augmenting. On comparing the French and other nations it is evident that the French conscripts are less in stature than the Teutonic and Sclavonic nations. Morache gives the following table (to which we have added the heights in English inches) to show the influence of race:

Minimum stature of infantry recruits in the principal

The law of 1872 lowered the regulation height in France from 1.56 m. or 61.4 inches to 1.54 m. or 60.6 inches, i. e. by two thirds of an English inch. Morache considers this correct, as he regards height as an attribute of race rather than as a sign of strength and endurance. He would not, therefore, consider that the minimum height of the French conscript being three inches lower than the Prussian is a sign of inferiority in the former; it is merely a question of race. On the question of the connection between height and health he is opposed to the views of Quetelet and Villermé.

From the height Morache proceeds to the question of weight and girth of chest; we will not follow him through his careful analysis, but merely remark that the present rule in France (law of July, 1873) is that the minimum thoracic girth (mean of inspiration and expiration) should be 0.784 m. (or 30.866 English inches), which is 0.014 m. more than the half-height. In Austria and Russia the rule is that chest girth shall surpass the half-height by 0.02 m., or nearly three quarters of an English inch more than the half-height. The rules Morache would himself lay down for French soldiers are thus given (p. 119):

"1. Among healthy robust individuals the height, the weight, and the thoracic perimeter augment proportionably, although the ratio is not constant.

"2. Every centimètre (3937 English inch) of augmentation

1 Morache seems to have put the English minimum too low. As far as we know it has never been down to 63 inches in the last eighteen years.

of height brings with it, among healthy individuals, an absolute augmentation of weight and of thoracic perimeter, while the ratio of this perimeter to the half-height lessens.

"3. The most favorable conditions of military aptitude occur with a height of 1.60 m. to 1·70 m. (= 63.8 to 66·9 English inches), corresponding to a thoracic perimeter of 0.861 m. to 0.924 m. (= 33.9 and 37-38 English inches).

"4. Above the height of 1.70 m., when the half-height and the perimeter are too near, there is the chance that the chest will be narrow, the respirations shallow, and a predisposition to thoracic affection may exist.

"5. No man should be accepted in the army whose thoracic circumference does not exceed the half-height by at least 2 centimètres (English inch nearly) if the individual is 1.60 m. in height (63.8 inches), and 3 centimètres (11% inches) if the person is under 1.60m. in height.

It will be seen from these remarks how very important Morache considers the girth of the chest. A large chest, in fact, indicates for the most part, not only free respiration (that is, the capacity for taking in more oxygen to develop force), but larger bones and thoracic muscles.

With respect to weight, Morache proposes a graduated scale of height and weight. The minimum height being 1.54 in. (60-6 English inches), he proposes a minimum weight of 57 kil. or 125-6 lbs. avoir., and for every centimètre of height (= 4th of an inch nearly) he would increase the weight from 370 to 400 grammes. In other words, an increase of half an English inch should give an increase of about 1 lb. avoir. in weight.

Probably all our readers will pause now to ask how our own nation stands when judged by these rules. This is a point not very easy to answer, for the English is a voluntary and not a conscripted army, and besides at the present moment an experiment is being tried which puts another difficulty in the way of the comparison.

The English army, as it existed ten or even six years ago, was an army of large men as compared with the population. In 1862 the minimum height for infantry was 66 inches, or 5 inches more than in the French army; in 1864 it was reduced to 65 inches. For cavalry it was from 66 for the light to 68 inches for the heavy troops. This gave an army of fine powerful men, who contrasted favorably with all other European armies. Unfortunately there was nothing behind this army; when these splendid troops were sent on service and wasted to skeleton battalions, as in the Crimea in a few months, there was no reserve to fill up the thinned ranks with equally

good material. The boasted army was in reality a pageant merely; its body was of brass, its feet of clay. To all who look at European politics and see that with every effort to keep at peace England may be drawn into the whirlpool, it has become a certainty that somehow a reserve must be made. Whether the plan which Lord Cardwell devised, and which is now being carried out, will answer or not, time only can show, but it is a bona fide attempt at a reserve. Men are enlisted for six and then are draughted into the reserve. The very years, essence of the plan is to train men quickly, and to pass as many as possible through the ranks. But under the conditions of the labour market it has been found impossible to obtain men of the old height in sufficient numbers. They are not to be had, and consequently the standard of height has been lowered and the limit of age has not always been insisted on, or has not rigorously been inquired into, so that many mere boys, whose growth is not ended, are now taken into the army. Hence, in the ranks of the English infantry are seen now a great number of very youthful and of comparatively small men, which is exceedingly displeasing to the old officers accustomed to a different style of man. But their objection is, after all, superficial; the healthy army life improves the growth and power of these youths; they grow into fine vigorous men, and then, if they can be kept in sight, will form a reserve which, like the Prussian Landwehr, will give us a second or reserve force of finer and more powerful men than the first army. When in an infantry regiment a number of very young men are seen, this is only a proof that the system is working and that soldiers are being manufactured to be kept in readiness for any great emergency. But this plan for forming a reserve naturally renders the comparison of height between the English and French soldier less favorable to the former than it was.

At present men are enlisted for the infantry of the line at eighteen up to twenty-five years of age, and with a minimum height of 64 inches. It is the opinion of Dr. Leith Adams, the present able medical recruiting officer at the London headquarters, that we have nearly reached the lowest possible standard for the Anglo-Saxon race, and that a height below 64 inches would be accompanied by so insufficient muscular development that the man would never be made an efficient soldier. But it does not appear that at present we have gone below the efficient height.

We have called Lord Cardwell's scheme for a reserve a

1 The boy of 18 years and of 64 or 65 inches in height will, as a rule, if well fed, gain three inches in the next five or six years, and will eventually stand at 67 or 68 inches. If, however, he be 23 or 25 years of age he will grow no more.

bona fide one; and coupled with his plans for connecting the line, militia, and volunteers, and his formation of county brigades, it seems to us also well judged. But opinions differ very widely on this point, as may be seen from the discussion which followed Dr. Leith Adams's very able paper on recruiting at the Royal United Service Institution in February, 1874.1

It was doubted whether we shall get the men; whether when drafted into the reserve we shall keep them; whether, in the attempt to add to our voluntary enlistment the advantages which a conscription gives, we have not taken away many of the inducements which formerly took men into the army and kept them there. Some officers think that the principle of short service has not been carried far enough; that there should be short-service soldiers of two years, passing then into the reserve for eight years, or enlisting at option into a long service, which would meet our Indian and colonial requirements, and which should carry with it increase of pay for every term of five years, and attractive pensions at the end of the service. Others may think that the long service of twelve and twenty-one years, with better pensions, must be returned to, and that the true reserve must be found in a compulsory county militia service, embracing all ranks and connected, as it will be in Lord Cardwell's plan, with the line and volunteers.

All these are matters of great difficulty, and must be decided by statesmen and soldiers; but this much seems clear-that so far we are not going wrong with our selection of men, although any further lessening of height would be a hazardous experiment.

The following are the heights, weights, and measurements Dr. Adams would like to see in the English army :

Of course men of this style cannot always be obtained, though even now our splendid artillery and cavalry regi

1 "The Recruiting Question," by Surgeon-Major Leith Adams; 'Journal of the Royal United Service Institution, vol. xviii, 1874, p. 55.

ments probably come very close to the type. But as already said, the number of young growing lads would at present probably bring the actual infantry measurements much below Dr. Adams's typical soldier.

Another question connected with height and weight has been much debated. Which arm of the service should have the biggest men? In our service the heavy cavalry have the largest men, the light cavalry and the artillery come next, and the infantry are the smallest. This is the general rule in Europe. Morache, however, questions its propriety; he considers that by far the heaviest work falls on the infantry; and that certain corps, such as the cuirassiers and artillery excepted -the largest men should be foot soldiers. For the light cavalry, he says, if a man be big enough to saddle and clean his horse, and robust enough to manage his sabre, he can make a good cavalry man.1

This view has, however, not been adopted in France, as the following table will show.

Minimum height of the different services in the French army (law of 1872), age 20.

Mètres.

English inches.

The question is certainly one which demands more attention than it has received in England; the work demanded from infantry is increasing; longer and more rapid marches are made, and the men ought to be very strong and enduring on their feet. The work of the cavalry is also increasing, for more ground has to be traversed, but here the great point must be to relieve the horse of weight. We think that Morache's view is the correct one, and that all light cavalry should be small men and be lightly accoutred.

Whether heavy cavalry will exist or not in the army of the future it would be rash to say; it is certain, however, that in

1 He writes this with the impression on his mind of the late changes in the French light cavalry equipment. There are now no lancers in the French army; dragoons, hussars, and chasseurs are alike equipped with sabre, carbine, and revolver, and will all perform the same service, viz. to explore the country and to guide the army, and to act more by rapidity than by weight.