The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-01-02
PLAN FOR THE
STUDYOF man.
Educational Specialist Submits Con-
'cIusions Reached From 0bser-
Vation Of Ch'ld.en.
INTERESTING POINTS Determined.

Washington, Dec. 3O--Arthur Mac
Donald specialist in the United
Staes bureau of education, mas sub
mitted to congress a plan for the
study of man" in view of bills pending
Ito establish q laboratory for the
criminal ,pauper and defective class
es" Such bills have been intro
duced by Senators Hoar Nelson, Ba-
con, McComas, Quay, Penrose, Money
and Henry (Rep.) of Cincinnati.
Prof. Macdonald submits conclu-
sions reached after a study Of 10000
Washington school children. AS cit
izens of this city come from ali sec
tions Of the United States, Prof. Mac
Donald thinks his results have a gen.
eral application to the country as a
whole. Some of the points determined
by this investigation are:
All boys and girls show the same
percentage Of brightness, but The girls
have per cent less dullness, and so
in general may be said to be lit
tie brighter than the boys, but this
may be due to the fact thai girls
reach maturity sooner than boys.
Boys and girls of American parent
age are brighter than children Of for
eign parentage and children of foreign
parentage and American parentage.
Children Of professional and mer-
camille classes are superior to those
of laboring classes.
BOYS LAZIER THAN GIRLS.
Boys of non-laboring classes show
q much higher per cent of sickness
and nervousness than boys of the Ia
boring classes.
Boys are much more lazy than girls,
and dull boys have the highest per-
centage of laziness.
Boys in general show much
higher per cent of defects than girls"
Prof. Macdonald declares. Many
reasons might be given, but but 1t
may be said that boys are exposed to
more danger from accident and to
more temptations than girls.
This paralellism seems to appear
in other forms; thus in prison and re-
formatories there are four or five OF
the male sex to one of the female sex.
But 1t would seem that when there are
defects in the female they are moro
significant and serious than in the
male.
Children of American born parents
are taller and heavier than those of
other nationalities. One reason for
this may be that American children
are better adapted by heredity and
education to their own country. This
want of adaptability is illustrated by
the belief that foreigners in a new
country generally commit more crime
relative to their number than natives.
YOUNGER SONS BECOME GREAT.
1T would seem that first-born chill
dren excel later-born children in
height and weight. This may be due
to the greater vigor of the mother at
the birth Of the first child. We are re-
minded of fact that out of 60 great
men of this country 20 per cent were
the younger sons.
In England it was found that
growth degenerates as we go lower in
the social scale, there being differ
ence of even five inches in height be-
tween the best and worst-fed classes
in the community.
IAN investigation of 10000 children
In Switzerland showed that children
born in summer are taller Tor their
age than those born in winter"
In mentioning physical peculiarities
Of children. Pyof Macdonald saye:
MANY. CRIMINALS LEFT-HANDED.
Recent investigation tends 20 show
that right-handedness is natural and
that its superiority over the left hand
increases with growth; also that the
brightest pupils are, so to speak, more
right-handed than the others. 1t is
general opinion that criminals have
not only more left-handed persons
among them but they are more ex-
pert with both hands than people in
general.
ut would seem that fear is the real
cause of most blushings, which is.
perhaps relic of ancient sex fear.
There is little uniformity In the way
children blush. Girls blush much
more than boys, and when they be-
come women this tendency remains
later In life than with men.
preaching or advice unsought for
does not seem to do much good, while
suggestion does.
THE influence of companions Is
greatest between the ages of 10 ard is.
This influence is next to that of
home"