THE SELECTIVE INFLUENCE OF WAR 211 
Franco-Prussian war the increase in deaths among the civilian 
population of France was greatly in excess of the total deaths in 
the army. The excess of deaths over the number for 1869 was 
183,000 for 1870 and 407,000 for 1871, while the total deaths of 
soldiers and officers for the two years (1870 and 1871) of the 
Wal was 140,000. These are grouped by Bodart as follows: 
Killed and died of wounds. ... ............ 60,000 
Died Go pMsOtecoesekeRs sciage, —kustens 17,000 
Died in Switzerland and Belgium......... ... 2,000 
(after being disarmed) 
Died of disease and exhaustion.............. 61,000 
TOtalicmcgeey, vine Reet ina me neup ee whate 140,000 
It is evident that no small part of the biological influence of 
war must depend upon the effect produced on the civilian popula- 
tion. In a great many cases this must have been much greater 
than the influence of death on the battle field. The varied 
character of this effect, however, precludes any treatment of the 
subject in general terms. Besides, we know as yet but little as to 
just what, in any case, the biological results have been. 
It is urged that a partial compensation for losses in battle is 
afforded by the greater chance for marriage enjoyed by men who 
have been in the army. The marriage rate, which is low during 
war time, goes up quickly after peace is resumed. Nature has 
endowed the female sex with a commendable partiality for the 
military hero. This circumstance, combined with the fact that 
the superior vigor of the returning soldiers would tend to make 
them more prolific would, it is claimed, keep the more virile stocks 
from being depleted. We have to consider in this connection, 
however, the influence of venereal infection which army life has 
unfortunately tended to intensify and also the after effect of war 
on the health and longevity of the soldier. As Lapouge has re- 
marked, “‘4 la caserne méme et en pleine paix, des détériorations 
sont produites en nombre par le sur menage, par les typhoides 
bénignes, par les affections vénériennes. Beaucoup d’hommes 
