The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-06-14
OUR BOYS AND GIRLS.

to the State Board of Health of Massa-
chusetts which has curious interest. It
contains the results of many years of in
vestigation as to the growth of children.
The doctor, during the last twenty-five
years, has made annual measurements of
thirteen individuals of the female, and
twelve of the male sex. They were
nearly all related, and represented, we
may safely conclude, fair average of
the generation in America. His investi-
cations showed, first, that growth is
most rapid during the earliest years of
life; secondly, that during the first
twelve years boys are from one to two
inches taller than girls of the same age;
thirdly, that at about ~ years girls be-
gin to grow faster than boys, and during
the 14th year are about one inch taller
than boys of the same age; fourthly, that
at IA boys again become taller, girls at
this period having nearly completed their
growth, while boys continue to grow
rapidly until 10 years of age.
In order to extend the range of the in
vestigation, systematic measurement of
the pupils in the Boston public schools
was undertaken. Dr. Bowditchs idea
was to determine the rate Of growth Of
the human race under the conditions
which Boston presents, and he thinks
the same measurements might proftably
be made throughout the country, with a
view to discovering what effect our eli
mate has on the different races of which
our society is made up.
There has been talk in Europe of a
decline of the human kind in the United
States. 1t has annoyed some patriots
here, but the observed facts are all
| against any such deterioration. If the
accurate measurements made by DR..
Bowditch in Boston were undertaken in
other cities, we doubt not that we should
get abundant data to utterly overthrow
the assumption. Mr.. Grant Whites re-
cent observations in England went to
show that we are not behind our English
ancestors in height and bodily develop
ment generally, and that, so far as the
beauty of the race goes, we are ahead.
The measurements taken of the Ameri-
can volunteers during the civil war
proved that our soldiers were remark
able for their stature; and we know that
never were armies gathered which dis
played more endurance than those which
confronted each other during those four
bitter years.
AS the result of DR.. Bowditch's ex-
tended observations in Boston, it was
found that boys and girls of American
parentage are, almost without exception,
both taller and heavier than children of
| 4h0
of other nations. This is explained in
part by the circumstance that the Ameri-
can-born children are usually the off
spring of parents living in better average
comfort than the foreign fathers and
mothers have done. It is striking fact
that, of the sol, 068 soldiers whose exam
nations are preserved in the Provost
Marshal Generals bureau, the natives
of the United States are taller than those
of any other country. A further re-
markable fact is shown by study Of
these statistics. Natives of foreign
countries enlisting in the United States
have greater average height than ma
tives of the same countries enlisting at
home. Dr. Bowditch is inclined to the
opinion that the superior comfort of the
inhabitants of this country is what gives
to natives and to persons of foreign birth
growing up here their superior height.
Statistics obtained in the United States
and abroad seem to show that in a given
community the children of the wealthier
classes are, as rule, larger than those
of the poorer classes. Observations made
in England lead to the conclusion that
children Of the laboring classes, inhabit-
ing towns, are at all ages decidedly short
er than the children of the non-laboring
classes attending public schools and uni
versities, the difference attaining maxi
mum OF over four inches at Ii years of
age. In the matter of weight, too, the
well-to-do children are decidedly ahead.
Comparing the Boston public school
boys with the English students at the
schools and universities, it is discovered
that the boys OF American parentage are
about the same in height, and that in
weight they are lighter sp to II years Of
age, from II to II years heavier, and
then again lighter than the English boys.
The American boys measured, however,
belonged to the ordinary run of public
school children, very many of whom were
the offspring of laboring parents, while
those in England with whom they are
compared were all the sons of the non
laboring classes. A fairer basis of COM
parison was obtained by taking the pu-
pills Of the Boston Latin School, the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
and private Latin school of Boston.
The American boys SO selected were SUI
perior to their English contemporaries
both in height and weight. 1t is inter
esting to bring together the English and
American statistics as to this point. This
is the table Of the height and weight Of
the English public school and university
boys:
Height, Weight, n Height, Weight,