The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-03
THE WEIGHT OF CHILDREN.
How 1t Varies from Day to Day-Periods O
Increase and Decrease.

Pastor Mailing Hansen, the director of the
Royal Deaf and Dumb Asylum in CopenhC zen,
has published an interesting pamphlet on The
periodicity Of the weight of children His OBJ
servations, obtained by the daily weighing of
the children under his care, are very interest
ing. According to his evidence the weight of
children differs so largely from day to day that
trustworthy result can be obtained from
weighing at long intervals. A child may be two
pounds heavier at night than in the morning,
and may be one and half pounds lighter in the
morning than the night before Eating seems
to have more influence on weight than eXer-
else, bathing or occupation. The ultimate
increase in weight corresponding to
| increase in growth, does not go on regularly
throughout the year. There Is a period of
stoppage in the increase of weight with CORE
spending loss, from the beginning 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 sum
mer holidays the increase in weight is twice the
average, and in September and October even
thrice. Besides the serious period of loss from
May to July there are at other times frequent
sudden stoppages in the increase of weight,
sometimes followed by actual loss These
hindrances, lasting from six to fourteen
days. are not made up for by extra
periods of increase, and seem to indicate
real damage, so that the actual increase of
weight seems to take place during about the
fifth part of the year, while the remaining time
is occupied with loss and its replacement. There
is decided CORES pondence between the yacil-
lation of temperature and accompanying vacil-
lations in the weight of the ehild-increase of
warmth and of weight, and decrease of warmth
and of weight go hand in hand. A decrease of
two degrees of warmth in the temperature of
the five days is accompanied by a ninefold de-
crease in the weight of child, and three de-
gress more warmth by thirteenfold increase in
accompany decrease in the warmth Of the
temperature may go on even after the tempera-
ture has begun to rise, AS if the loss
colder temperature. year that has
had most changes of temperature is far
more unfavorable to the normal increase of
weight in a CHILD than more steady year, and
a series of such unfavorable years will for many
following years result in less strong children.
The reason of the great period of loss from May
to July, and the rapid increase during the
autumn months, do not seem to depend on the
conditions of warmth. The increase of weight
in the children experimental on was always
greater during the period when the moon was
receding from the earth, and less during the
period when the moon was approaching the
earth. During the former period the children
increased in weight twice as much as during the
latter period. Pastor Mailing Hansen's in
quiries are considered so important that the
Danish government and the "Carlsbergfona'
have granted sums of money for the continuance
and extension of such experiments