Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-09-14
THE HEASURR OF AMAN.

AFTER the measure or q man that
is, of an angel" says the seer Of the
Apocalypse, suggesting that the per-
fectiOn Of the human form isthe phys
ical master piece of creation. But the
question what that perfection is has
been greatly disputed, and from the
days Of Phfdias and the great school
of Athenian plastic art to those Of
muscular Christianity" and fashion
able athletic training at Oxford, it has
never been regarded as a settled ques-
ton.
Perhaps, after all, It can only be
solved at last by science, not by art
and the test Of physical completeness
is to be found in harmony with the
laws of life, and in the full power of
labor and endurance, rather than in
beauty and grace. It is from a mere
statistical point OF view, at least, that
the subject has been lately approach
ed, and an interesting summary OF
the results is given by DR.. Lancaster
in Nature. -Errg. g..-.. s......
His first inquiry IL, what ought
man of a given height to weigh? He
concludes, from the best statistics yet
collected, that a person five feet in
height ought to weigh lis pounds
and that, for each additional inch in
height, five pounds ought to be added
to the weight; 50 that the proper
weight Of the man six feet high Is l75
pounds. If the weight is much less
than this rule indicates, the deficiency
of fatty matter gives reason to suspect
some disease or unsOundness in the
system, which may shorten life; II
much greater, it may sometimes re-
suit from an unusual development OF
the muscle and the bones. but more
commonly from an excess Of fat.
Since the differences in the weights
of persons of the same heights depend
chiefly on the amount Of fat present,
DR.. Lsnkestef Inquiries carefully into
the body. 1t is a medium for sustain
ing and nouTishing the muscular and
other tissues; and it is besides q re-
serve of material TO be used up when
wanted, in producing muscular force.
Thus all animals grow fat in summer
and lean again in winter, when they
use up their store. The serious loss Of
weight, or a great deficiency in fat,
then shows that this reserve OF
strength and life is consuming.
This loss of weight is the fist SYM
tom in consumption Of the lungs, and
may be observed long before any tu-
bercles are formed, and while the pro-
gress of the disease may still be pre-
vented. This is the secret Of the sue
cess of cOd-liveT oil and other fatty
substances in such diseases; they are
concentrated nOurishment for the
wasting tissues, and supply the need
ed fat. In the opinion Of many physi-
clans, they ought 70 be given together
with butter, cream and similar aFti-
cles of food, in every case in which
there is a prolonged tendency to lose
weight.
On the other hand an excess Of
weight above the proper standard is
disadvantage in life. The man has
mors to carry ; his heart must throw
more blood into the tissues to keep
them alive; when fat accumulates
around particular organs it partly
smothers them and hampers their ac-
ton. In such cases, if taken in early
life and with judieious esution, the1s
is commonly no difficulty in relieving
the system and in bringing the
weight down to the proper stanCsrd
by a selected diet. But this is impOr-
tant only in those persons who have
a real tendency tOoppressive eOrpulen-
ey; "full habitn Is better than the
violence sometimes praetieed to over
come it.
The study Of this subject is recon-
mended by DIR. Lancaster to life as
surance companies, whose officers GER
tainly ought to know how much q de-
ficiency or excess Of weight, IS eom-
pared with the normal standard,
affects the expectation Of life. But he
fails to remark that not merely the
weight, as propOrtioned 70 the height,
ought to be regarded, but the height
ITSELF
Dwarfs and giants are nOtOFiOusly
frazier Of frame and nf fewer days
than men Of average stature, and the
question how great the deYiRtiOu Of ]
height may be without affecting the
of life is one which has never,
so far as we know, been investigated.
That any such deviation. beyond
quite narrow limits. is 3 defect, in an
artistic point of view, is admitted, al
though popular heroes and demigods,
in the Imagination Of men whose
lasts is not critical, have generally
been distinguished rather for great /
size than for perfect fOrm.-M Y.
EUeHing Post. ....