The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-06-05


the health. habits. tastes. vices and other
characteristics of both normal and abb
normal children.
The only laboratory of the kind in the
world where the physical and intellectual
activity of children is a matter of seri-
GUS study is in the city OF Antwerp, which
has recently conferred upon me the de-
gree of correspondent du service pedol-
ogfque scoiaire.' 1t is the only laboratory
l know of in Europe, and is making in
vestigauons of great value to the parent,
TO the teacher, to the medical profession
and 10 everybody that takes an active
interest I'm childhood. 1t is particularly
important to know the physical and mentaI
defects of children in order that they may
be corrected. Their mental condition and
their Intellectual processes as well as their
likes and dtslikes furnish a field of inquiry
that Is full of useful possibilities, and the
laboratory at Antwerp is taking the lead
in this direction. In Chicago, DIR. Chris
topher is doing fine work and developing
wide field of usefulness under the aus
pices of the board of education. Chicago
Is the first city in America and the only
city in the world except Antwerp, as far
as | know. to appropriate money for the
study of childhood.
81 have examined 10000 children In the
city of Washington, and have acquired
many valuable facts which have been
CLASSIFIED, and suggest the great benefit
of extending the inquiry through the en-
tire country. For example. 1t has been
clearly demonstrated that the children of
the laborlng classes-that is of parents
who are engaged in manual labor-are
not so strong, either mentally or physical
ly, as the children of the professional,
mercantile and clerical classes which are
not engaged in manual labor. This may
be due in measure to their food, their
habits and their manner of diving.
hox
generally superior to boys in their studies
although there Is greater degree of adapt
ability in boys than in girls In other
words, girls learn more quickly and show
higher percentages in the studies, but the
boys get more out of them
Children of the non-laboring classes
snow greater ability in their studies than
those of the laboring classes. Children
whose parents are of different nationali-
ties show less mental ability than the
children of parents Of the same race.
which demonstrates that a mixture of
races Is not favorable to mental develop
ment.
Boys of the non-1aboring class are more
susceptible to sickness than boys of the
laboring class, Defects of speech are
much more frequent in boys than in girls
Boys show much greater percentage
of unruliness and laziness than girls. Dull
boys are more apt TO be unruy than
bright ones.
Boys are less sensitive to pain and heat
than girls, and children of the laboring
classes are less sensitive than those OF
the non-laboring classes. Colored chill
dren are more sensitive than while chill
dren.
"Colored children have keener percep-
tions than white children. Colored girls
have larger circumference of head at
all ages than white girls, and slightly ex-
eel the bows in the same particular. In
colored children the perceptions grow
keener and the mind brightens with age.
which is the reverse among white chill
dren.
1.-THE 20. 600 children who were examined
In Washington were divided into three
classes-bright, dull and average. There
was higher percentage of brightness
among the white children of early age
than among the older class, while the
percentage Of brightness increases with
the age of oolored children.
Children who have long heads rather
than broad heads have less mental abil-
ity; where the head is very long the child
is usually dull.
bright boys are generally taller and
heavier than dull boys. While children
not only have a greater standing hight
than colored children, but their sitting
hight is still greater, Relatively to their
hight while children have longer bodies
dren have greater weight than white chill
dren.
For a certain period before and after
puberty girls are taller and heavier than
boys, but at no other time. Dull-colored
girls show the highest percentage of sick
ness. White boys of American parents of
the non-laboring class show the highest
degree of nervousness. The highest per-
centage of defects In eyesight occur i'm
white boys of non-laboring parents and
the lowest percentage In colored children
and bright colored girls
"Girls in private schools, who are gen.
orally Of wealthy parents, are much more
sensitive to pain, heat, etc, than girls in
the public schools, which proves than re-
finements and luxuries tend 40 increase
constituencies but there seems TO be no
necessary relation between intellectual de-
velopment and pain constituencies. The
left hand is more sensitive to pain than
the right hand. While girls are more SEN
sitive than men, they can endure more
pain"