The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1866-03-17
Tall and Short.

Vlllerme has ascertained, CONTRARY to tho
generally received notion, that the inhapi-
tants OF towns are, on an average, little
taller than those OF country districts. M.
Quetelet found the same rule to apply in
Brabant; where. after nearly ten thousand
measurements, he ascertained that town
people are, on an average, three quarters
OF fan inch taller than country folks. Much
discussion has takeu place in connection
with the question at what age we cease to
grow. NJ. Quetelet shows that in Belgium
at any rate, men not only grew between
twenty and twenty-five years of age, but
even on TO thirty. Among niue hundred
soldiers and recruits whom he measured,
this was perceptibly the case, although the
increases was of course but small. DR..
Knox, of Edinburgh, some time ago obsery-
ed u similar fact; young men, leaving the
university at twenty or twenty-five years
of age, and returning seven or eight years
afterwards, had increased, not only in
breadth but liz height.
The average height of conscripts, twen-
ty years old, taken from the whole Of
France, for renewing the imperial armies,
is found to be five feet three inches and
half. Were it not that the French are
very accurate in these matters, one might
almost doubt whether they average so low.
Only one French soldier in forty is above
five feet eight high many of them barely
reach FIVE feet. 1t is the opinion of army
surgeons that the maintenance of large
standing armies tends to lessen the average
height of the population of a country, by
various direct and indirect agencies. Mr..
Cowell, one Of the factory inspectators,
oiorh
ed, many of the factory operatives at vari-
GUS ages but as Lancashire mill.fork are
very prone to wooden shoes of formidable
thickness and as it is not stated whether
Mr.. Cowell included or excluded these sub
stantial understandings it may be well to
pass over his tabulations unnoticed.
Young men in good station of life are
rather taller than those who have more
privations to bear. OF eighty Cambridge
students, between eighteen and twenty
three years Of age, the average height was
over five feet nine 1t appears to be pret-
ty certain, from The average of large num-
Der of instances, that the height remains
constant only from about the age of thirty
to that of fifty; u slight average growth
until the former limit, a slight average di-
intuition after the latter Among all the
adults of all classes measured by NJ. Quote
let, he found that fully developed and well
formed men varied from four feet ten to six
feet two with an average of five feet six +;
and fully developed and well-formed women
varied from four feet seven to five feet
eight, with an average of about five feet
two. 5Y -He
Mr.. Virey says "Tall men are general
ly much more weak and slow than short
men, for all exertions, both Of body and
mind. If men of high stature are prefer
red, for their fine appearance, in the body
guard ofprinces, and in the service of en-
inent persons, they are certainly neither the
most robust nor the most active; but they
are docile, candid and naive, little prone to
couspire for evil, and faithful to the worst
master. In war they are more fitted for
defence than attack whereas an impetu-
Gus and brusque action suits better for
short and vivacious men. Tall men are
mostly tame and nsipid, like watery vege-
tables insomuch that we seldom hear ofa
very tall man becoming very great man.
Little men manifest character moro
firm and decided than those lofty and soft
bodied people, whom we can lead more easi-
ly both morally and physically. Let all
little men rejoice at such an opinion as this
and especially at the following incident
An empire of Germany. in the seventeenth
century, to gratfya whim, caused all the gl-
ants and dwarfs in the empire to be brought
to court. AS it was feared that the giants
would tcrrify the dwarls, means were taken
to keep the peace; but instead of this, the
dwarfs teased, insnlted aud robbed the gi-
ants to such an extent, that the lengthy
fellows complained with tears in their eyes,
and sentinels had to be posted to protect
the giants from the dwarfs.-AU the Year
Round.