Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-04-29

suit OF anthropometric study many col.
lege girls have so realized the vicious.
ness of tight lacing that the custom ia
rapidly losing many of its devotees.
The comparative development of the
| sexes has also been accurately traced.
The first five years of both boys and
girls are found to be those of the most
| rapid growth. During the following
five years boys grow more rapidly, but
girls gain later and are actually taller
from the 18th to the 14th year. Women
stop growing at 20 while men do not
reach their full height till 90 or some
times 80. The records of anthropometry
have furnished much more information
of interest. For example the curious
fact that light complexioned people are
more easily subject to disease than
others is said to have been verified.
Inherent weaknesses of the body and
the tendencies to disease, geographical
ly, ethnologically and otherwise con-
sidered, have been studied with
inductive accuracy and complete
ness as was never dreamt of IS
and 20 years ago. In fact every
branch of medical science has been fur
nished with newly discovered facts to
prove or disprove the mere speculations
with which practitioners had been
forced to content themselves. ION this
very subject of measurements" DR..
Sargent remarked to me about month
ago, "there were all sorts of theories.
Some one suggested a scheme of meas
uring the whole body by the thumb;
there were long and learned arguments
as to whether any exact proportions
other parts of the body would hold, but
it never seemed to occur to people to I'M
dertake the actual measurements. To-
day when we want to make sure of some
medical theory we get at the bare facts,
we undertake the actual measurements
and aim to make them so accurate that
scientists may be perfectly safe in bas-
ing any deductions upon the results"
AS a means to the fostering of ath-
letics, especially of college athletics,
anthropometry has been of inestimable
value. In the first place physical in
structors have learned to judge with
accuracy every pupils condition. They
no longer rely upon mere opinion or
guess work, but by actual measure
ment and strength tests, with appa-
ratus and by comparison with the sta
tistics before them, they learn precisely
in what respects the boy or man in their
care is equal to, in what respects SUI
perior to the average or normal. Fur
thermore anthropometry has shown
that the tendency among athletes to de-
velop exclusively those functions in
which they already excel while failing
to cultivate the rest of the body is
positively dangerous. 1t is in fact often
the real cause of that uncanny reputa-
ton for being subject to heart troubles
and other ills which attaches to many
of the greatest athletes. BY modern
scientific system of athletic training
all this is obviated when mans meas
urements have been taken and his de-
ficiencies ascertained, certain athletic
exercise is first prescribed for his
weaker organs, as one might prescribe
quinine or diet. Then, and not till
then, comes the time to develop the
record-breaker's particular powers. The
measurements are of further value to
athletes, inasmuch as they give each in
dividual a chance to trace his develop
ment in the course of a seasons train
ing and to compare his progress with
the work of others. incidentally an
interesting feature is the so-called to-
tai strength record. This is an honor