SYSTOLIC BLOOD-PRESSURE AND THE PULSE RATE. 479 



millimeters, but these groups are relatively small so that the slight 

 increase in pressure may have been due to chance. On the whole it 

 can be said that there is no clearly marked tendency for either pulse 

 or blood-pressure to rise with increasing height and weight of the 

 individual. 



INFLUENCE OF EACE ON BLOOD-PKESSUEE AND PULSE KATE IN 



THE TROPICS. 



In order to determine the blood-pressure of healthy adult Filipino 

 males 552 observations were made on 386 Filipinos. Several tribes 

 were represented such as Tagalogs, Ilocanos, Macabebes, and Visayans, 

 but they did not differ essentially in physique, habits, or character of 

 residence. Two hundred were soldiers and the remainder servants, 

 laborers, and convicts. Most of the observations were made by the Board, 

 but a part were by the officers referred to in footnote 3. The majority 

 of these observations were taken with an 8-centimeter armlet. For the 

 observations on 120 Filipinos the pressures were taken with both a 12.5- 

 centimeter and an 8-centimeter armlet, and it was found that the latter 

 registered 6 millimeters higher than the former. This amount has ac- 

 cordingl}^ been deducted from the average of the readings made with 

 the 8-centimeter cuff. 



The average blood-pressure, on a basis of a 12.5-centimeter armlet, 

 for 100 soldiers of the Philippine Scouts was 115.0 millimeters and for 

 100 soldiers of the Philippines Constabulary was 115.9 millimeters. In 

 both groups the ages ranged from 15 to 40 and the average age was 

 24.7 years for the Scouts and 25.2 years for the Constabulary^. For 

 145 Filipinos from various sources, ranging from 15 to 40 years of 

 age and averaging 24.1 years, the average pressure was 11 5. T millimeters. 

 When using the actual 12.5-centimeter armlet the average of 166 readings 

 on 120 Filipinos, ranging in age from 15 tc 40 years, was 116.7; 

 millimeters. We may therefore conclude that the mean blood-pressure 

 for Filipinos dunng tlie period of 15 to 1^0 years of age {average about 

 25 years) is 115 or 116 millimeters and that it does not differ from the 

 pirssure 'at. the same ages for Americans residing in the Philippines. 

 For neither race is it very materially belotv the figures to be expected for 

 white men residing in temperate climates. 



Musgrave and Sison(6) obtained decidedly lower pressures in a series of 49 

 Filipinos,. foT whonl the age limits are not stated. These observers found an 

 average of 108 inillimeters for 30 males and 113 for 19 females. We. do not 

 think that any general deductions should be drawn from such a small series. ,It 

 is very likely that chance may have been an important factor in producing these 

 low readings, especially in view of the fact that the usual relationship of pressures 

 for the two sexes was reversed, the females having the higher tension, whereas 

 the general experience elsewhere is that women show a systolic pressure lower by 

 about 10 millimeters. (3) 



