The Growth of Children. 89 



prepared by bringing togetlier the measurements of the pupils 

 of American parentage attending the public Latin School, the 

 Massachusetts Institute of Technolog}^ and the private Latin 

 School of Mr. J. P. Hopkinson. It is believed that these 

 pupils represent a class in the community corresponding 

 sufficiently well in social condition to that class in England 

 which sends children to the public schools and universities. 

 A comparison of the two sets of figures shows the superiority 

 of the American boy both in height and weight.* The dif- 

 ference is rendered at once apparent by an inspection of the 

 curves on Plate IX. It seems, therefore, that there are influ- 

 ences prevailing in this community, other than those con- 

 nected with the comfort or misery of existence, which give to 

 a growing boy a greater height and weight than are attained 

 by an English boy of the same age. While, therefore, the 

 conclusions of Gould and of Baxter, as to the superior height 

 of the adult native American, are found to be equally appli- 

 cable to growing children, we find also here evidence that 

 this superiority of stature is not dependent solely upon the 

 more abundant distribution of the comforts of existence in 

 this country, though for the reasons given above (p. 295) it 

 seems probable that the difference is to be iiartly accounted 

 for in this way. 



In view of this result it is reasonable to assume that the 

 superior size of children of American parentage in the Boston 

 schools is due in part to the greater comfort in which they 

 live and grow up, and in part to other conditions which may 

 be described collectively as differences of race or stock. To 

 which of these agencies in bringing about the result the 

 greater importance is to be attributed is a question which we 

 are at present without the means of deciding. Some light 

 might be thrown upon the subject by tabulating the observa- 

 tions for each nationality according to the occupation of the 



* In confirmation of this result it is interestinj^ to note the statement made to the writer 

 by a lady of his acquaintance, tliat London dealers in ready-made children's clothing 

 recommend to American customers sizes adapted to English children one year older than 

 those for whom the garments are purchased. 



