former live and grow up. Whether the whole dif- 

 ference can be thus accounted for, or whether some other 

 agency is concerned in bringing about this result, is a ques- 

 tion which must be next considered. 



We have already seen that, according to Dr. Baxter's and 

 Dr. Gould's investigations, the average height of the adult 

 native American is greater than that of the native of any 

 other country, and that natives of other countries growing up 

 in America acquire a gi'cater height than natives of the same 

 countries growing up at home. We must now inquire 

 whether similar conclusions can be reached in regard to the 

 size of (jrowliKj children ; and in order to eliminate the effect 

 which comfort and misery may have on the rate of growth, 

 it is important to select for comparison sets of observations 

 made upon children belonging to corresponding classes in the 

 communities in which they live. If a comparison is made 



