Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/869

 REVIEWS 853

V assistance familiale. Fifteenth year, 1906. Reclacteur-en-chef, DR. A. MARIE, Medecin de 1'Asile de Villegrief (Seine).

This magazine deserves special attention as the organ of the movement in favor of family care of the insane which has recently made progress in Belgium, France, Scotland, and to some extent in the United States. Dr. Marie holds that a human being, even if in ill-health, feels more at home in a family than in a large congregate institution ; and he carries this principle into various fields. The homeless child should be placed in an adopted home ; the sick should be cared for in their own homes, if possible ; the delinquent youth is helped best in a family group ; the aged dependents should be in cottages, rather than in huge barracks ; the tuberculous patients should not be assembled in vast buildings.

The magazine publishes articles relating to the care of the insane and kindred topics from all parts of the world. To the student of charitable relief the volumes furnish valuable materials.

C. R. H.

Les classes pauvres. Par ALFREDO NICEFORO. Paris: V.

Giard et E. Briere, 1905. Pp. 344.

The basis of this work is a study of 3,147 boys and girls of various social classes in Lausanne. These school children were classified by sex and age, and examined to discover their physical differences in respect to height, weight, chest, respiration, strength, resistance to fatigue, capacity of skull, anomalies of face and physi- ognomy. From this personal study the author advances to the evi- dence collected by many investigators in many countries. His con- clusion is that the poorer members of society are inferior to those in comfortable circumstances both physically and psychically. The method resembles that employed by Lombroso and his followers in the study of the traits of criminals. The causes of inferiority are sought in the physical conditions of habitations, workshop, and the lack of suitable nutrition. The author does not discuss methods of amelioration. The most distinct contribution is the study of the Lausanne children, but the materials gathered from other sources

are skilfully arranged.

C. R.H.