THE PHYSiaUE OF DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES. 131 



Of special interest also is the fact of the foreign-boru population being repre- 

 sented in almost the exact proportions which they hold in the census tables, and 

 these thousands "of the best blood of the colonizing stock" came up by the side 

 of English and Dutch descendants of six generations on American soil. The 

 majority of my observations related to matters more of a professional than pub- 

 lic interest, but at the same time I noted carefully the bodily conformation of 

 each recruit in such a way as would enable me to classify them into several 

 degrees of physical development. These notes were taken at my dictation by a 

 clerk whose services I was enabled to secure, and on summing up the results of 

 my observations, I find that I can draw comparisons between the different nation- 

 alities, which I hope will be found, from the large number examined, to be true 

 in their main conclusions. 



From the middle of July to the 1st of October, 8,700 recruits presented them,- 

 selves to me to be inspected. Of this whole number, 4, .538 were Americans, 

 ],694 were Irish, 1,453 were Germans, 345 English or Scotch, 135 French, and 

 545 belonged to 26 other nations. From this it will be seen that the native 

 Americans exceeded by about a hundred the sum total of all other nationalities. 

 The proportion of foreigners- is naturally greater in recruits from New York than 

 any other city. The first subject which naturally presented itself was the bodily 

 stature and general physical appearance of the various recruits. In stature, the 

 American born ranked the highest, the English next, the Irish next, the Germans 

 next, and the French last. 



We now come to the actual physical conformation of the various nationalities 

 as deduced from my observations. I found it at first somewhat difficult to lay 

 down clearly defined rules of classification, and I therefore adopted a very gen- 

 eral division into four classes, which were respectively termed Prime, Good, 

 Indifferent, and Bad. Under the head "Prime," I included first, those who had 

 a well-proportioned osseous system, (the groundwork of the personal figure), as 

 shown by the shape of the skull, the bones of the thorax and pelvis, and the lines 

 of the extremities. The shape of the joints, the shape of feet and hands, and the 

 condition of the ligaments was especially noted. Secondly came a good deve- 

 lopment of the muscular system, especially those of the lower extremities, as the 

 most reliable indication of the vigor of spinal nutrition. Under the term "Good,' 

 were classed those who were then apparently healthy and strong, with more 

 especially a good muscular development, but who did not eqnal the Prime in the 

 development of the osseous system, from lack of lateral symmetry, bow legs, 

 large joints, fiat feet, etc. Under the head of " Indifferent " might be found good 

 forms and tolerable muscular development, but who had tendencies to constitu- 

 tional diseases, as well as a good many who may have had good constitutions 

 originally, but had become deteriorated from various causes. Under the head 

 " Bad " were such as had never been good nor ever would be so, from an origi- 

 nally vicious conformation. 



The results of these observations are the following : 



Of American-born Recruits, 47.5 per cent, had a prime physique; the Irish 35 

 per cent, and the Germans 40.75 per cent. 



The per centage of Good Physique, was Americans, 36 ; Irish, 38 ; Germans, 

 38.5. 



