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is not homogeneous, and comparison can only be made age for age. The diagrams show that children
in the schools of group B (suburban) are at all ages above 7 superior in physique to those in Groups
A or C. and that from eleven years of age upward in the case of boys the superiority is such that they
catch up the children a year older in the other (poorer) schools. In the case of the girls the retardation
in the other schools is not so marked. The differences in schools of groups A and C are less
marked.
Diagram III.
At first sight it would appear as if environment was the cause of these great differences amounting
to nearly a year's growth between schools of Group B and Schools of Groups A and C, but Dr.
Shrubsall points out that the racial differences between different parts of London are very great and
that the fair-haired elements of the population are generally of taller proportions than the dark
individuals. He has himself observed that the centre districts of London present more dark elements,
and unless this question is regarded it is impossible to ascribe the main factor to environment. This
racial element showed up in the preponderance of fair-haired children submitted as debilitated and
delicate in connection with the open-air school started since the above paragraphs were written.