Reason for Studying These Measurements.—As a gage of build, the hitherto honored standard of stature (standing-height, H) is equaled or excelled by the "essential stature" (the body-trunk, measured by different observers from slightly different landmarks, e. g., sitting-height, Si, or stem-length, λ). Evidence for this statement has been exhibited in recent papers1 on the relation between these three body-measurements (H, Si, λ) and body-weight.
A new interest, therefore, arises in standards of sitting-height and of stem-length for children at successive ages. For the former (Si) tables already exist, but only (with rare exceptions) for children (1) of mixed nationality, (2) in public schools, and (3) without exclusion of those clinically below par. For stem-length (λ) no tables have been found in the literature.
The motive of this paper accordingly is the offer of tentative standards of sitting-height and especially stem-length for children: (1) of American birth and, indeed,