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9
closely approximating to those who fail to suckle their children, as the following consideration also
helps to emphasise.
It may be noted in the heights and weights for each age that the curve is not a continuous line
of growth, but that at some ages it springs nearer to, and at others sinks further from, the normal.
The greatest effect upon the life capital of the population is produced by the infantile mortality,
which in some years actually kills off during the first year one in five of all children born; the
question naturally arises what is its effect upon the survivors—do the weakly ones get killed off
and only the strong muddle through, or does the adverse environment which slaughters one in five
have a maiming effect upon those left ?
First, the London curve of infantile mortality was obtained and superimposed upon the
physique curve, but the result gave little indication of any effect. When, however, the infantile
Diagram III. (See page 11.)
mortality for the parish in which the school is situate was charted above the physique curve, an
absolute correspondence is to be observed (see diagram II., page 3). The children born in a year
when infantile mortality is low show an increased physique, rising nearest to the normal in the
extraordinarily good year 1892; and those born in the years of high mortality show a decreased
physique.
This, then, gives an indication of great importance to those engaged in anthropometric surveys;
the year of birth should be carefully noted; hitherto the age has been alone noted, and children
measured in different years at the same age have been charted together, and thus the effects of such