The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-01-10

80 SeA@' ~'tfNNANA
bureau of the department. of education
has been investigating the psychology
OF childhood for the light that may
thus be thrown upon the subject Of
criminology. Many interesting de.
ductions of general character have
been arrived at. Some of the deduc-
tlons made by DR.. Mcdonald are as
follows;
Children born in summer are taller
than those born in winter, but chill
dren born in winter are mentally
stronger than those born in summer.
First born boys are superior mentally
to second or later born Blonde girls
are less sensitive to pain than bru-
nettes, but brunettes are physically
superior to blondes. Children of
well-to-do parents are taller and
heavier than children OF poor parents.
The liver Of the average boy Of we'll
TODD parents is larger than the liver
of the average boy of poor parents.
Boys are lazier than girls, likewise
they are more unruly and a larger
per cent of them are dull
If anybody doubts any Of these
statements, DR.. Arthur Mcdonald,
specialist of the United States bureau
of education, will prove each and
every one Of them and so many more
of the same kind that the average
seeker after information will be over
whelmed with his own ignorance.
Since Pope declared that 1.-THE proper
study of mankind is man" nobody
has questioned IL. Or. Mcdonald
contends that the only way to study
man is to study children. 1t doesn {
need an elaborate argument to prove
the contention The average adult
man is mentally cracked and physi-
cally disorgauized and at best eau
only be studied when he is locked up.
"a Plan for the Study of Man" is
a public document printed by the
senate. Various bills have been in
troduced to establish a laboratory for
the study OF the criminal, pauper and
defective classes DR.. Mcdonald
thinks it is more important to study
men of genius and talent than to
devote all the energies Of the scien-
lists to unearthing statistics regard
ing criminals, "It may be added,
says DR.. Mcdonald, "the most i'm
portant period of mans life to
investigate is childhood. Children
are easy to approach, their natures
are open and if anything wrong is
found it may be remedied much
better than later 10 life. Children
can be studied much more scientif.
cally than adults. They are nearer
to nature and have been less iuflu-
enced by the evils of the world .
The author Of "a Plan for the Study
of Man" makes the prediction that
the study Of children viii first become
a science 10 this country despite the
fact that Europe regards US as a
young nation and accords us little 10
intellectual and scientific develop
ment.
Thousands of school children in
Europe and America we're examined
before the tables and summaries were
compiled for the pamphlet called "a
Plan for the Studyof Man, Among
the American thousands were 20, 1000
Washington school children. The
population Of Washington comes from
all parts Of the union, and for this
reason the author believes the con-
clusions reached would have a more
general application to America as a
whole than any other city which
could be selected. While 5 per cent
OF Washington boys Of American
parentage may be said to bea'nnruly. "
only ii 100 Of per cent of the girls
of Ameri an parents are .unruly .
American Buys are likewise more
unruly by per cent han boys born
of foreign parents, while the girls
born Of American parents are less
unruly tban girls b IN OF foreign
parents. The girls have s per cent
less dullness thau the boys, but he
author adds that this may result from