24Section I.S. Hansen.
table (XXV.) showing the average stature and weight of boys in the York
Friends’ School for 27 years, 1853-1879. An examination of the first of
these tables indicates a slight but uniform increase in stature and a very
large increase in weight at corresponding ages. In the second table the
general run of the figures is very uniform, the statures remaining stationary,
while there is a slight improvement in the weight of the higher ages in
the last nine years of the period. The difference between the poor and
badly nourished factory children and the York boys living under most
favourable conditions (Quakers) is very considerable. At the commence
ment of the two periods the stature of the former group was at the cor
responding ages from 3 to 5 inches and the weight from 12 to 20 pounds
below that of the latter. It is evident, that the general improvement of
the social and economic conditions of factory children, that had taken place
just in this period, had been able to improve their physical condition far
more than the slight change possible in the always favourable conditions of
the York Quaker boys could do.
It is much to be regretted, that such material is exceedingly scarce in
England, where the measurements of recruits for the army and navy are of
doubtful value. In other countries the conscription lists contain a rich
source of information on this subject, and leave no doubt about the general
increase of the stature. In my own country the Danish Anthropological
Committee finds, that the height of the fully grown Dane has in the course
of the last 50 years undergone the following changes :—
1852-1856 ... ... ... 165.42 cm.
1879-1888 ... ... ... 167.78 cm.
1891-1900 ... ... ... 168.43 cm.
1904-1905 ... ... ... 169.11 cm.
The average height has thus gone up by 3.69 cm. and apparently the
increase has been steady and even throughout the whole period. The adult
Dane has increased in height by 0.07 cm. yearly.
In Sweden and Norway the increase is undoubtedly the same as in Den
mark. The conscription lists in these countries show an increase of only about
2 centimetres from the middle of last century, but they do not contain the
measurements of the undersized for the first periods. A corresponding
increase in height may also be found in other countries. The average
stature of the Dutch has increased from 165.5 cm. in 1866 to 167 in 1883
and 168 in 1899. The increase in the Netherlands seems to be still greater
than in the Scandinavian countries, and is said to have been nearly 10 centi
metres in the last 50 years. The Dutch anthropologist, Z. Bolk, who has
paid much attention to this subject, is inclined to believe, that this con
siderable increase is too great to be due only to the general improvement
of the social and economic conditions of life. He supposes that the former
low stature indicates a transitory state of deterioration and that the increase
is to be regarded partly as a sign of recovery from this state. I believe
