Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1899-04-11
TO TEST POWERS OF PUPILS.
Directors Recommend Physical Examina-
ton for School Children

1
state university, and DR.. &. Stanley
Hall, of Clark university, have made
interesting researches regarding the
| periods Of child Development, and by
means Of specially constructed appa-
ratus and in thousands of cases have
arrived at certain conclusions which
have attracted attention all over the
world.
DR.. Krohn, in 1895, after an exam
nation Of $4,000 cases Of school chill
dren, ascertained definite time in
the normal child when the power Of
physical and mental accomplishment
was considerably less than for the
years Immediately preceding and fol-
lowing. He found that the child of
seven fatigues less readily than the
child of six, but that the child of eight
fatigues more readily than the child
of either six or seven. The child of
nine fatigues less readily than the
child of eight, but has fatigue limit
about equal to a child of seven. After
the age of eight the fatigue readiness
diminishes until the period of puber-
ty, when there is again a noticeable
decrease.
DR.. Christopher, of the Chicago
board of education, was at the time
much interested in the results of DR..
Krohn's investigations and applied
this knowledge in his practice. He
found that in several cases children
Of eight were subject to heart enlarge
ment and accelerated action, and con-
sequent inability to perform work
without becoming tired. The period
Of listlessness sometimes, according
to the doctor, continues for two years,
and is cause for uneasiness to parents,
who find their children losing in de-
sire to work and in ability. DR.. Gil
bert, Of New Haven, noted student
Of child life, also verified the results
of Prof. Krohn in his practice. Last
September DR.. Christopher proposed
q test among school children in Chi
cago's public schools. Later, when
the Won Humboldt school asked for
q full complement of gymnastic APP
paratus, DR.. Christopher objected,un-
less more complete supervision be
given to the work, as serious and ire
parable injury might be done to
young pupils. Physical instructors
were accustomed to allow all students
to participate in the gymnastics, pro-
vided they were free from heart trou-
bic or had no physical deformity
which exempted them. As in the
cases Of young students it is difficult
to find whether heart trouble be
present, he argued danger from the
indiscriminate use Of physical appar-
atus. This through no fault Of the
instructors, who cannot be expected
to be expert enough to diagnose cases
Of faulty heart action in young stu
dents.
st frequently happens" ,aid IN.
Christopher, "that the growth Of chill
drcn varies considerably from thcncr-
mai standard. Some may shoot be-
yond the normal height, with con,c-
quent loss of strength; Others be below
the normal weight, also with attend
ant loss of strength. What is true Of
the physical is, of course, true Of the
mental, each being intcrdcpcndcrt.
The test which is proposed is that
children be examined as to height,
weight and strength, for the purpose
of GscCrtaining the mode of exercise
best adapted to the individual case
One Of the main instruments to be
used is the ergograph, machine
which, for example, shows how rap
idly a finger will move and how soon
it becomes fatigued as the test pro-
crosses. These results are registered
upon revolving drum register known
as the kymograpb
1T is proposed to start the test in
a couple Of SCHOOLS, and from the re-
suits to ascertain whether the work |
can be extended to Others. The two |
assistants who viii do the work will |
be teachers who from their studies in |
child life are specially fitted. Schol- |
lrs Of all ages are to come within the !
test, so as to make it comprehensive.
At first the tests will be applied to
the physical culture work, but I'M
luestionably it viii have Interior ben
fits as regard &c mental work. Won
Humboldt, | b,l.eve, was the first to
levis6 methods Of c"ertaining brain
fatigue, and his wo,k has been con-
iderably elaborated upon."-Chica-