The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-09
Frederick Haskin' S Letter
YCR0W BIGoUT-WEST

Iowa furnished an interesting
btudy for the scientists in that the
percentage Of native parents in that
state was higher than in any dis
trict studied. Less than 20 Der
cent of the children examined had
foreign-born parents. In New
York City It was just the reverse.
less than q per cent Of the chill
dren examined having native par-
ents. The Iowa children were
slightly above the national average
in height and slightly below II In
weight. New York children aver
aged more than half an inch short.
er than average American children
of the same ages. The New York
children were weighed n their
undertaking, and so the scien-
fists have made no attemp. to COM
pare their weights with those Of
other children. On the average.
New Yorl. children are nearly an
inch sho1 ter than those of Caiifor-
MIA.
Children Thrive in the Country,
! Whatever satisfaction tn. cities
of America may take in their low
death rates as compared with the
rural deaih rate, it is shown by
this study that the county is more
favorable than the city to the
growth of a child. Rura, Children
measured in 1918 averaged one
quarter of an inch taller and 1tarly
one-quarter of d pound heavier than
! city children.
Colored children averaged short
er and lighte: than white children.
The weigh. ard stature deficiencies
IL colorel children, however. &C.
CURED only in the younger ages.
From age : on, colored children
proved ITO be, if anything. a little
taller and heavier than white ones.
The reason for this may be that the
high child mortality among negroes
kills off the stunted ard starved
victims of poor nutrition ami leaves
at age and onward only the Wig
crous Survivors who compare
fsvorably with white children in
stature. Or Ii may be a negro ra-
ciai characteristic to grow slowly
the first three years of life and then
to gain weight and heigE; at an
kaccelerated rate as compared with
growth OF whites.
The less serious physical defects
to which children are subject-ade-
noids, enlarged or diseased tonsils,
or bad teeth-seemed to have no
great effect upon ; height and
weight, although children so afflict-
ed were shorter and lighter than
!, the average. ricketts, and malnu-
triton, however, were shown by
marked deficiencies, malnutrition
resulting in children an inch and
one-third below average height and
nearly three and one-half pounds
, below average weight.
In thousands of American homes
DR.. Emmett Hollis books on the
rearing of children are the stand
ard textbooks of the nursery. |,
may be Of comfort to parents whose
: children fail to come up to DR.
| A1OAs . Wight duu utfSuL averages
to know that the children's veal
, averages do not come up then
: either. DR.. Hollis averages are
based on the measurements of q
: relatively small number of children
: brought to him in his privat.
: practice. In fact, other STANDARD
tables Of measurements for Chi
dre1 show averages higher thar
! the new averages obtained BY tn,
2 children's bureau. The reason
( probably is that the averages as
: certafned by individuals are affect
{ ed to some extent by the uncon
I scious selection of better physica
I types The childrens year aver
e ages, based on the measurement
n of nearly 1000 children from al
). sorts Of homes and from every sec
a ton of the United States, represen
= the true cross-section of America
childhood.