APPENDIX B 

 THE ROYAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE 



50, Great Russell Street, 



London, W. C. 

 To the Honorary Secretary of the 



Board of Scientific Studies. 

 Dear Sir: 



PHYSICAL SURVEY OF THE BRITISH PEOPLE. 



We beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of October 23rd, 

 1916, in which you inform us that the Board of Scientific Studies in- 

 vites the Council of the Royal Anthropological Institute to submit a 

 report to the Executive Committee of the Board, on the "Need of a 

 Physical Survey of the British People." 



The Council of the Institute has given this matter its serious consid- 

 eration from time to time during the last twelve years, and has been 

 steadfastly of opinion that such a survey is necessary. 



We have the honour to submit particulars of the conclusions arrived 

 at by the Council after careful review of the question in the light of 

 present conditions. 



Considerations Bearing on the Need for a Survey. 

 In 1903 it was stated by the Inspector-General of Recruiting that 

 in certain areas as many as 40 per cent., or even 60 per cent., of men 

 who offered themselves for Military Service were rejected because 

 they were found to be physically unfit. The occurrence of such a 

 large number of unfit men in the general population gave rise to a 

 suspicion that a proportion of the British people was undergoing physi- 

 cal deterioration. Whether such was the case or not could not be 

 determined, however, since there was no existing standard with which 

 the measurements made could be compared. At no period in the his- 

 tory of this country has any attempt been made to obtain an accurate 

 estimate of the condition of bodily development amongst the people, 

 and there can obviously be no basis for comparison until an initial sur- 

 vey is made of at least a representative part of the population. The 

 Council feels that it is necessary to lay stress upon the expediency of 

 placing our knowledge of the men of the heart of the Empire on a 

 more satisfactory footing. 



Previous attempts to institute a Survey. — (1) In September^ 1903, 

 largely as a result of representations made by Fellows of this Insti- 

 tute and members of the Anthropological Section of the British Asso- 



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