The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1897-07-01
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WOMAN'S PHYSIQUE.

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Correct Proportions and How to Maintain
Them.
In lecture at the Academy of Ma
tional Sciences in Philadelphia Professor
A. B. Brubaker. discussing the subject
of physical Development, said:
Professor Gottfried Schadow of the
Royal Academy of Arts i'll Berlin has
given to the world, in his figure of an
artistically formed woman, the follow
ing measurements: Height, 631a inches;
breadth of neck, 80 inches; shoulders.
10 inches; waist, 8 inches; hips, 1879
inches.
Long before Professor Schadow' 8
time an unknown artist created the
Venus de Medici, the worlds ideal
of perfection in the female figure,
ON these measurements: Height, So
inches; breadth of neck, inches; shout
ders, 16 inches; waist, 90 inches; hips,
Is inches
Professor Sargent, with several
thousand tabulated life measurements
in hand, produced composite figures of
the young American girl with these
measurements: Height, 63R inches;
breadth of neck, 3.S inches; girth of
neck, H. inches; breadth of shoulders,
IA z inches; breadth of waist, s. 6 inches;
girth of waist, "a inches; breadth of
hips, 1871 inches; girth of hips, 35. A
inches; girth of calf, Is. 8 inches; girth
of upper arm, TO-. 1 inches; girth of
thigh, 214 inches, and forearm, 8. 2
inches.
Miss Anna Wood has given measure
ments closely similar to those of Pro-
fessor Sergeant in her composite figure
of the Wellesley college girl, being aver
aged from the measurements of over
1000 young women.
"Given the height, proportion and
weight of an average physique for the
man and woman, what should be the
attitude or posture of such an individ-
ual, especially when standing? By pos
ture is meant position of equilibrium
of the body which can be maintained for
some time, such as standing, sitting or
lying.
''For the maintenance of the erect
posture the following conditions must
be realized: (1) The corresponding halves
of the body must be in the same anatom-
ical relation; (2) the center of gravity of
the whole body must fall just in front
of the last lumbar vertabra. That the
first of these two conditions may be
realized. there must be well developed
and symmetrical skeleton and CORE
spending symmetrical development of
the muscles on the two sides of the body.
That the second condition may be real
lied, there must be such a development
of the extensor muscles on the back of
the body as will be sufficient to antag-
onize the f1exor muscles on the front of
the body
"These conditions are not always
realized, and hence certain physical de-
fects are observable, such as obliquity of
the head, elevation or depression of the
shoulder, curvature of the spine, and SO
forth
among the defects which interfere
with proper stature and proportions may
be mentioned knockknees, bowlegs and
pigeon toes
''Knockknees occur in childhood or
at puberty and are generally associated
with ricketts, and due to want of mus
cular or bony strength. Owing to the
width of the pelvis, the thigh bones are
inclined inward This determines the
direction of the teformity. There is a
disproportion between the weight Of the
DOuy anu Gue strength u Ino MUSCLES.
In consequence the inner condyle of the
thigh bone grows down and inward and
throws the lower leg outward.
'tBowlegs are also associated with
ricketts, and want of strength in muscles
and bones. In this condition the natural
curve of the bones is exaggerated, and
the leg bends outward.
pigeon toes are term applied to
the inward direction of the foot, depend
ent ON insufficient development of the
muscles which should turn the foot out
ward. This is condition observed in
monkeys and very young children.
in addition to the above mentioned
deformities relating to the trunk and
limbs there are others found in both
men and women, especially in the lat
ter, however, which relate to changes in
the shape of the thorax, caused by un-
due compression or construction.
ut is difficult to understand why this
construction should have been INDUCED
in through the ages. There is an idea,
however, that it confers on the individ-
ual an artistic effect. The Greek woman
of the decadent period suggested the
methods and objects. 1t was adopted by
the Romans at the beginning of the en-
pire. During the middle ages it died
out, to be revived in the twelfth CEN
fury. New York Sun.