74 



THE CHARTS — CHEONIC RHEUMATISM SYPHU^IS. 



attendant on an increase of age ; but as the very tallest men are not necessarily the 

 very oldest, (though we might reasonably expect a majority of them to be between 

 thirty and forty,) there may be a relation, obscure perhaps, between this disease and 

 height ; oi", in other words, the taller men may have, in addition to their susceptibility 

 on the score of age, a stronger tendency than the shorter men to contract this disease. 



As to nativity, it will be observed that the disease was found principally among 

 the natives of the colder countries ; and it is suggested as worthy of consideration, 

 though by no means advanced as a theory, that, as chronic rheumatism is more prev- 

 alent among natives of the colder countries, and as they are, as a rule, of greater 

 stature than the natives of the warmer countries, there may be an inheritance of a 

 susceptibility to the disease, coincident, but not necessarily correlated, with an inherit- 

 ance of stature. 



The following tabular statement of the average height of the men of various 

 nativities, reproduced from the introduction to the tables, will be found interesting in 

 tliis connection. The data upon which it is based were derived from the examination 

 of over half a million men : 



Nativities. 



tJnited States, (Indians) 

 United States, (whites) 



Norway 



Scotland 



British America 



Sweden 



Ireland 



Denmark 



Holland 



Hungary 



England 



Germany 



Nativities. 



United States, (colored) 



Wales 



Russia 



Switzerland 



West Indies 



France 



Poland 



Mexico 



Italy 



South America 



Spain 



Portugal 



Mean height. 



A further consideration of the apparent relation between disease a.nd height may 

 be found in the notice of Chart VIII. 



CHART II. 



SYPHILIS. 



The peculiar indications of this chart are more clearly seen by comparing it with 

 the preceding one on chronic rheumatism, or with almost any other. As might bo 

 expected, although an exception to the rule, the single men were found to be much 

 more affected than the married ; but the rule holds good as to complexion. The very 

 nature of this disease, it being- contracted by a voluntary act to satisfy an instinct, 

 which among the married is generally satisfied without danger, but among the single 

 leads to promiscuous fornication and consequent exposure, is an explanation of the 

 increased prevalence among the single. 



A notable exception to the rule of increase of disease with increase of age is shown ; 

 but it is exactly what ought to follow the exception just noticed, because the young 



