The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1899-06-23
HUMAN STATURE.
Curlou. Fact. About TT Il rS''i',s
10 Ada to the Height

TO Ada TO the Height
do non think II Is possible 70 auu
more than an inch or 50 to human
stature said well-known physician
in answer to a question Of the Wrl'e''
This Is one respect In which nature
insists on having her own way ana
am quite sure that under no conditions
would It be possible to raise race OF
giants. Nature is always at WORK cor
rectlng any tendency to extremes
though here and there someone es-
capes her notice and grows into giant
or dwlndles into dwarf You might
think the tall parents would have taller
children than themselves. but little
observation will prove that this Is NOT
so. Nature always seems to be striving
to reach and maintain medium
height. so that as a rule tall parents
have shorter children than themselves
and short parents raise taller Children
tho two extremes meeting In lie"
generations at the average height.
But something can certainly be done
| II the attempt be made early. Prae-
| tically a man does all his growing be-
fore he Is eighteen and woman be-
fore she Is sixteen. although / have
known cases where a man has grown
perceptibly in stature until long past
thirty.
After ALL stature Is largely a ques-
tion OF length OF legs. II you take
three men. one OF six feet. another OF
Ave feet six inches and third OF hve
feet, there will be only the smallest DIFF
ference in the length OF the body. and
In fact the short man may have the
longest body Of the three. But the long
man will have an advantage OF ten
Inches in length OF leg over the short
man.
The margin for growth In the legs 10
&C per cent more than In the body.
This means that the legs Of an adult
Rre i've times as long as when he was
born, his body three times, and his
head twice It's original length.
Il is thus. you see. very largely a
question Of legs, and to the legs We
must look for any great increase In
stature. As you may know. each leg
bone is in early youth in three distinct
pieces. which later unite into one bone
II you could devise any means OF pre-
venting this unison or delaying It fol
few years. there is no question thai
although you would destroy the PRO
portion and symmetry OF the body. !
Nothing checks growth more thar
illness. and by avoiding II you hell
growth very substantially. especially II
the very early years. I think you will
ind that most men and women wh'
are dwarfs have suffered from repeated
illnesses In the FIRST few years Of thel
lives. and have been unable to max
up the leaway.
Anything which promotes healtl
promotes growth. and the only roya
, road TO stature and symmetry is In tn
r direction OF fresh air. nourishing foo
and judlcious exercise. You see wha
0 the emancipation OF our daughters ha
Z already done for their stature. In III
: old days, when girls were shut ou
from almost every form OF outdoor ~
ercise. It was unusual to see one high
err than Ave feet six inches. Now tina
I they cycle and swim. and play golf an
tennis as unrestrainedly as their broth
: era. they shoot up like young sapling
to Ave feet nine inches. and even 81
feet. quite believe that In anoths
generation the average height OF won
y en- will be quite two inches more tina
In the last generation.
II Is curious to observe how the ave-
age height OF men varies. with n
class to which they belong The wealth
and professional classes are quite thr'
inches to four inches taller than n
poor, working classes. and the int
mediate stages are marked by the d
gree OF prosperity OF the class TO while
n man belongs, so that while an ave
age factory worker Is about i've fe
Ave inches. skilled artisan will
i've feet six inches; n laborer. Ave 70
seven inches; tradesman. Ave fe
eight inches; and a lawyer or doeto
Ave feet nine inches.
Briefly. then. my advice Is. II "
want your children to be tall-that
to attain their full natural growth
guard against illness OF all kinds. |
them be In the fresh air and sunshll
rs much as possible. encourage eve
kind OF open air exercise in moder
ton, with course OF gymnastics
make them straight and supple, te
them on plain and nourlshing foo
and send them TO bed early,
Human science can do nothing mo
than this to make them tall. althoul
elevators" may add fraudulent In
or two.-Tlt-Blts.