The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-07-06
Quest for Typical American
BY FREDERIC ). HAsKIN

WASHINGTON, D. c.. July SIS i,
there such a thing as the typical Amer
ican-typical in physiognomy, stature. /
figure, complexion, and the like?
Scientists Of the Smithsonian Institu-
ton say there is not, and they ought |
TO know for they have been making an
exhaustive study of the question for a
period Of eight years. There is ten
dency toward the development of an
American type of man or woman, but
that is all.
In the extensive investigation of
the physical and physiological features
of the oldest and most American ele-
ment In the population of the United
States some 100 individuals were ex-
amined Only healthy men and wo-
men ranging in age from "a to So years
and with at least three generations
American born on each parental side
were included in the study, and most
of them were subjected to examina-
tions under standardized conditions
and with the best instruments as well
as care at the National Museum.
Difficulty in finding specimens
who would fill all of the requirements
explains the length of time required
for the investigation 1t was found
necessary to make trips to parts OF
New England and into the South, and
in the end the individuals chosen may
be said to represent all walks of life
and all occupations. An especially in
teresting group was found among the
mountaineers of Tennessee and neigh.
boring regions, where an unusually
large percentage of the people are said
to be of direct American descent for
many generations.
Not the least important feature of
the study was the determination of the
temperature, pulse, and respiration
standards of these representative
'old" Americans. Physicians and an
thropologists will find the results Of
this phase of the work very valuable,
as the figures arrived at may be &C.
cepted as standards. The mean tenn
perature, taken at rest, the subject
seated and with the thermometer IN
der the tongue, was 9S.8 for the wo-
men. The mean pulse under similar
conditions was II per minute for the
men and 76 for the women. The mean
respiration was III per minute for the
men and ISL for the women.
Tall Stature Characteristic
Tall stature is characteristic of these
men and women who may be said to be
representative of old Americans. In
fact, If a few small groups are dis
regarded, they are the tallest of whites
the average height for the men being
five feet eight inches and for the wo
men, five feet four inches. This su
periority in stature is in part a dis
tinctly American acquisition, and Is
one of the tendencies noted toward
the development of a type.
DR.. Ales Hrdlicka, curator of the Di
vision of Physical Anthropology in the
United States National Museum, who
had charge of the study, made the
first announcement relative to it ir
a paper read before the Second inter
national Congress of Eugenics at the
American Museum of Natural History
in New York. In discussing the char
acteristics of the men and women ex
amined he said:
They. are mostly relatively spare
In early adult life, with rather tend
ency to overweight later on. In thi
connection there appears one serious
feature-many of the younger womel
are behind their due standard Thei
chests, their muscles, are not as vel
developed as those of the men. TIL
men. in the average, are in every wa,
a fine lot. The non-working women
many of them, are physically some
what~neglected, which calls for an i'm
provement. Naturally this does no
apply to the farm girl or the athleti
girl, or the one whose development
has been supervised and assisted i
high-class college; but there is larg
proportion who do not fall into thes
classes, and it is these who show sui
development.
But the American woman shows
superior head. The size of her hea
is somewhat above what it usually
in relation to the average head of tn
male, and it is also perceptibly abor
that indicated by her stature As tn
size of the head means a correspond
ing size of brain, we have a highly I;
vorable condition. The form of tn
head in the old American stock differ
widely, according to parentage.
"A much greater progress in Anne
icanization' is shown By the face Til
has lost the prominence of the chez
bones and that of the angles of til
lower jaw, and in the we'll nourishe
approaches a characteristic straigh
sided, rather high oval. The nose
variable, with tendency to conve
(aquiline) in males, and concave-cc
vex in females. The hands, fee
mouth, ears are not large. but also n
small.
In declaring that there is no Amel