100 new-born infants, in France, 50 died in the two first years; in
the later period, extending from the time of the census that was taken
in 1817 to 1827, only 38 of the same age died, an augmentation of
infant life equal to 25 per cent. In 1780 as many as 55 per cent. died
before reaching the age of ten years; in the later period 43, or about
a fifth less. In 1780 only 21 persons per cent. attained the age of 50
years; in the later period 32, or eleven more, reached that term. In
1780 but 15 persons per cent, arrived at 60 years; in the later period
24 arrived at that age.

Side by side with these facts of the statist we detect other facts
which show that in the progress of civilisation the actual organic
strength and build of the man and woman increases. As in the highest
developments of the fine arts the sculptor and painter place before
us the finest imaginative types of strength, grace, and beauty, so
the silent artist, civilisation, approaches nearer and nearer to
perfection, and by evolution of form and mind developes what is
practically a new order of physical and mental build. Peron,--who
first used, if he did not invent, the little instrument, the
dynamometer, or muscular-strength measurer,--subjected persons
of different stages of civilisation to the test of his gauge, and
discovered that the strength of the limbs of the natives of Van
Diemen's Land and New Holland was as 50 degrees of power, while that
of the Frenchmen was 69, and of the Englishmen 71. The same order
of facts are maintained in respect to the size of body. The stalwart
Englishman of to-day can neither get into the armour nor be placed in
the sarcophagus of those sons of men who were accounted the heroes of
the infantile life of the human world.

We discover, moreover, from our view of the past, that the