Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-15

their studies will. through the cooperation
of the scientific school examiners and the
pupils own family physicians, be brought to
a condition where their minds will work
freely and quickly. In the meantime it may
be found advisable to separate girls and
boys in the pursuit of education. The un-
informed visitor to the Alcott school at
Wrightwood avenue and Orchard street, Chi
cago who should stray through the door
marked Library on the second floor of the
building, would see this system at work and
be puzzled, decidedly, by what he would see.
All through each school day an intermt-
tent procession of pupils from to 16 years
of age passes into the library from the
various grades, while another procession
moves constantly away. No one of the chill
dren remains in the library long. but, while
there, each is measured and weighed and
tested in half a dozen ways, thus unCon-
sciously playing a highly important part in
one of the most interesting latter day de-
velopments in the science Of education. The
measuring and Weighing and testing are all
parts of a carefully thought out scheme.
For the time being the little library is the
laboratory of the new department of child
study and pedagogic investigation established
at the beginning of the present school year
by the Chicago Board of Education.
The measurements and tests made by the
new department have to do especially with
the height, weight, power of endurance,
lung capacity, grip fright and left hands,,
sight and hearing Of the pupil Yet, while
the work occupies the entire attention OF
+. w. Smedley and C. Campbell, two ex-
perienced educators whose training has
given them special qualifications. for the
carrying on of the departments details, it
each child has to give up only few min
utes occasionally while being examined.
Weighing, Measuring and Testing.
Each boy or girl who enters the library
of the Alcott school is requested to step
upon small platform at the back of which
is a standard, with gauge, for taking the
height by the celebrated method Of Ber
tilon. Two measurements are taken, height
standing and height sitting, the figures being
recorded, as taken, on individual cards
which already bear one set of figures, the
result Of similar work done early last spring
and summer, Closely approximate figures
as to height standing are obtained by the
use of little gauge which measures the
thickness OF the shoe heels. When this is
deducted from the gross the result is almost
exactly what it would be were the measure
ment taken without the shoes.
Weighing comes after the measuring and
is quite as carefully done Generally no
comment is made when the new figures and
the earlier ones are compared but II the
expected increase in weight and height be
not shown the child is questioned regard
ing its health in the vacation season. Lack
OF normal physical growth is considered a
bad sign by the managers of the depart
ment and the cause thereof is a proper part
of its records. boy who was weighed and
measured while the writer was present was
asked to stretch his arms out straight from
the shoulder and Afterwards to extend his
hands and spread his fingers, Had tremor of
the extended arms or spread fingers been
shown 1t would have been clear, perhaps,
that the boys condition was not satisfactory
and possibly tightening of his school work
would have been recommended, though as yet
the department confines itself mainly to
making records. Later. after the value Of
its work has been clearly demonstrated by
results, definite scheme of recommended
tions will be formulated and adopted.
Lung Tests ana Nerves.
Next the child is treated for lung capacity.
The spromotor used by the department
looks like a miniature gasometer 1t con-
sists of sort of metal cylinder closed at
one end and open at the other, which is
immersed in a second cylinder containing
water. The child to be tested forces its
breath into the immersed cylinder by blow
capacity is determined by the height TO