Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 8.djvu/813

 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY 793

From the tables given above relative to the weight, stature, and muscular force of the human body, the conclusion in gen- eral is that the most civilized peoples excel the inferior, and in the same way the upper classes excel those less favored. These results seem to be confirmed by other observations. Poor food and residence in cities, especially if these two conditions are combined, can be considered as factors producing disadvanta- geous variation. Thus Dr. Francis Galton has taken the stature and weight of 805 children, fourteen years of age, attending the public schools, of whom 509 were reared in London and 296 in the country. In stature the latter were 3 cm. more than the former, and in weight 3 kg.

Concerning the muscular system, although it may be exces- sively variable, since in a group of 36 subjects Wood was able to show 558 modifications, counting only those found on both sides of the body, it is none the less certain that these variations are limited in the human species by the most general conditions of its existence.

4. Psychical force. Before taking up the natural limits of psychical functions, we may give some data relative to the form, capacity, and size of the principal organ of thought. There is information of great precision as to the facial and cerebral angles, the curvature of the skull, and the weight of the brain. According to Broca and Topinard, the most divergent facial angles in the human species are :

Lower Bretons 720 \ Difference

Namaquian negroes - - 560 ) 16

The maximum differences are connected by gradual and imper- ceptible transitions. On the contrary, between the Namquian negro and the male chimpanzee the difference is from 56 to 38, or a difference of 18 without transition.

It is the same for the relation of the skull to the face. The relation is:

Lower Bretons - 4:1

Namaquian - - 4 : 1.25

Chimpanzee 3 : i

Between the lower Briton and the Namquian there are