Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-21
E..TTL-l

1 "A wy
| WI n The work has been
M done under the aus
| W plces of the United
| t. ID States bureau Of edu-
cation by Dr.. Arthur
| Mcdonald, who calls
himself a social pathologist" 1t was he
who wrote the book on Abnormal Man."
recently published by the government.
Much of his life has been devoted TO the
study of criminals. His speciality is educa-
| ton as related to the abnormal classes.
| He says that we have more exact knowledge
| or insects than Of men, and II is high time
| That attention should be paid to human
beings, who are certainly the most interest
| ing OF animals. In recording the measure
| ments of the children, each one was repre-
scented by number, and the numbers were
finally classified according to race, sex, age,
| social condition. etc. The laboring and nom
| laboTing classes were kept separate for pur-
| poses of comparison. For example It is de-
| sired to know whether boys OF the laboring
| class are less bright than the sons OF the
well-to-do. Are they as well nourished? In
London, not long ego, investigation proved
| that the children Of laboring people I'm that
metropolis were better ncurished-that is to
say. weighed more at the same ase-thln
| those belonging to higher social strata, the
| latter being fed on too much candy and
| cake.
Tie work here being unfinished concIu-
sions cannot be stated. To begin with, the
height and sitting height of each child were
taken. Long bodied races, generally speak
| ing, are inferior. 1t is desired TO know II
lons-bodied individuals are less clever or
| less strong than tho short-bodiad Of the
same race. Arc long bodied boys and girls
apt to De stupid: Lons-headed children are
usually tall Tall people are most often
| Ions -lIsadcd. Tall races are superior. The
question aturslly follows: Are long-headed
| children superior mentally? When II is said
that man has q long head. is there not
Significance in the remark7
| White and ColOred Children.
Are tall children, then. SUPERIOR Nobody
knows as yet. Thee are among the things
which DR.. Mcdonald is trying to find cut.
In the classification the 5000 negro chill
dren in Washington schools have been kept
| separate, so as to compare them with white
| children. How do they compare in respect
| to brightness, weight, physical measure
| nents, &c? The colored child surpasses the
white child up TO five years of age in men,
| tai development; then the white child gees
| ahead. Comparisons OF girls with boys
| naturally follow. At the age of entering
| womanhood girls weigh more than boys;
| that age with city girls arrives a year
| earlier than with country girls. Indeed,
| there IL no end Of the interesting data 10 be
| obtained by such Investigations. The more
| you look Into the subject :he more enter
this kind will be done in many cities-some-
thing In the same line has been attempted
already in Boston and ST. Louisiana oon-
illusions Will be drawn from the eXamina-
ton of millions of children. IL Is an en-
tirely new branch of scientific research
and viii be regarded as Of immense i'm
portance in the future. The idea OF Il is
TO study human beings as one would an
ant hill-to study them as they exist today
The acquisition of definite information
about our own race is surely Of greater
value than the study of lower animals. 10
which such vast amount of attention is
devoted.
Washington serves admirably in this
way as sort OF measuring stick The
population of the capital being drawn from
all parts of the country. averages obtained
from 1000 school children here ought TO
/ furnish coed approximate standards Of
normal boys and girls. TIE measurements
and other tests applied were chosen with tie
advice of such great authropologic
authorities as Nirchow, Manouvriar Ion-
bro:o ana Mosso. Similar work has been
done in few cities in Germany. Before
very long II will be conducted nil oyer
Europe. and finally il will be possible TO
institute 2, comparisons among races. II will
be practicable 10 determine with certainty
whether the transplantation of Germans 10
American soil has affected them beneh-
cially or otherwise.
Sensitive About Physical Defects
The thorough study of single human belnc,
is valuable because he is a type specimen
representing a great number of individuals
People are much more alike than IS gem
orally conceived. We take Compare lively
little notice Of the points in which our ac-
quaintances resemble one another. while
we emphasize their dissimilarities with a
tendency TO exaggerate them. One difficulty
encountered by the anthropoloeist is the
rooted objection which many people have
TO 8: Emitting their persons TO meo sure
n.ents and other tests. They are afraid
that their physical defects viii be made a
matter Of record. The fact is that All re-
suits obtained are under the seal OF nro-
fessional confidence; the Individual IS rem
resented by number merely, and in any
conclusions that may be published he Gp-
pears only la the shape of averages which
include scores or hundreds of persons
other measurements made of WASHINGTON
children We're the lsnGth OF arm. length
ana breadth of head, ard horizontal cir
conference of The head at the level of The
eyebrows The weight OF each individual
was taken; also tho grip-strenCth of the
r1Sht ana left hands. On the charts rep
resenting tho summarized results appear
such comments as bright" dull" aver
age nervous and excitable," "lisps."
low voice" These peculiariues were re-
corded by teachers. All sorts Of conclncion.
are to be reached by means of such data
though only approximate suggestions are
obtalnaoie from the ex3mina lion of - 600
children. For example. IS there any rela-
ton between brightness IN arithmetic and
physical condition? Is arithmetic a better
test than languages for quality of mind
Are boys who re good la arithmetic Ukeiy
TO have taste for drawing? DO girls who
are mentally superior have a stronger grin
than dull girls2 With dull girls does the
right-hand grip differ more from Tho loft
hand grip than with bi:sh. girls? This
last point has to do with the question 20 20
whether physical symmetry lea env rc,a
uon TO mental development Cnoues:ton-
aolS there is such n relation. II Is easily
seen thst there IS no end 10 this line OF
research, of which the beslnnins mas only
Just been made.
women More Sensitive &c Palm.
some OF the most important tests spplied
TO the children related t. the nsrvou, SIS
ten. One OF these was Cor eeaa!b.l!ty 10
PAIN. The Instrument us-1 was merely a
SUCK. pressed against tire fesny part OF
the hand below the th@Irh. IN each cas,
the subject was cs7;ested to say -.ncn II
felt the least bit lisa srcsable Ar attach
ment recorded the st,ergt. Q. The pressure
II was found that Girls felt n. pain more
quickly than boys. In this ASd 1tLer y-ays
Tlr faTN 81 =.