The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-30
TOO LITTLE KNOWN OF MAN
Dr. Macdonald Urges the Study of
Human Beings.
More Attention Given to Animals
and Frogs Thnn to PeoPIe-Resuits
of Observations in TubIic schools.
characteristics of the Two Races.

characteristics of the Two Races.
Dr. Arthur Macdonald, specialist in the
Bureau of Education, speaking of the
present tendency toward chiid-study, re-
Gently declared that more was known
about the insane, the criminal, of ami
mails. even the frog, than of the normal
man.
I'VE are in great need of knowledge
concerning human beings. The greatest
of all studies is that Of man himself as
he is today a scientific investigation Of
man must be based primarily upon the in
dividual, who is the unit of the social or
ganism.
IF we are ever to have sufficient def
mite knowledge of living human beings
that may become a science, it can only
be done by the careful study of large
numbers of individuals. The more thor
ough the study and the larger the num-
Der, the more useful such investigation
can be made to society.
''As in machinery we must first repair
the little wheels out OF gear, so in So
ciety we must first study the criminal,
crank. insane, inebriate or pauper who
can seriously injure both individual and
community. Thus a worthless crank, by
killing a prominent citizen, can paraiyze
the community. The injury from such
action is often beyond calculation. We
pay out millions to catch, try, and care
for criminals. but give very little to study
the causes that lead to crime.
''The study of man. to be of most utility,
must be directed first to the causes of
crime, pauperism. alcoholism and other
forms of abnormality. To do this the in
dividuals themselves must be studied. AS
. So
childhood and youth, it is here that all in
vestigation should commence. for there is
little hope of making the world better IL
we do not seek the causes of social evils
at their beginnings
While the study of children has been
gradually growing in Importance and in
terest, it is only as yet at its beginning
We do not know whether there are mental
and physical characteristics by which we
might distinguish criminal children from
other children. II is difficult to tell wheth-
er such characteristics come more from the
child's nature or from its surroundings.
II crime is mostly due to the environment,
as is generally believed, and If this could
be determined in the case of each child.
there would be much more probability of
lessenging crime, for it is possible to
change the ehild's surrounding, but not its
nature.
IF We could know whether there were
mental and physical characteristics pecu-
liar to unrnly children in school and Grim
inal children in reformatories, or to dull
school pupils and feeble-minded children
characteristics distinguishing such chill
dren from the normal child we might fore
see dangers TO these children, and thus
protect many from temptations and con-
Such knowledge as this can only be gained
by patient scientific study of large hum
bers Of children of all classes.
There has been much investigation of
school children, but as the subject is in its
experimental stage and methods are new,
criticism has naturally been aroused. This
is the history of all new lines of enquiry
that take up the huinanities. Some i'm
agine that the children might be harmed
by instruments used upon them, or their
rights interfered with, but nothing could
be farther from the truth. The study of
children is simply to gain knowledge about
them. and If knowledge is power, it will be
power for their good.
Rigid methods of research, which have
been confined mostly TO the sciences,
should be applied to man. 1t is only re-
Gently that more exact methods have been
used in the investigation of the mind. OPP
position and ridicuie came not only from
the ultra-conservative people, who are
usually opposed to all new things, but
from extreme Gactrinaires. The day has
come when opinion, theory. or speculation
must give way to first-hand knowledge.
The value of opinion depends upon such
knowledge, an ounce OF which is worth
pound of theory. Much of this opposition
also may be due to the mistaken idea that
psycho-physical studies tend to material
ism, or are liable to undermine morality
and religion: but such unfounded opposi-
ton is gradually ceasing, and where it
does exist, 1t is due either to ignorance or
to mistakes that may often occur in the
introduction Of new methods.
There is a very general representation
from all States among the residents of
Washington. Conclusions conce ming the
children, therefore, may be more applica-
bic TO our country as whole. We give
some results from our study of 10000 chill
dren in the public schools:
las circumference Of head increases
mental ability increases.
'Colorcd girls have larger circumference
of head at all ages than white girls.
Boys have greater circumference OF
head than girls; yet girls are superior to
boys in their studies, but girls show high
er percentages Of average ability and so
less variability, indicating less power of
adaptation. This is Interpreted by some
TO be a defect from an evolutionary point
of view
I'm white children brightness increases
with age in most studies. In cOlored chill
dren the reverse is the case. Dull children
are the most unruly and unruly children
are the dullest.
Mixture of nationalities does not seem
to be favorable to the development of
mental ability in the offspring.
The pubertal period Of superiority OF
girls over boys in height, sitting height,
and weight is nearly year longer in-the
laboring classes than IN the non-laboring
professional and mercantile) classes.
Children with abnormalities are infe-
rior in height, sitting height, and weight
and circumference OF head to children in
general. Ebnormalities are most fire.
quent and puberty.
Interest in these results may be adj
mitted, but their utility questioned. II
may be asked. what special object there
is in finding that the breadth OF a child S
face increases much more rapidly than
the breadth and length Of it's head or
that first-born children are physically su
perior to later born, etc. We think that
such data can be made useful: but let us
suppose they are not useful at present.
Much money has been given and great
interest manifested for the discovery of
new chemical elements or the search for
unknown planets. We erect statues and
found art galleries at great expense.
These things may not all be Immediately
useful Indeed, the highest art spurns
even the idea of utility: and yet when it
is proposed to study a child thoroughly TO
gain an insight into its nature. to find the
causes of its defects, SO that we may pro-
tect II and help ii to become good citi-
zen the utilitarian cry is heard. The time
has come when ii is important TO study
a child with as much exactness as we in
yestigate the chemical elements Of stone
or measure the mountains on the moon.
III facts about children, whether inn