REPORT OF THE ANTHROPOMETRIC COMMITTEE. 240 



average height, that we are justified in expressing the steadiness of the 

 range°at different ages by the phrase that the variation in height at 

 all ages between boyhood and manhood is inversely proportional to the 

 average height at those ages. The results of 100 measurements of newly- 

 born male infants at their full term, furnished to me by Mr. Roberts, show 

 a large range ; the median value is 19 2, the interquartile range is 1-8, and 

 the interdecile range is o'S ; but it must be recollected that it is difficult 

 to measure infants with accuracy. 



It would be of much interest to examine this question further, and to 

 find out at what age the range begins to be steady, but my data are at 

 present insufficient to enable me to do this. 



As regards weight, much the same holds good at and after the age of 

 14, but the range decreases steadily as we go farther back. Among the 

 newly-born infants the median value is 7-6 lbs., the interquartile range 

 is 17 lbs., and the interdecile range is So lbs. 



As regards strength the range is small in early life, large in early 

 manhood,"but in after-life other 'conditions appear which materially and 

 steadily reduce it. The upper quartile values begin to decrease and the 

 lower quartiles to increase ; in other words, the stronger quarter of English- 

 men do not keep up their full, vigour, and the weaker quarter become 

 steadily stronger. This latter event is certainly due in large part to the 

 previous removal of many of the weakest by early death. As regards the 

 deciles we see that the athletes preserve their vigour very fairly, while the 

 weakly tenth considerably improve, so that the interdecile range also 

 decreases in advancing life. 



Another very curious fact is a marked increase of range of height 

 from about 14 to 16 years of age in Classes I. and II., and in a less degree 

 in Class lY., which disappears afterwards. Probably the increase of 

 range takes place in different boys at slightly different ages, and therefore 

 becomes smoothed down in the mean result. If so, it would be still more 

 striking if the classes had been further subdivided. I gather from this 

 temporary increase of range that precocity is, on the whole, of 



no 



temporary 



advantage in later life, and that it may be a disadvantage. It is certain 

 that the precocious portion do not maintain their lead to the full extent ; 

 it is possible that they may actually fall back, and that many of those 

 who occupied a low place in the statistical series between the ages of 

 14 and 16 occupy a high place after those years. The full discussion 

 of this requires the collation of many individual histories ; it cannot be 

 effected through mean results. Perhaps the class of statistical researches 

 in anthropometry that most deserves encouragement at the present time 

 is the preservation of these records of the same individual throughout 

 life. He might with little trouble be measured and weighed annually or 

 more often, in the nursery, at school, at college, and in after-life, and 

 all the records might be kept seriatim in a book, with remarks at the 

 side accounting, as far as may be, for abnormalities of growth. A large 

 collection of well-kept records of this kind would be of the highest value, 

 not only from an anthropometric but from a sanitary point of view, using 

 that term in its widest sense. 



