The following note on the subject of Anthropometry by Surgeon Captain Drake-Brockman is printed in original.

General Remarks. “The following series of anthropometrical measurements of the castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh was taken and recorded by me under the auspices of the Local Government of these Provinces, who were kind enough to place the services of a competent clerk at my disposal to help in the work. In order to obtain as large a number as possible of representative castes, long distances have been travelled; only males of the age of 25 years and upwards have been selected as subjects for measurement on account of their mature physical development.

2. I have endeavoured, for purposes of classification, as well as for comparison, to group the different castes under three main divisions, viz., Aryan, Medium and Dravidian: the Medium group of which contains a large number of castes which form, more or less, an intermediate type, and are not capable of being classified strictly under either of the other two main groups. The last group I have again sub-divided into two—(a) an Hinduised and (b) an Aboriginal section, to indicate more fully their status in the social scale. All the various sub-divisions and sections of the several castes have been included and shown under the head of the main caste to which they belong. [xxviii]

3. Altogether twenty-two measurements have been taken of each separate individual, and although of that number only a few are recognized by the most eminent authorities on the subject as being of any marked value in the distinction of race, still I think it would be well to generally compare all of the anthropometrical measurements before forming an opinion on the subject. At the end of this article a table will be found in which are given the averages and indices of each of the several measurements separately for each caste, the total number of subjects of all castes taken being 4,906.

4. A glance at the above-mentioned table will show the results, but I think it will be as well to roughly analyze the most important data as far as anthropometry is concerned, and then judge of the result of the enquiry as regards the castes of these Provinces.

5. With this object in view I purpose to take the Nasal and Cephalic indices and the Facial Angle (that of Cuvier being the one selected as being the most reliable on the living subject); and I think that the latter, which gives us more or less roughly the degree of prognathism, taken together with the Nasal index, will give us the best test possible.

The Nasal Index. 6. To commence then with the Nasal index, one of the best tests for racial distinction, we find at the top of the list a medium caste, the Jât, with a nasal index of 55, indicating a very leptorhine nose, followed by the Brâhman with a nasal index of 59: third on the list, strange to say, is the Dhânuk, a Dravidian caste, with [xxix]an average index of 61, the warlike Râjput being bracketed with the Gadariya, Lohâr, and with an index of 64, and the cultivated Kâyasth, many grades below, with an index of 67.

At the bottom of the list we find the Dravidian castes of the Korwa and Musahar, with an index of 75, and the Agariya with one of 77, all true Dravidians with more or less mesorhine noses.

[xxx]

The Cephalic Index. 7. Next taking the cephalic indices—on glancing the eye down the column containing these data, it will be seen that all the castes have cephalic indices, showing the formation of the head to be dolicho-cephalic without exception, those of the castes Dhânuk, Arakh, Nat and Kewat being slightly sub-dolicho-cephalic, thus presenting a very marked contrast to the head of the Burman, which is decidedly brachy-cephalic, showing an index of of 83·1. The Burman, however, belongs to the Mongolian type of race, and nothing further need be said about him here. Out of four hundred and fifty adult males of the Brâhman caste the average cephalic index is found to be 73·7, a figure practically the same as that found by Mr. Risley, the lowest index being that of the Bhât, and the highest (of course excluding the Burman, who is Mongolian) that of the caste Kewat.

8. Again, if we take one representative caste out of each of the main divisions and compare them thus:—

we cannot but be struck with the similarity of all, the heads of each being markedly dolicho-cephalic. [xxxi]

The Facial Angle. 9. In the above investigation both the facial angles of Camper and Cuvier have been invariably taken and recorded, but as the latter is scientifically more accurate, at any rate on the living subject, it will suffice to notice the results under the latter measurement alone, as it gives us more accurately the true or sub-nasal prognathism of the individual.

10. All the measurements of facial angles were taken with Broca’s facial goniometer, by far the best [xxxii]instrument for the purpose. All human beings, no matter to what race they belong, are, of course, prognathous, the only difference being one of degree, the more acute angle shown indicating naturally the greater degree of prognathism.

11. In looking at the table given at the end of this section it will be seen that the Mânjhi, a true Dravidian (one hundred of whom were selected for measurement), has the highest angle, viz., 70, closely followed by the Dhângar, another caste of the same class, with one of 69, the aristocratic Brâhman and Râjput ranking sixth on the list with the same average angle as the Dravidian Chamâr. The vermin-eating Musahar comes at the bottom of the list with an average angle of 62.

12. Finally if we select a representative caste out of each of the main divisions thus—

and compare them, we find that there is practically no difference whatever. [xxxiii]

Summary. 13. To finally sum up, I have, for purposes of easy comparison, taken one hundred subjects from each of the main divisions promiscuously, and irrespectively of caste, and at the end of this paragraph will be found the averages of each measurement separately under each division, in order to be able to compare finally the highest with the lowest caste, the noblest born Aryan with the humblest born Drâvir, and I think on looking at the table one cannot but be struck with the result and notice the very slight material difference that exists, a fact which tends to prove beyond doubt that the racial origin of all must have been similar, and that the foundation upon which the whole caste system in India is based, is that of function and not upon any real or appreciable difference of blood.” [xxxiv]

H. E. DRAKE-BROCKMAN, F.R.C.S., F.T.S., M.D.,
Surgeon Captain, I. M. S. [xxxv]

ANTHROPOMETRIC DATA.