The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-01-23
TIE WEIGHT OF CHILDREN.
How ii Varies from Day to Day-reriods
of Increase and Decrease

How ii Varies from Day to Day-l'eriods
of Increase and Decrease
Pastor Mailing Hansen, the director Of tic
Royal Deaf and DUMB asylum in Iopf.a
hagen has published an interesting pamphlet
on The Periodicity of the Weight OF Chill
rem" His observations, obtained by The
daily weighing OF tho children under MS care.
are very Interesting. According to his evil
dence the weight of children differs so largely
from day 10 day that no trustworthy result
can be obtained from weighing at long in
rerTalS. A child may be two pounds heavier
at night than in TIE morning,
and maybe one and one-half pounds
lighter in the morning than the night
before. Eating seems to have more influence
on weight chan exercise, bathing, or occupa-
ton. The ultimate increase in weight, cor
responding to increase in growth, does not
go on regularly throughout the year. Tnere
Is period of stoppage in the increase of
weight with corresponding loss, from the he-
ginning OF May till past the middle of July,
in which time the loss of weight may exceed
double the average ultimate gain.
During August, September and October
there Is very steady period of increase in
weight, sometimes rising TO five times more
than the average increase During the rest
of the year the weight varies from less to
more around the average figure of increase.
During the summer holidays the increase in
weight is twice the average, and in Saptam-
Der AMI October even thrice Besides the
serious period of loss from May to ,!uly
there are at other times frequent sudden
st0ppages in the increase of weight, some
times followed by actual loss These hin
ORANGES, lasting from six to fourteen days,
are not made up for by extra periods OF in
crease, and seem to indicate real damage, so
that the actual increase of weight seems to
take place during about She fifth part of the
year, while the remaining time is occupied
with loss and its replacement There is q
decided esponicnco between the vacilla-
ton Of temperature and accompanying
vaCillations in the weight Of the cLill-in-
crea Of warmth and of weight AMI de-
crease of warmth and IF weight 20 hand in
han! A decrease % degrees Of warmth
| in the temperature Of the five days is
accompanied Uy a ninegold decrease in the
weight Of a child, and 8 degrees more
warmth by thirteenfoid in weight
The hindTancr and los of weight that ac
company II decrease in the warmth Of the
temperature h.s began to rise, Us if the loss
depen ed on sickline's induced 10y TIE col Ter
Temperature, A year that has hal most
change Of Temperature is far more mfavor-
able 70 the norma! increase of weight III 6
| cailI than a mora steady year, and a series
| o. such unfavorab}e years will foT many fol
| lowing years result ii less strong children
! The reason Of the great period of loss from
| May 80 July, and the rapid Increase during
| Tao autumn. months, do not seem to depend
| un the conditions Of warmth. The increas5
| 1f weight iii tho children experimental OF
| was always greater during the period wher
| he moon was recedmg from the earth, ans
| less during the period when the moon wa
| approaching the earth During the former
| period the children increased in weight twic.
rs much as during the latter period Pastor
| Mailing Hpnsen'S inquiries are considered 5,
| important that tho Danish government anL
the "Carisbergfond" have granted sums o
money for the continuance and extension o
| ,uch experiments.