The Physical Development of Children.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3897, 25 June 1881, Page 1

The Physical Development of Children.

Both in England and abroad, says Dr Boulton, much attention has of late been devoted to the study of anthropometry, and, in its medical aspect, I have for many years . worked at the subject. I believe that it is likely to become a most valuable aid in preventive medicine, and merits the attention of every one interested in the healthy growth of children. From the physical point of view, it is during the period of growth that mischief is done or can be averted, and hence the value of a reliable standard of height for weight during that period of childhood, which lies between three and five feet. During this stage the arrested growth, if:('discovered, can generally be remedied, ,*rid, if weighing and measuring were more systematically practiced, it would rarely escape notice. ' '■$* There is a perfect form <qr type of map, and the tendency of the taiß is to attain that type. The order of growth ilittldbe regular towards that type. The Variations from the type follow a definite law-rthe law of accidental causes.

The table which I have drawn up may be looked upon as a typical standard for weight and height, and as it should be our aim to see every unit of the population brought up to the maximum of healthy development, I believe it will be found a reliable guide, subject to other statements which I shall shortly make. The masses oi figure* that have had to ♦c digested in drawing up my table wcmld be difficult to fftlow, so I shall only give results. Annual raid of growth. —The fact that different healthy children grow at different rates explains the circumstance of varying height in healthy individuals. I find that average English children brought up under favourable circumstances grow from 2to 3 inches a year. A growth of less than 2 inches or over 3 should excite apprehension. The former would indicate arrested development, and the latter a rate of growth beyond the powers of averaee children. Bate of growth should be regular, and, being so, prognosticates future stature, because the unhealthy child that grows 2 inches a year passes sft. at about 15 which indicates a short stature (ie., if a male, about sft 6in ; female, about sft lin). The healthy child growing 2;jin a year is 3ft 2in at three years, and passes sft at thirteen to fourteen years. Such child will be a mediumsized adult {i c., if a male, about sft Sin ; female, about sft 3in). 3he quick* growing healthy child that accomplishes 3in a year passes oft at ten or eleven, and eventually makes a tall adult (i.e., if a male, about sft lOin; female, about sft. sin.). So rate of growth might be likened to three trains travelling at, say ten, twenty, and thirty miles an hour; the fastest train, of course, covers, the most ground in a given time, subject somewhat to the exact point where puberty puts on the brake, which at first slows, and ultimately stops the altogether. Of course, one meets with many variations, but these variations are, I believe, abnormal. Some children seem to do their growing by fits and starts, the common diseases of children arresting for the time their progress, which is made up for afterwards by a supreme effort. Such growth is unnatural and often very detrimental. I believe, then, that every healthy chili has its own regular rate of growth of 2, 2h, or 3in a year, and from which it has no right to vary more than yin in a year. Next as to weight for height. Whether a child grows 2, 2|, or 3 inches a year, weight for height should be in each case identically the same, and all healthy children should grow broad in proportion to their height. Between 3 and 4 feet the increase in weight should, I find, be 'Jib per inch, and between. 4 and 5 feet 2A-lb per inch. I do not wish it to be thought that the table which I offer as a standard is a precise statement of what has come out of my statistics. I wish it to be understood that statistics do not accommodate themselves to the regularity of half-pounds, as found in this table. An observant and accurate statistician may, however, very easily lay down a law From the facts and figures which he has to deal with. It is a fact that my statistics come out 2st 81b for 3 feet, and 4st 41b for 4 feet, and 6st 61b for 5 feet, and having found 21b per inch to be the normal increase between 3 and 4 feet, and 2|lb per inch between 4 and 5

feet, the rest naturally follows, and has proved^ a Reliable,, approximate ..working, standard. """" . *

3ft, 2stßlb I;3ft 'lin, 2st 101b ; 3ft 2in, 2sri2lb; 3ft 3in, 3st: 3ft 4in, 3st 21b; 3ft sin, 3st 41b ; 3ft 6in, 3st 61b; 3ft 7in, 3st;Blb; 3ft Bin, 3st lOlbi 3ft 9in, 3st 121bs; 2ft 12in, 4st; 3ft llin, 4st 21b; 4ft, 4st 41b; 4ft lin, 4st 6|lbs; 4ft 2in, 49! t91b; 4ftßin, 4st,lHlb; 4ft 4in, Sst; 4ft sin, ss| 2|lb; 4ft fan, sst 51b ; 4ft 7in, sst7-|lb; 4ft Bin, sst 191b; 4ft 9in, sst 101b; 4ft 9in, 6st 12|lb; 4ft;loin, 6st lib; 4ft llin, 6st 3Jlbs ; sft, 6st 61b.

Some children exceed these weights that are by no means giants ; and really • healtby, well-aoprished children of healthy parents and favourable surrounding generally attain these averages.; But what of children that fall below the standard? I : find that there is & seven pound margin of isafety, and that children falling morethtfn , rfeven' pounds: below this standard are "devoid of reserve capital on which, to draw 'And, consequently they succumb quickly to, many constitutional diseases. This, "therefore, may be called the preventive medicine margin, beyond which lies the dangerous land of caehexia. Arrest of growth, or loss of weight, pre. cedes so many diseases that it may be looked upon as a danger signal, and if the '' caution"* is noticed before the disease point; is: reached * catastrophe may 'frequently be prevented, and so childhood may be worked on a kindot 'block system.' It is thus true that it becomes of such value in preventive medicine. j I Jbs r pulmonary -■ consumption; loss"* Xpf weight generally, precedes cough, and according to Dip iDbbell's table No. 4, hemoptysis only occurred .eight times out of 100 cases before loss of weight had been noticed. Moreover, while cough is a sympton at once recognised and noticed, loss of weight is so insiduous that it is apt to go some time unnoticed. The number of cases in which loss of weight began before cough is sure to be understated. These remarks apply more strongly to the cases in which loss of weight preceded first haemoptysis—a sympton never overlooked. ;

As a practical example of what has been done through the knowledge of a physical standard; let me instance what occurred at the Boys' Home, Regent's* park. In 1875 it was found at. that institution that the boys had not increased on an average two inches a year, so in January 1876, a revised dietary was used, and it was found, after one year, that by this simple change -the average increase amongst the boys had been over two inches in stature; arid 6£lbs in weight. It is not possible in this paper to go into the question how the standard is likely to be more generally attained ; but, speaking "broadly, the principles, of sanitary science, food, clothing, work, rest, pure air—in shiort, the proper bringing up of children is the foundation. It is merely stating a truism to say that suitable food and surroundings are necessary for the healthy development of every Hying thing, and that overwork of the young, whether mental or bodily, ill-feeding, sickness, hereditary diseases, and the like, cause children to be puny and fall below their proper average. Diseased and diminutive parents are apt to procreate undersized and' unhealthy offspring, which nothing will make grow; up to a typical standard, for the embryo receives a stamp at the time of conception which, would baffle all our subsequent .efforts for its welfare. But children born of healthy parents are constantly being added to the roll of the wee^y and undersized, owing to want of care during the growing years. For all such the scales and measure offer indications ojf no mean value.—Abridged from the Lancet. >