consideration only the differences in the two sexes and in the 

 two individual years, namely, 14 to 15 and 15 to 16. Shorter 

 age-periods, such as half-years, will not be considered in this 

 connection, in view of the minor changes in height and weight 

 occurring from one period to another. 



Our first consideration is to arrive at a basis by which 

 normal development may be determined. Clearly, this basis 

 cannot be height alone. As we have shown in Table 3 (page 5) 

 25% of the boys were under five feet in height; this was equally 

 true for the girls. Indeed, 4.1% of the boys and 2.4% of the 

 girls in this group were under four feet nine inches. These 

 children are surely of short stature by any standard, and one 

 would be tempted, on the score of height alone, to suggest the 

 elimination of these boys and girls as still physically unfit for 

 industrial work during such critical years as 14 to 16. But 

 these boys and girls are often on examination as robust and well- 

 formed as many taller children who apply for work papers. 

 This is seen in Table 8 (page 16). Many are short through in- 

 heritance, although others are retarded in development for their 

 age. Any strength test to which they might be put would in 

 all probability show that many were physically as fit as those 

 of average height for their age. It is clear, then, that we cannot 

 determine normal development from a consideration of height 

 alone, although health officers will often use their discretion to 

 withhold certificates from children at the extremes of low 

 height. 



In the same way, a consideration 01 weight alone will lead 

 to no constructive results, for, to have any meaning, weight 

 must clearly be taken in relation to height. A weight of 100 

 pounds, while considerable, and even above the average for a 

 child 60 inches in height, would be very low for a boy 67 

 inches tall. The only proper basis, therefore, is the relation 

 of weight to height. The health officer's problem is, then, to 

 note the weight of any applicant in relation to his height, and 

 to see to what degree the actual figures correspond to the aver- 

 ages which were ascertained in this study, or to those prevailing 

 in his own locality if such figures are at hand. 



We shall now consider the average weights found by us for 

 each height, and determine the minimum weights to be allowed 

 for each inch of height for each of the two sexes and for each 

 year of age. The following table gives the essential figures for 

 our discussion: 



36 



