Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-07-06
NO SUCH THING
AS A TYPICAL
AMERICAN
BY FREDERIC j. HAsKIN.


Washington. July 5.--Is there
such thing as the typical Ameri-
can--typical in physiognomy, stat
urc, figure, complexion and the
like? Scientists of the Smithson-
ian Institution 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 a tendency
howard the 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 Amer
lean element in the population of
the United States some LOO indi-
Eviduals were examined. Only
hhealthy men and women ranging
lin age from "a to 65 years and with
lat least three generations Ameri-
can born on each parental side were
| Included in the study, and most of
them were subjected to eXamina-
| Mon under standardized. conditions
and with the best instruments as
well as care at the National mu-
scum.
"Difficultv in finding "speci-
| mems" who would fill all the re-
| quirements 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 interest
ing group was found among the
mountaineers of Tennessee and
neighboring regions, where an UNI
usually large percentage of the
people are said to be of direct
american descent for many gener-
.ations.
y Not the least important feature
|. Of the study was the determination
Of the temperature. pulse and res
piration standards of these repre-
sentative "old" Americans. Physl-
clans and anthropologists will find
the result of this phase of the work
very valuable. as the figures ar
rived at may be accepted as stand
ards. The mean temperature
taken at rest the subject seated
and with the thermometer under
the tongue, was sou III 'iiS
and oS.S for the women. The
mean pulse under similar conui-
tions was II per minute for inc
men and rs for the women. Inc
mean respiration was III PEI
minute for the men and 49, 1of
Il the women.
II Tall Stature CHARACTERISTIC.
Tall stature is characteristic OF
these men and women who may be
said to be representative of Ola
Americans. In fact, if a few small
groups are disregarded. the are the
tallest of whites, the average
height for the men being five feet
eight inches and for the women
five feet four inches. This SUI
periority in stature is in part DIS
tinctly American acquisition, ana is
one of the tendencies noted toward
the development of type.
DR.. Ales Hrdlicka, curator OF the
division of physical anthropology
in the United States National Mu-
scum, who had charge of the study
made the first announcement rela-
: tive to it in a paper read before
the Second International Congress
of Eugenics at the American Mu-
scum of Natural History In New
York. In discussing the charac'
teristics of the men and women eX'
amined, he said:
"They are mostly relatively
1 spare in early adult life, witt
rather a tendency to overweight
later on. In this connection there
appears one serious feature--ManI
of the younger women are behinc
their due standard. Their chests
their muscles, are not as well de-
veloped as are those of the men
The men, in the average, are ii
every way a fine lot. The non
working women, many of them. are
physically somewhat neglected
which calls for an improvement
farm girl or the athletic girl, oil
the one whose development has
been supervised and assisted in q
high-c class college; but there is c
large proportion who do not fal
I into these classes. and it is these
who show development.
! But the American woman
shows a superior head. The size
of her head is somewhat above
what it usually is in relation tC
the average head of the male, ant
4 it is also perceptibly above that in
dictated by her stature. AS the
size of the head means a CORE
spending size of brain, we have
IN here a highly favorable condition
The form of the head in the ole
American stock differs widely, &C
cording to parentage.
"a much greater progress II
H Characterization is shown by thu
face. This has lost the prominence