The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-07-08

When and how and how long do
we grow?
In his new work on Adolescence, =
just published by the Appletons,
Prof G. Stanley Hall devotes great
deal of space to this question and
cites many observers.
He notes that from May, 1882, to
February, 1886, Malling-Hansen, di-
rector of the deaf-mute institution at
Copenhagen, daily weighed 100 OF
his boys, and for the last two years
of that period daily measured them.
He found that the weight of an aver
age boy from nine to fifteen years
passed three annual periods OF
change. The period of greatest
growth was from August to the mid
die of December. During the second
four and half months, till the end
of April growth was of average rate
and it was least for the next three
months, ending with July. For growth
in height the minimal period begins
in August and lasts till near the eEd
of November, the middle period lasts
four months, till the end of March,
and the maximal period lasts four
and half months, to the middle of
August.
Increase in weight varies with local
temperature, SO that all these changes
the author ascribes to the sun.
Mailing Hansen suggests in the in
terests of proportion that children
who are in danger of remaining short
and thick go gradually south to warm
er climates toward the end of sum-
mer, and so be removed from the in
fluence of the maximal period of
growth in thickness. Conversely,
tall, slender child must be removed
from the influence of the maximal pc
Rod of growth in height by being
taken slowly north in April
This theory of possible regulation
by travel is interesting. However,
Prof. Hall remarks that its practi-
cability remains yet to be tested"
Many studies show diminished
rate of growth beginning at six years
or seven and continuing with various
oscillations until about ten years in
girls and twelve years in boys
Certain Milwaukee studies led to
the conclusion that boys are taller
than girls till the twelfth year and
heavier till the thirteenth, but from
thirteen to fifteen girls are both tall
er and heavier.
Afterwards the boys exceed in both
height and weight, and girls almost
cease to grow at. seventeen.
Swedish boys grow heavy fastest
through the sixteenth and part of
the seventeenth year. They reach
the maximum rate of growth in
height from the fifteenth to the
seventeenth year, and pass American
boys in height and weight in the
nineteenth year.
There are many opinions as to the
age at which growth in height stops.
DR.. Edward Hitchcock, who meas
ures Amherst students, insists that
growth continues up to twenty-six
years-"whether longer or not, our
data do not show"
DR.. Boyer writes that in list of
height averages based upon 5000 re-
cruits, it appears that while there is
no increase from twenty-four to
twenty-five (nearest birthday there
is an increment of one-tenth of an
inch at the twenty-sixth year. He
says he knows that exercise has been
followed by very slight increase in
height at late period in life, and
suggests that if poor personal n.y.
giene or bad conditions prevented
men from attaining predestined
heights during the usual periods of
growth the change to more favorable
influences may cause reawakening
of dormant, undeveloped centres and
in this manner aid nature in making
up for lost opportunities at a later
period than is usual"
rs the race or are Americans
growing?"
DR.. Anderson, physical instructor
of Yale, thinks the Yale men of to-
day average nearly an inch taller than
! those of twenty years ago, also that
they are heavier and more muscular.
Mr.. Goldie, for thirty-four years gym
nastic director at Princeton, says
that thirty years ago the average
student was 5 feet IL inches tail
and weighed about 140 pounds,
whereas today the average student is
half an inch to an inch taller and
weighs not less than las pounds.
Prof. P. c. Phillips. of Amherst,
thinks the young women of our col
leges are almost certainly an inch
taller and four or five pounds heay.
Ter than they were ten years ago."
and that "the young man of today is
taller and heavier than the man pre-
vious to 1894"
The average height of the Ameri-
can soldier is feet Z IL inches in
his stockings. He is both heavier
and taller and has larger chest meas
ure than the soldier of any other
country save only Scandinavia.