Sweden, draws special attention to this fact in his excellent report on the result of the inquiries into the physical condition of some 30,000 Swedish school children. The years of checked growth is the period when vitality seems lowest, and the power of resistance therefore smallest. Diagram C.-Growth of Swedish Boys.-Prof. Keys table, showing how many boys suffer from ill-health at each year, shows us the maximum percentage for the tenth year, and we find this is the year of most retarded growth in his country. Let us compare the height of our Hobart boys with the height of some other boys that have been measured. Tasmanian and Boston Boys.-On Diagram D, line A represents the Tasmanians; the line B represents the height of boys from the Boston public schools, as measured by Dr. Bowditch, and have been taken irrespective of parentage. The boys have thus been taken from almost the same social grade. Notice how closely the lines run to each other till the fourteenth year, when the Hobart boys fall slightly to the rear. Diagram E.-This chart compares Hobart Boys' height (line A) with that of English city boys (line B) of the labouring classes.-(Roberts.) You see this comparison is in favour of the Tasmanian. The third line (C) represents Boston boys of American parentage. (Bowditch.) Diagram F.-On this chart the height of German boys is indicated by line B. For the first five years you notice that the Tasmanians (line A) are the tallest. The third line (C) represents Belgian boys.--(Quetelet.) Diagram H. On this diagram the lines indicate rate of growth of boys. Line C is the Tasmanian line. Lines A and B are taken from Dr. Seaver's book on Anthropometry. The top line A is taken from Gilbert's table; the middle line B represents the growth of New Haven boys. Observe how much lines A and B are like the line indicating the Tasmanian growth-rate. Each has two years of retarded growth about the same time. Diagram I.-The top line represents Sydney boys (Coghlan's measurements); and you will notice that they are considerably taller than the Hobart boys, whose height is marked by the lower line. Allow me to put a few comparisons of heights of boys before you in a different way. I purpose naming the sum of averages for each year between the ages 8 to 15, both inclusive. The unit will, in this instance, be centimetres. 6. England (Anthropological Soc.)... Education) 8. Tasmania 9. Belgian 1115 1111 1109 1100 1096 1088.7 1088-0 1082 1075 10. Italy... 1068 Large Chart J.-This is a graphic anthropometric chart to be used for plotting the measurements of Tasmanian boys. The chart can be used for any age between 8 and 15. It gives absolute records of averages, and these are arranged in concentric circles. I have plotted the average measurements of the American boy 14 years old according to table prepared by Scheuler Moon. 65 lbs. to Weight. The average weight varied from 51 96 83 lbs. during the period under observation. When we except the years of retarded growth, my tables show the same rate of annual increase as the standard works. Our average annual increase is 6 15 lbs. for the eight years observed. I have obtained tables showing average weight of boys in eight countries. Exact comparison can, however, not be made, as I have weighed our boys without clothes, while in other countries the weight of clothes is included. Some of the anthropometrists have given weight for clothing at different ages, but as small errors would be unavoidable, exact comparison is impossible. Diagram D shows weight of American (line D) and Tasmanian (line C) boys. You see how closely they follow each other. On the whole, I believe Tasmania compares very favourably with other countries in weight. It would certainly be amongst the first four. Chest-girth. The importance of this measurement is evident. We all know that a large chest increases the individual's vitality and reserve powers. At birth the chestgirth is 1-2 centimetres smaller than the girth of head. The chest-girth increases at a uniform rate till the age of 5 years, when it, according to Mr. Kohleman, should be about 20 inches. Mr. Kohleman is looked upon as an authority in this branch of the work, as he has made a special study of the development of the chest. He puts the normal annual increase in chest-girth between years 8 to 12 to be from 0.50 to 0 80 inches, while the years 13 to 15 should show accelerated development varying between 12 to 1.6 inches. I find the Tasmanians follow the rule fairly well, their measurement being, for the first period referred to, 0 47 to 0.95 inches, and 1 15 to 1 42 inches for the last two years. The chest-development thus follows the law of prepubertal acceleration. The chest-expansion, by which I mean the difference between the girth of the expanded and that of the contracted chest, does not vary very much during the years observed, namely, 2 37 to 2 71 inches. I have here a few copies of the tables prepared by the men who have studied the subject in other countries. The comparison in every case is unfavourable to the Tasmanian boy. I referred before to Kohleman as a first authority-well, the Tasmanian boys are below his figures. Our boys are also below the American ones quoted in books on anthropometry. It would hardly be fair to compare with McLaren's tables, as his figures were most likely taken from boys who had had gymnastic training. Mr. Coghlan, the Sydney Statistician, who tabulated the result of the anthropometic measurements of 2000 children in Sydney, found on comparison that the Sydney boys were very much below measurements quoted in other tables. I regret to say our Tasmanian boys are not better than the Sydney ones. Relation between Physical Development and Mental Ability (Diagram K.).—My investigation does not include an attempt of getting an idea of the mental ability of the boys, so allow me to quote Dr. Porter, who, with his assistants, measured 33,500 children in St. Louis public schools. He says "I demonstrated that children who possessed more than the ordinary power of mental labour, as measured by the progress in their studies, are heavier, taller, and larger in their girth of chest and in width of head than their less-gifted companions of the same age." (Volume 6, No. 7, of the Transactions of the Academy of Science of St. Louis, March 21st, 1893.) A more extended statement of those observations were presented to the Berliner Gesellschaft für Anthropologie, July 15, 1893, and appears in Virchow's Zeitschrift für Ethnologie. In these papers the material was the total number of observations, irrespective of social conditions of parents. Let me take an example from Table 2 (see Chart K.). "The physical basis for precocity and dulness will illustrate the result of the inquiry. Pupils aged 11 are found in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the St. Louis public schools, as the following table shows. Of the total number, 59 were in the lowest grade, the first; 311 in the second, &c. The number opposite the grade indicates the number of boys found in that grade. May I now ask you to look at the figures in the third column-these show the average weight of the boys in each class. You will notice that the boys in the first grade weigh less than the boys in the second; and these, again, are lighter than the boys in the higher grades. This shows that when you compare boys of the same age in sufficiently large numbers, you find that their mental ability is in direct proportion to their weight. Two years ago Dr. Christopher directed an examination of about 7000 children in Chicago. No expenditure of time, skill, and money was spared to make this the most thorough investigation of its kind ever made. He came to the same result as Dr. Porter, that average height and weight of school children decide their standing in schoolwork. (See Report of Board of Education of Chicago, 1899.) Both these investigations show that the average dull child is shorter and lighter than the average bright child. They indicate that superior physical qualities are associated with superior mental ability. Diagram M.-Let me show you a chart of Dr. Christopher. It shows the average number of physical abnormalities of children below grade (that is, dull pupils), in pupils above grade, and in pupils of the John Worthy School. The school just mentioned is associated with a penetentiary, and contains young criminals, and also some homeless children who have shown no criminal tendencies. You will notice that the bright pupil has fewest physical irregularities of growth (line 4), the dull pupils score slightly higher (line B), while the criminal boys are leading by a long way (line C). These lines indicate that the normal boy is likely to be the best boy morally. I have tried to show that normal growth is a very important factor in the developing of the young, affecting their mental as well as their physical standing. Let me, however, remind you that great height is only desirable when there is increase of weight and chest-girth in proportion. More heat is lost by the abnormally tall than by those of average height. Greater height means increased work for the heart and skeletal muscles, and therefore more mechanical labour. Thus, the abnormally tall loses more energy; hence, to make health possible, the physical development must be so much above the average as the height is above it. The lack of proportion between height and weight, chestgirth, &c., should be the cause of anxious inquiry. A tall child may have energy sufficient for the ordinary demands of a well-regulated life, while it may break down under the strain of unusual tasks. BAD ENGLISH. By E. C. Nowell. EDUCATION. By E. C. NOWELL. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CHILD MIND AS APPLIED TO SCHOOL LIFE. By A. CARD. PIONEER WORK IN TECHNICAL EDUCATION. By W. J. CLUNIES Ross, B.Sc. THE STATE, AND SECONDARY EDUCATION. By J. W. MASTERS, M.A. |