REPORT OF THE ANTHROPOMETRIC COMMITTEE. 229 



1(5, Mr. Roberts has rendered his colleagues very essential help by 



the preparation of the diagrams and a great nnmber of the elaborate 

 tables in the forn\er Reports of the Committee, and has contributed to the 

 present Report the paper on the general result of the observations, which 

 is given in the Appendix. 



17. — Mr. Roberts's Tables (I.-IV.) shovf the general result of the 

 observations collected by the Committee as to (1) height, (2) weight, (3) 

 chest-girth, (4) strength. 



18. — The height of 38,953 persons is recorded in Table I., the hori- 

 zontal black lines in which indicate the curve of growth formed by the 

 ' mean ' height at each age, which is 3 feet 5 inches at the age of 5, and 

 becomes 5 feet 8 inches at the age of 50. 



19. The weight (with clothes, for which about 7 lbs. may be allowed) 



of 26,560 persons is recorded in Table II. The horizontal black lines in 

 this Table indicate the curve of increase in weight formed by the ' mean ' 

 weight at each age, which is 4 st. 9 lbs. at the age of 10, and becomes 

 11 St. 81 lbs. at the age of 70. 



20. — The chest-girth of 17,883 persons is recorded in Table III., the 

 horizontal black lines in which indicate the curve of increase formed by 

 the ' mean ' chest-girth at each age, which is 26 inches at the age of 10, 

 and becomes 36^ inches at the age of 40. 



21. — The strength, as indicated by the drawing power of the arm, in 

 5,039 persons is recorded in Table IV., the horizontal black lines in which 

 indicate the curve formed by the variations of the ' mean ' drawing power 

 at the successive ages, rising from 35 lbs. at age 11 to 80 lbs. at 

 ages 25-30, and falling again to 70 lbs. at the age of 50. 



22. In using Mr. Roberts's tables, however, it is important to bear 



in mind that he employs the term ' mean ' not in the ordinary sense of an 

 arithmetical mean or average, but as representing ' the value at which the 

 largest number of observations occur,' or that of ' greatest frequency.' 

 The arithmetical average is found by him in adults to exceed the 'mean' 

 in general by about half an inch. 



23. — In Tables V. and VI. Mr. Roberts is able to show the results 

 of a comparison as to the ' average ' height and weight of the several 

 classes of the population, distinguished as (1), the professional classes, 

 including town and country ; (2), the commercial classes in towns; (3), 

 the labouring classes in the country ; (4), the artisans in towns. 



24. — Table V. relates to height, which is taken without shoes. The 

 relative position of the four classes stands in the order stated ; classes 1 

 and 2 being taller, and classes 3 and 4 shorter, than the general popula- 

 tion. This relation is maintained throughout, and the table affords 

 material for study as to the comparative effects of occupation and town 

 and country life on growth. 



25. — Table VI. relates to weight, which is taken with clothes. The 

 relative position of the four classes still stands nearly in the same order, 

 class 1 being heavier and class 4 lighter than the general population, but 

 class 3 very nearly coincides with the general average, and is in general 

 superior in weight to class 2. In other words, the rural occupation of 

 the country labourer gives him the advantage in weight over the town 

 tradesman, though the latter has the advantage in height. 



26. — Class V. of the classification adopted by the Committee in the 

 Report for 1880 — the industrial workers or sedentary trades in towns ; 

 and Class VI., the specially- selected occupations, have not f\irnishfd 

 returns in suflBcient niiwber tn be available for cpptiparison. 



