Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-07-06
QUEST FOR TYPICAL AMERICAN
BY Frederic ). Haskin.

Washington, July els there such
a thing az the typical American
typical In physiognomy, stature. figure
complexion and tho like? Scientists
OF the Smithsonian Institution say
there Ia not, and they ought to know
for they have been making an ex-
haustive study Of the question for n
period OF eight years. There is n ten
dency toward tho development of an
American type OF man or woman, but
that Is all.
In the extensive investigation OF
the physical and physiological fea-
lures of the oldest and most Ameri-
can element in the population Of the
United States some 100 individuals
were examined. Only he0lthy men
and women ranging in age from "a to
G5 years and with 2t least three gen
eratons American born on each par
entail sido were included In the study.
and most OF them were subjected 70
examination undor standardized con-
ditions and with the best instruments
os well as caro- at the National
Museum.
Difficulty In finding specimens" who
would I'll all the requirements ex-
plains the length OF time required for
tho investigation. u was found
necessary 10 make trips 70 parts Of
New England and into the South
and in tho end the individuals chosen
may be said 10 represent all walks OF
life and all occupations. An especial.
ly interesting group was found among
she nlDuntaineeTs Of Tennessee and
neighborlng regions, where an uuusu.
Tally lnrge percentage OF the people ar,
said TO be Of direct American dercen
from many generations.
Not the least important feature 0
the study Was the determination Of tn
temperature, pulse and respiration
standards Of these Representative
odd" Americans. Physicians an,
3 anthropOlogists will find the result O
this phase Of the work very valuable
8 as the figures arrived at may he &C
b cepted as standards. The mean TEN
lperatUre. taken at rest, the subtec
! seated and with the thermonn etc
under the tongue, was 9ss for the me
, and 98.8 for the women. The Ines
pulse under similar conditions was :
, per minute for tho men and rs for tn
women. The mean respiration was II
! per minute for the men and 1872 &c
p the women.
Tall Stature Characteristic.
e Tall stature Is characteristic Of thes
] men and women who may b. said I
3 he representative Of old Americans. 7
{ fact. If a few small groups are disre
3 garded. they are the tallest Of white
= the average height for the men bein
five feet eight inches. and for the VIZ
. men, five feet. four inches. This ~
= periority in stature Is in part a dis
. tinctly American acquisition. and
one OF the tendencies noted toward n
development OF type.
? DIR. Ales Hrdrcka, curator % 4
= Division OF Physical Anthropology
, the United States National Museum
who had charge Of the study. made II
:. first announcement relative to It in
paper read before tho second intel
national con gTess OF eurenics at n
: american Museum OF Natural Histol
- in New York. IN discussing the cha
- acteristics Of the men and women G.
amined he said:
They ara mostly relatively spar
= IN early adult lie, with rather a tel
. dency 20 overweight later on IN N
Z connection there appears ore serior
Il fea ture-nnauy oe the younger won1'
: are behind their due standard The
II chests, their muscles, are not as W,
= developed as are those OF the me
y The mem In the average, are in eve
J. way fine lot. The non-working "
men, many OF them, are physica
neglected, which calls for an improS
= ment. Naturally this does not apr
20 the farm girl or the athletic q
or the one whose development b
been supervised and assisted in
high class college; but there Is
large proportion who do not fall Il
- these classes. and II IS these "
show sub-development.
But the American woman shows
superior head The size OF her ne
is somewhat above what It usua
IS in relation 70 the average head
the male, and Il is also percepti
above that Indicated by her statu
AS the size OF the head means a C
responding size Of brain. We have h
a highly favorable condition.
form Of the head in the old AmeriC
stock differs widely. according 10 p
entage.
"A much greater progress
characterization Is shown by the 4
This has lost the prominence Of
cheek bones and that of the angles
the lower jaw. and in the we'll nouri
ed approaches q characteristics strail
sided. rather high oval. The nose
variable, with tendency 10 COW
(aquIine) in males. and concave-c'
yeX in females. The hands. Il
mouth. ears are not large, but a
not small"
In declo III, G, +haf there L. m A m.