Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-04

These figures are above the previous stand
arCs both as to height and weight, but, like
them, they are applicable to both boys and
girls. Above feet. and about 12 years, there
Is an appreciate difference between the sexes
In these respects, as girls cease growing sooner
than boys. Observations Of weight or of
heignt are, 1t Will be rightly inferred. useless
alone.
Now, what Is the practical use of all these
figures? In the first place, rate of growth
should be regular, and the rate of any given
child being ascertained, there Is thus furnished
toleraole basis for an estimate as to its
proper future size The healthy child that
and will thus probably be Of short stature. say
feet inches II man, and feet incl if a
woman. The healthy Child growing ~ inches
Year Is feet inches at years, and passes
feet at Is to IA years. Such child VIII be a
medium sized adult, say feet inches If aman,
or feet inches Ii woman. The quick-groW-
ing healthy Child that increases In height 8
inches per year passes feet at 10 or II, and will
make tall man of feet 10 inches, or tall wo-
man OF feet inches. These rates of growth
DR.. Boulton nkens to three railroad trains
travelling at, say, 10, 20, and 80 miles an hour.
The fastest train, of course, covers the most
ground In a given time, subject somewhat to
the exact point when puberty first puts on the
brake and finally stops progress altogether,
1t IS even more important to notice that the
figures which thus furnish basis for prophecy
furnish also no mean aid toward making that
prophecy good From physical point OF
view IL Is during the period Of growth that
u
best combated, and when standard OF health
Is known any variations from lie should be at
tenCed 10 as promptly and anXlOuSly as an en-
gineer ooeys danger signal. When chtld's
ascertained rate OF growth varies more than
a quarter OF an 1ncn annually, or when his
weight does not correspond to his height within
margin OF safety, fixed by DIT. B0ulton at
seven pounds, red light, so to speak, Is hung
out, h1eh no careful parent or competent
physician should venture to neglect.
growth below the Characteristic rate Is 1ndlca
II q nrnv fl,nr
tomS-of arrested Development and a growth
above that rate points to a tax on the system
ABOVE the powers OF most children. And arrest
OF growth, or loss of weight, Is also a finger.
board pointing to specific disease; In consa11p-
ton, especially, loss of weight always precede5
cough, although the cough nearly always Is
the nrst symptom 10 attract attention. The
value OF these figures to preventive medicine
must thus be plain. but the point may well be
emphasized by single Illustration. In 1875
the children In a certain institution did not
special cause OF alarm and no obtrusive symp.
toms OF disease; ordinarily the fact would not
nave Deen noticed, nor would IL have caused
remark If 1t had been. However, the authori-
ties were not satisfied, the childrens dietary
and sanitary conditions were more carefully
attended TO, and the next year the average
growth iD height was over two inches, and the
while 1t still remains true that a man cannot
by taking thought add cubit to his stature,
IL Is nOt 700 mucn 70 say that he can,
"a HC wiz TAKE inc tIOUDle, materially Affect
the development OF his Child. AnthrO-
pometry has heretofore concerned itself with
man IN the mass, and its figures have been re-
garded rather as finalties, useful only for pur-
poses OF study, than as elements In a problem
Which, within limits, may be varied at viii.
The anthropometry Of the Individual regarded
as a means Of fixing an ideal end, which may
AID should be reached, and OF Indicating
Wnetner that end IS being approached along
the proper road and according to natures time.
taoie-ls new idea, and Is neither less inter-
esting nor less useful than the anthropometry
OF Inc various races OF men, For schools espe-
c1ally these hints are worthy OF attention.[N
7. TINES -"