THE ANTHROPOMETRICAL LABORATORY AT THE HEALTH EXHIBITION.
Without intending the smallest disrespect to our numerous readers, we will venture to say that more than one will be inclined to ask the very obvious question, ‘What is anthropometry?’ Well, this fine-sounding, Greek-adapted name signifies the art of describing and recording, in a schedule provided for that purpose, the particulars appertaining to the condition, functions, powers, and capabilities of the human body and limbs. Every person visiting the Laboratory at the Health Exhibition can have his or her schedule filled up with a statement, ascertained on the spot, of his name or initials, age, sex, occupation, place of birth, colour of hair and eyes, height standing and sitting, weight, length of span of arms, strength of squeeze and of pull, swiftness and weight of direct fist-blow, capacity of chest, lungs, and breathing, as measured by a spirometer, acuteness of vision as measured by a test type, conditions of colour-sense, and acuteness of hearing. The ascertaining of these particulars, and any others of a like nature bearing immediately on the principal question, seems to be the especial business of the art of anthropometry. It may be objected that the collecting of these facts, though interesting enough to the individual practised upon and his family, can be of no possible use beyond that limit, or indeed anywhere else; but the gentleman who has originated this novel and ingenious scheme (Mr Francis Galton) proposes to keep a duplicate of the filled-up schedule which each person operated on will receive; and by this means he hopes to obtain a very large number of facts and statements, which will doubtless be ultimately arranged and tabulated, and made good use of by the originator, who may possibly submit them to the Registrar-general, or to the Statistical Society, for enrolment amongst their curious records. It is, at anyrate, in spite of its somewhat alarming Greek name, an interesting experiment.