SOMATOMETRY ; THE MEASUREMENT OF THE BODY 



157 



by some such mechanisms as are used in the chairs of dentists and barbers, 

 and the subject is ready to be measured. 



Concerning the relative advantages of the two positions, they may be 

 set forth as follows : 



Erect position 



1. A rigidly erect position is hard to main- 

 tain; a fatigued subject frequently 

 shrugs the shoulders and sways at the 

 hips, thus constantly making differ- 

 ences of a centimeter or more in some 

 of the longer measurements. 



2. [No counter argument]. 



3. [No counter argument]. 



4. [No counter argument]. 



Recumbent position 



The ease with which a body lies on the 

 back insures a much quieter and more 

 motionless position than in a standing 

 subject. This allows more accurate 

 measurement. 



Children, and even babies, may be 

 measured in a recumbent position where 

 an erect and motionless position is 

 impossible. 



The dead body may be measured in 

 the recumbent position, and, allow- 

 ing for a certain amount of relaxation, 

 the data thus obtained may be directly 

 compared with those from the living. 

 The bodies of apes and monkeys, as in 

 the case of dead bodies, can be directly 

 compared with data obtained from the 

 living, when measured in the recumbent 

 position, while, if the living are measured 

 erect, no comparison is possible. 

 [No counter argument]. 



5. Primitive and superstitious people, 

 who often object to any form of meas- 

 urement, still often allow more or less 

 of it, when allowed to stand erect. It 

 would usually prove quite impossible 

 to place them on their back for any 

 form of measurement or other investi- 

 gation, as this position would be felt 

 by them to be a position of defence- 

 lessness or of actual dishonor. 



As a purely academic question the arguments seem about equally bal- 

 anced, with possibly a little more weight upon the side of the horizontal 

 position, yet, the arguments against this position and in favor of a stand- 

 ing subject are so cogent from a practical standpoint (cf. argument 5), 

 that at the International Congress of 1912 at Geneva the standing position 

 was adopted as a part of the prescription. At this time the general 

 principles adopted were the following: 



(a) For measurements upon the living the standing position is 



adopted. 

 (6) The method of projections is adopted, save in cases where 



special mention is made of some other way. 

 (c) For paired measurements it is recommended that the work be 



