ANTHROrOMETRTC INVESTIGATION IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 391 



II, Absolute measurements are more valuable than any percentage 

 proportions or so-called indices. Indices can be easily calculated when 

 the absolute measurements are given on which to base them. The 

 so-called cranial index, or proportion of breadth of skull to length, I have 

 34 years ago proved to be utterly valueless. The proportion of height of 

 skull to length leads to much more natural grouping of nationalities. It 

 is well known that the tendency to length of skull increases with stature, 

 and therefore when it is possible the total stature should be given along 

 with the cranial measurements. 



III. In racial investigations on the living, and in class investigations, 

 as of soldiers, trades, and schoolboys, as also in estimation of peculiarities 

 characteristic of different parts of the country, I should recommend such 

 a plan as the following : — 



A. Measurements of Head. — 1. Length from glabella to occipital 

 probole. 2. Radial length-measurements of cranium (as suggested by 

 Busk) from orifice of ear to nasion, glabella, middle frontal distance, 

 fronto-nasal and fronto-parietal points, and tlie vertex or greatest height 

 between these two last--occipital probole and occipital tuberosity. 

 3. Facial length measurements from orifice of ear to base of columella 

 of nose, tips of upper incisors, and prominence of chin, as also the 

 distance from nasion to base of columella. 



B. Measurements of Body and Limbs. — 1. Stature should be 

 measured : (a) standing, with the shoes off, and during a full inspira- 

 tion ; (6) sitting well back and upright against a wall, and in full 

 inspiration. 



2. Breadth of shoulders from outside the head of the humerus, with 

 the arms by the side. 



3. Intertrochanteric breadth. — The breadth at the crest of the ilium 

 may for ordinary purposes be neglected, seeing that, as I have shown, it 

 is increased by muscularity and by want of resistance in the special 

 textures. 



4. Span, with the arms stretched horizontally, the palms looking 

 forwards. This is the most reliable mode of measuring length of arm. 



5. Hand, length, and the breadth of palm across the knuckles. 



6. Foot, length, and breadth at balls of toes. Both measurements 

 should be taken with tiie weight of the body pressing the foot flat against 

 the ground. 



7. Chest circumference, in full inspiration, measured by a tape at the 

 level of the lower end of the mesosternum. This measurement deserves 

 special attention, as the Jiotion on which importance is given to it in 

 selection of recruits is manifestly unsound, inasmuch as a large chest 

 with a small vital capacity means inactivity of the individual parts of 

 the lungs, and liability thereby to phthisis ; and therefore a large chest is 

 of questionable advantage, except when accompanied with proportional 

 activity of I'espiration. 



IV. Weight should always be attended to in measurements, testing 

 health during growth. It should be taken in schools at regular intervals 

 and frequently. 



So much for the question of selection of measurements ; but if the 

 Committee is to be of use it must get its methods employed, and must 

 gather together the work received so as to obtain results. 



