The army authorities of Japan have just made public a most important series of statistics bearing: on the physique of the nation, as shown by the examination of conscripts. Nations like Great Britain and America will readily recall the shock they received when the outcome of examination of huge numbers for their armies was made known, but with them there were no comparative statistics. In the case of Japan, however, this comparison is before the country, and is most unpleasant reading. tween 1912 and 1921 there has been following summary of the figures published will show the length to which it has gone. The statistics are given under four headings, showing the number per 1,600, and we shall give the first and last year quoted:—Defective hearing, 1912 8, 1921 18; defective vision, 1912 18, 1921 32; tuberculous, 1912 4, 1921 12; under-development, 1912, 22, 1921 30. We have not yet seen any reason assigned by the army authorities for this progressively bad state, but it may be possible to conclude that the increasing industrialization of the country is in great measure responsible. That same industrialization in other lands has been found to have caused much of the trouble, accompanied as it always seems to be by overcrowding and- absence of proper food and attention through the mother of the family going to work in the mills. This deterioration in, Jay an has been very rapid, and, it les ill for the future of the race.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.