CHAPTER VIII. MEAN DIMENSIONS OF BODY. 1. History of the Investigation. In the early part of the year 1863, an extensive series of in- quiries as to the physical and social condition of our soldiers was prepared by Mr. Olmsted, the General Secretary of the Commis- sion, and Mr. Elliott, the Actuary. These were intended to include the most important physical dimensions and personal characteris- tics, and the necessary apparatus was procured without delay. Similar investigations had already been undertaken, to some ex- tent, by Professor Henry, in behalf of the Smithsonian Institution, who had caused apparatus to be constructed for the purpose; and new instruments for measuring were made at the Coast Survey office, under the supervision of the Vice President of the Commis- sion and Superintendent of the Coast Survey, the late Professor Bache. Two inspectors were appointed, and charged with the duty of obtaining the desired measurements and information for as many men as possible. One of these, Dr. S. B. Buckley, was assigned to the army of the Potomac, while the other, Mr. Risler, measured soldiers in Washington City. The latter was, after a month's service, relieved by Mr. E. B. Fairchild, who was sta- tioned first at a camp on one of the islands in New York harbor, and subsequently at that for rebel prisoners at Point Lookout in Maryland. The schedule to be filled out by the examiner was in two parts, one pertaining solely to physical characteristics, and such other questions as might be supposed to be of importance in connection with these, and the other having only a bearing on the purely moral and social condition of the same men. The former series only is here discussed, the blank schedule containing them, and known as Form E, having been as follows : - 1. Number of soldier in order of examination? 2. Name of soldier ? Rank? MEAN DIMENSIONS OF BODY. 219 3. Regiment? 4. Entire height (in stockings - inches and tenths) ? 5. Height from ground to lower part of neck (7 th cervical vertebra) ? 6. Height to perinaeum ? 7. Breadth of neck ? 8. Breadth of shoulders ? 9. Breadth of pelvis ? 10. Circumference of chest over the nipple (under the coat and vest - inches and tenths) ? 11. Circumference of waist? 12. Length of arm - from arm-pit to tip of middle finger ? 13. Capacity of chest (cubic inches) ? 14. Weight (lbs. and half lbs.) without coat, hat, arms, or accoutre- ments ? 15. Dynamometer? 16. In the opinion of Inspector, from appearance and statements of subject, is he of American stock of three or more generations ? (In cases where this question cannot be answered with confidence, affir- matively or negatively, it will be best not to pursue the examination.) 17. If so, period of immigration of ancestry ? (Detail of both sides desirable.) 18. Where born - country or State ? " county ? " parish or town ? 19. If foreign born, year of arrival in this country ? Supposed about ? 20. Country of birth - of father ? " " of mother ? " " of grandparents ? 21. Enlisted - when ? where ? for what period ? 22. Conjugal relation (as single, married, or widower) ? 23. Age (last birthday) ? 24. Former occupation ? 25. Hair - color? Bald? " slightly ? If so, at what age did baldness become distinct ? 26. Eyes - color ? " distance between pupils ? " prominent ? 27. Complexion? 28. Pulse (regular), beats per minute ? 29. Respiration (number of inspirations per minute) ? 220 MEAN DIMENSIONS OF BODY. 30. Muscular development ? 31. State if in usual vigor? if reduced by disease ? " wounds ? " recent exertion ? " hardship ? " poor fare ? 32. Is he, when ordinarily well, a tougher and more vigorous man than before he entered the army ? Less so ? 33. Condition of teeth ? Number lost ? Number decayed ? Number filled ? 34. Head - circumference about frontal eminence and greatest projec- tion of occiput ? Distance between the condyloid process of lower jaw over os frontis - longest measurement ? Distance between condyloid processes over parietal bones ? Distance from frontal eminence to protuberance of occiput ? 35. Facial angle? The questions of which the numbers are omitted here belonged to the social series. Of examinations and measurements made in conformity with his schedule, there are existing very nearly 8000, which will be specified in detail hereafter. In June 1864 the author of this treatise was appointed Actuary of the Commission, and the following passage is quoted from his first report, made after an examination into the statistical materials of the Commission, and their condition, and dated 1864, July 12. " Of the reports of physical and social condition of soldiers not quite 7200 have been received, namely, about 5200 for national, and 1970 for rebel soldiers. . . . The results of the physical inspections are tabulated for all the 1970 rebel prisoners, and for 3277 of the United States soldiers ; also for about 760 returns from the convalescent camp. " A cursory examination of these returns has impressed me forcibly not only with the great value of the work, but also with the importance of some more distinct understanding and interchange of ideas between different inspectors, if their results are to be combined or compared with one another. Those questions which are necessarily general in their nature have been answered by the inspectors according to their individual interpretation of somewhat vague words, and it appears to me essential that some arbitrary directions be prescribed for their guidance,