Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-12-04


Upper arm, right. .I0.i Foot, left denstni... vi
The variations are exceedingly slight,
excepting in the thigh and upper right
arm. We are told that when actual
measurements of skeletons are made it
is exceptional to find that in the same
subject the femur and tibia ore identical
in length. DIR. Carson writes that " in
35.S per cent. the right limb was
longer than the left" MIR. J. z. Thorn
ton, in his book on Training, writes
"that it looks as If the left leg generally
is longer than the right one" There is,
he states, unequal development; so II
200 pair OF mems shoes are carefully
measured, 80 per cent OF these shoes
would show that the foot was about the
same size, but in a. per cent. the left
foot would be longer, and IN q per
cent. it would be the right ONE With
women's shoes there is a difference OF
relative size of feet. the left foot being
frequently the smaller. This would arise
from the fact that women are not SO &C
tive as men"
NJ. Lagrange, q capital authority on
this subject, explains the reasons for the
difference in this manner We are
taught to be right-handed and so work
more with the right-hand side OF our
body than with our left. II not for q
wise provision of nature, did we con-
tinue doing all our work in oue-sided
way. we would become lop-sided. We
unconsciously automatically use other
muscles. He calls them " the antago-
nistic ones" If this did not happen,
many of our efforts would lose direct
ness, or we might be carried oil our feet
by an intense one-sided movement Ii
is the left side of the man which steadles
him, and he is unconsciously working
that all the time.
RIGHT AND LEFT.
"In boxing" writes Mr.. Thornton.
eve reverse matters and lead off with
the left, which is the true weapon CT
offence. The right leg steadies us. The
blacksmith yields bis hammer with ms
right hand and steadies himself with his
left leg" 1t is not exactly the reverse
with the woman but because she exerts
rarely the force of the right side OF her
body, by means OF her arm or leg the
left side of her has less call for develop
ment, and so we may account for greater
growth of the right arm or foot or thigh
or calf than Of the left and so she
dances equally well with both feet,
whereas n man cannot. and she is, too,
with her many admirable traits, more
ambidexter than IS the clumsier man.
Such tables as these two ladies present
can only have been carried out at u vast
expenditure OF labor. Anthropometrlcal
measures are very slow Of production and
a single average presents many months
of hard work.
What is the use OF these anthropOmetri
cal tables? BY their study we will learn
what are the physical CONGREGATIONS o.
health or disease, and what are the al
vantages TO be derived from physical cul
ture. BY comparisons when millions o.
such measurements have been made al
average will be struck. Then the absolute
normal proportion will be found, for L
is obvious that nature constructs exactly
that CONFORMATION best adapted for hu
man existence. At some future date the
true canon of female beauty may be
formulated in millimeters, inches, kllos
or pounds. Poetical conceptions vii
not he blunted, and so forever the arts
will idealize form and color.
What will be the standard OF per
fectly beautiful womanly shape ? Shall
We take the tape line OF the man man
tuamaker, whose product is the tailor
made girl, or those glories of periec
womanhood, the Demeter Of the Par
thenon frieze and the Venus of Milo