Constitutional Research on Italian Army Recruits

LUIGI BRIAN and ANTONIO GUERCI

The authors (who contributed equally to the structuring of the work; in addition, Guerci prepared the statistical data) have long been carrying out systematic research on human peoples, in relation either to constitutionalism or to characterology. The importance of these studies has been defined by Martiny (1948): "Biotypology, as a 'new science,' on the strict basis of an experimental observation and of statistics, deals with the correlations between the human form, its physiology and its psychism, and tries to study Man in his unitary whole." It must be stressed that apart from a few rare cases, general work has ever dealt with this argument in the course of this century and since the extensive survey conducted by Livi (1896) covering about 300,000 recruits of the 1859-to-1863 contingents. Our work is a study of a first group of 7,056 recruits of the 1948-to-1950 contingents, representing the twenty Italian regions. Only fourteen regions are shown in Table 1, for a total of 6,898 recruits. As will be noted, there is a minimum of subjects (137) for the Marches and a maximum (1,057) for Lombardy. The dimensions considered, for the successive constitutional diagnoses, are as follows: stature (from the vertex; symbol St tt); seated height (from the vertex; symbol St sd); diameter of the thorax (biacromia: Dt Tc); diameter of the pelvis (biiliocristal: Dt Bc); thoracic perimeter (xifoidian: Pm Tc); and abdominal perimeter (mesogastric minimum: Pm Dd). Figures 1 and 2 show the differential intensities of the average normalities of the stature and the thoracic perimeter; these are the most indicative. Table 2 shows the general graph (symbol GG) of the
This work was carried out by one of our Institute's teams, thanks to the help and cooperation of the Italian military authorities.

70 LUIGI BRIAN, ANTONIO GUERCI

Table 1. Regional sample frequencies

Region Abruzzi Basilicata Calabria Campania Emilia Latium Lombardy Marches Piedmont Puglia Sardinia Sicily Tuscany Venetia Total 140 186 343 791 403 568 1,057 137 293 794 316 933 307 630 6,898

................... ................... ................... ..

.....

NEMER MMMMM
mm. 1,639

-------------------------------------

1,646-1,656

1,676

1,685-1,694

1,711-1,715

Figure 1. Stature averages in the different regions

................... ................... ................... ..

-------------------------------------

mm. 830

835-838

840

843-849

850-852

Figure 2. Thoracic perimeter averages in the different regions Table 2. General graph of the total sample (7,056 subjects). Average St tt = 1677.9 (1678); sigma = 66.891; 3 sigma = 200.673. Fundamental (St tt) ratio: 1879: 1678 =
1.1197

St tt
+16 +15 +14 +13 +12 +11 +10 +9 +8 2,000 1,979.5

St sd

Dt Tc 544 540 535 530 526 521 516 511.5 507 502 497 493 488 483 479 474 469 464.5

Dt Bc 396 392 389 386 382 379 375 372 369 365 362 350 355 352 348 345 341 338

Pm Tc 1,161 1,151 1,141 1,131 1,121 1,111 1,101 1,091 1,081 1,071 1,061 1,051 1,041 1,031 1,021 1,011 1,001 991

Pm Dd 1,050 1,041 1,032 1,023 1,014 1,005 996 986.5 977 968 959 950 941 932 923 914 905 895.5

1,056 1,045

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Table 2 (continued). St tt +7 +6 R Ma +4 +3 +2 +1 BB -1 -2 -3 -4 R Mi -6 -7 -8 -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 -14 -15 -16 Ma-Mi Gd Gd/2 402 40.2 20.1 212 21.2 10.6 1,959 1,939 1,919 1,899 1,879 1,859 1,839 1,819 1,799 1,778.5 1,758 1,738 1,718 1,698 1,678 1,658 1,638 1,618 1,598 1,577.5 1,557 1,537 1,517 1,497 1,477 1,457 1,437 1,417 1,397 1,376.5 1,356 St sd 1,034 1,024 1,013 1,003 992 981 971 960 950 939 928 918 907 897 886 875 865 854 844 833 822 812 801 791 780 769 759 748 738 727 716 Dt Tc 460 455 450 446 441 436 432 427 422 417.5 413 408 403 399 394 389 385 380 375 370.5 366 361 356 352 347 342 338 333 328 323.5 319 314 309 305 300 295 291 286 281 276.5 272 267 262 258 253 248 244 94 9.4 4.7 Dt Bc 335 331 328 324 321 318 314 311 307 304 301 297 294 290 287 284 280 277 273 270 267 263 260 256 253 250 246 243 239 236 233 229 226 222 219 216 212 209 205 202 199 195 192 188 185 182 178 68 6.8 3.4 Pm Tc 981 971 961 951 941 931 921 911 901 891 881 871 861 851 841 831 821 811 801 791 781 771 761 751 741 731 721 711 701 691 681 671 661 651 641 631 621 611 601 591 581 571 561 551 541 531 521 200 20 10 Pm Dd 886 877 868 859 850 841 832 823 814 804.5 795 786 777 768 759 750 741 732 723 713.5 704 695 686 677 668 659 650 641 632 622.5 613 604 595 586 577 568 559 550 541 531.5 522 513 504 495 486 477 468 182 18.2 9.1

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73

total sample, and Table 3 lists the average values for all dimensions in the different regions considered. The successive preparation of the data was carried out according to the customary anthropometrographic method. This makes it possible to obtain a very large number of types of differential diagnoses from a small number of guiding diagnoses: six (restricted system) with regard to the morphy (paralongi, parameso-, parabrevilineal between the harmonics; dolicho-, meso-, and brachytypes between the disharmonies) and three for the somy (mega-, meso-, microsomes); the two (morphy and somy) combined provide, consequently, eighteen different cases. But the types of groups (arrangements with repetition) of partial diagnoses, in classes of six, and taking into account the five types of partial diagnoses, total 15,625, permitting valid representation of individual variability.
Table 3. Average measurements corresponding to the regional basomorphs Region Piedmont Lombardy Venetia Emilia Tuscany Marches Abruzzi Latium Campania Puglia Basilicata Calabria Sicily Sardinia General BB St tt 1,715 1,711 1,688 1,711 1,711 1,685 1,676 1,694 1,655 1,656 1,639 1,656 1,651 1,646 1,678 St sd 900 899 894 878 900 885 888 895 876 880 917 878 863 899 886 Dt Tc 392 393 393 395 395 391 391 396 388 387 386 385 385 381 394 Dt Bc 281 279 281 284 283 278 280 280 277 275 275 275 275 274 287 Pm Tc 838 838 849 847 850 843 852 849 840 835 836 830 838 830 841 Pm Dd 761 758 767 768 771 767 777 767 761 752 761 747 751 744 759

We must emphasize the presence in the above list of three types with a central trend: paramesolineal, the closest to average normality, taken in a wider sense than the ideal and theoretical one, represented by our basomorphs (symbol BB) which correspond (each for a sample or a population) to Quetelet's average statistical individual; finally mesotypes which, as we know, indicate disharmonic subjects in which neither the trend to the longilineal form nor that toward the brevilineal prevails. The main results of our survey will be found in Tables 1 through 4 and Figures 1 through 6. Among others, the minimum and maximum figures in the regional basomorphs are evident (Table 3): Basilicata (1,639) and Piedmont (1,715) for St tt; Sicily (863) and Basilicata (917) for St sd; Sardinia (381) and Latium (396) for Dt Tc; Sardinia (274) and Emilia (284) for Dt Bc;

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L UIGI BRIAN, A NTONIO GUER CI

Table 4. Diagnoses relative to regional basomorphs Region Piedmont Lombardy Venetia Emilia Tuscany Marches Abruzzi Latium Campania Puglia Basilicata Calabria Sicily Sardinia Partial diagnoses = = = Lo = Lo Br = Br Br Bra Br Lo Br Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Br Br Br Br Br Br Br Br Br = Br Lo Lo Lo = Lo Br Br Br Br Br = Br Br Br Br Br Br Lo Lo Br Lo = Br Br Br Br Br Br = Br = Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Lo Dol Lo Lo Dol Guiding diagnoses paramesolineal mesomorphs paralongilineal mesomorphs paramesolineal megamorphs paralongilineal mesomorphs paramesolineal megamorphs paramesolineal mesomorphs parabrevilineal mesomorphs paramesolineal megamorphs parabrevilineal micromorphs paramesolineal micromorphs parabrevilineal micromorphs paramesolineal micromorphs paralongilineal micromorphs paramesolineal micromorphs

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Sardinia, with Calabria, (830) and the Abruzzi (852), for Pm Tc; and finally Sardinia (744) and the Abruzzi (777) for Pm Dd. Generally speaking, the tables and figures are sufficient to emphasize the differential characteristics of the various regions. It is important, however, to point out that the relative antitheses which arise from the differential diagnoses by the regional basomorphs of the north (tendency toward longiliny) and of the south of Italy (tendency toward breviliny) (Table 4) are very clear in Figure 3 and are confirmed by the crossed anthropometrograms in Figures 4, 5, and 6. Also interesting is the demonstration (Table 5) of the clear prevalence 75.4 percent of harmonic subjects (harmony in its widest sense) and among them, of the paralongilineal (18.2 percent) and paramesolineal micromorphs (14.3 percent); also evident is the smaller frequency (0.99 percent) of mesotype mesomorphs among the disharmonics. In conclusion, we hope that constitutional research will become an increasingly important area of research, not only as it contributes to general scientific knowledge of human populations, but also because of the practical importance of relative diagnoses.

76 LUIGI LUIGI BRIAN, ANTONIO GUERCI

Table 5. Individual anthropometrographic type frequencies Megamorphs Mesomorphs Micromorphs

number percent number percent number percent Harmonics Paralongilineal Paramesolineal Parabrevilineal Total harmonics: number percent Disharmonics Dolichotypes Mesotypes Brachytypes Total disharmonics: number percent

518 571 476

7.4 8.1 6.5

376 331 194

5.3 4.7 2.7

1,283 1,013 582

18.2 14.3 8.2 5,344 75.4

144 133 297

2.1 1.9 4.2

286 70 142

4.1 0.99 2.01

400 137 123

5.7 1.9 1.7 1,732 24.6

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St tt

St sd Dt Tc Dt Bc Pm Tc Pm Dd

+5 +4 +3 +2 +1 BB

1
7 2 3 4 5 =Lombardy BB on Sicily GG ---------------------- = Sicily BB onLombardy GG Figure 6. Crossed anthropometrograms: Lombardy and Sicily

REFERENCES
BARBARA, M. 1957 La dottrina delle costituzioni umane. Turin: Minerva Medica. BRIAN, L. 1960 Antropometrografia. Contributo ad una rielaborazione della metodologia costituzionalistica. Actes du VP Congres International des Sciences Anthropologiques et Ethnologiques. Paris. 1964 Les applications de la mthodique anthropomtrographique: contribution au problme de la standardisation en anthropologie constitutionnelle. Actes du VIIe Congrs International des Sciences Anthropologiques et Ethnologiques. Moscow. 1968 Types morpho-psychologiques d'athltes des plus communes spcialits sportives. Actes du VIIIme Congrs International des Sciences Anthropologiques et Ethnologiques. Tokyo. DAVENPORT, C. B. 1927 Guide to anthropometry and anthroposcopy. English Research Association Handbook: series 1 (Baltimore). HRDLI KA, A. 1952 Practical anthropometry. Philadelphia: Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology.

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LANDOGNA CASSONE, F. 1955 La costituzionalistica nel suo sviluppo e negli aspetti antropologici. Rome: Bonacci. LIVI, R. 1896 Antropometria militare. Risultati ottenuti dallo spoglio dei fogli sanitari dei militari delle classi 1859-63. Rome: II Giornale Medico del Regio Esercito. MARTIN, R., K. SALLER 1957 Lehrbuch der Anthropologie. Stuttgart: Fischer. MARTINY, M. 1948 Essai de biotypologie humaine. Paris: Peyronnet. PENDE, N., M. MARTINY 1955 Trait de mdecine biotypologique. Paris: Doin. VANDERVAEL, F. 1964 Biomtrie humaine. Paris: Masson.