The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-07-16
TESTING THE BRAIN
BY THE FINGERS
Chicago Tribune

The Chase Hands have excited the
interest of Chicago educators. For they
represent a test of motor ability, which,
if it proves to be as effective as it is
simple, ought to be of considerable
value to pedagogy.
The hands are those of a 6-year-old
child who from infancy has been
trained along the lines of natural play
impulses by 2. F. Chase, specialist in
physical development of children. The
finger mobility which they exhibit
shows a remarkable coordination of
brain and muscle. The finger exercises,
easy as they appear depend for sue
cess so entirely upon the physical and
mental condition of the one who tries
them that they are lifted from the
plane of the commonplace to that of
the scientific.
The exercises, which consist simply
in folding down the fingers in success
sion, either singly' or by twos, are
good test, Mr.. Chase claims, of the
physical and mental condition both of
normal and of backward children. By
these exercises may be tested the sus-
ceptibility of a normal child's brain to
receive and retain impressions. They
are also a test of fatigue in children
who are overworked in school. And
through them may be detected mental
weakness in backward children.
Finger mobility is an index of the
nerve cells says Mr.. Chase. When
the nerve cells have not fully recov-
cred from fatigue or sickness any
movement of the finger muscles that
requires delicate or accurate co-ordina-
ton viii not be accomplished with the
usual accuracy and grace. 1 test my
little girl every morning at the break
fast table in the manner shown in the
picture to find out whether she is able
to go to school or not. When she had
the measles she lost control of the fin
gers for some days, ana a few days
after being vaccinated there was quite
a brain disturbance indicated by lack
of precision and grace in her finger mo-
bility; and l kept her home for nine
days before she regained control Of her
fingers. l think it is better to keep her
out Of school when she is sick either
mentally or physically
In six or more of our large cities lab
OratOries have been established by the
school boards for testing dull and back
ward children. The laboratories are
supplied with various instruments by
which, under the direction of a skillful
operator, the mental condition Of the
children may be ascertained with ac-
Prominent among the instru-
ments are the photograph to test the
of the hand grip and also the
eTgograph, which tests the endurance
of the finger muscles. The necessity
for these laboratories is plain from the |
report of the commissioner of educa- |
ton, which shows that there are 1906 /
backward children in the public schools /
Of the United States, who are not able /
to keep up with the regular classes. and |
who are receiving individual or special |
i'm classes by themselves; |
and it is supposable that there are as+
many more cases of duh and backward |
children among the little ones who are |
not yet old enough to attend the public |
schools.
NATURALLY it is the severe cases of !
which come to the at
,ention of these public laboratories, |
which are, OF course, totally inadequate |
10 do the work of testing the total num-
Der of backward children. Yet the /
backward child should be tested daily |
N order to note his condition and prog
-ess. Mr.. Chase believes that his sys-
-em solves the difficulty and provides
Doth teacher and parent with means
IF determining every morning the
physical and mental condition of the
He does not pretend that
his test of brain control of the mus
lies. and of brain development by the
is as accurate as the test by
instruments, but it is accurate enough,
he claims, for pedagogical purposes. 1t
las moreover, the merit Of quickness.
BY laboratory methods at least two
hours is used for each subject. BY Mr.
'hase's methods thirty-siX pupils may
De tested in few minutes
Mr.. Chase has made practical appli-
,ation of his test. Testing a class of
hirty-siX in the first grade of the pub
ic schools. he was able in five min
ties to pick out successfully the nor
nal children and those who were eX-
remedy backward Normal children !
.annot control their finger muscles the
irst attempt, but they learn it with
title practice. and dull children learn
I slowly and in a moderate degree, but
backward children cannot learn it at
III. In his gymnasium for the develop
nent of little children he found that
he little ones learn finger mobility by
and that this test is better
,dapted to little children than the in
truments of the laboratory. A child
nay be tested and its condition noted
everal years before it is old enough TO
20 to school The owner of the little
lands was a backward child at 1 year
# age, but by a persistent course of