728 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



interesting and profitable as a private study, but can be of no benefit 

 or authority to a single individual till Dr. Sargent discloses the meas- 

 urements of the ''typical man." 



The real question with regard to athletics in the colleges, as far 

 as measurements are concerned, is this : " What effect do athletics 

 have upon the growth of athletes, as compared Avith the growth of 

 those who are not athletes, but who are otherwise under similar con- 

 ditions ? " 



To throw light on this question, the writer obtained from Dr. 

 Seaver, of Yale College, two sets of measurements of members of one 

 class, so as to ascertain the groioth for one year. The first set of meas- 

 urements was made soon after the class entered college, and the second 

 set was taken in its sophomore year. Complete double measurements 

 were procured from one hundred and tvro men, the remainder of the 

 class — between twenty and thirty men — having neglected to submit 

 to the second measurement. Of these, twenty-two w^ere out-of-door 

 athletes, and eighty were not, though they were under instruction in 

 light gymnastics during a large part of their freshman year. The 

 question, therefore, was considered under conditions as favorable as 

 possible to Dr. Sargent's point of view. The results are presented 

 graphically on page 729 and in numbers on page 730. 



In the table, the items of strength of back and legs, and of weight, 

 are given in pounds. Capacity of lungs is given in cubic inches. The 

 other figures denote millimetres and tenths of millimetres. 



The chart gives the average growth of the athletes as compared 

 with the growth of the non-athletic men. The lighter parts of the 

 chart indicate the excess of growth of one class above the growth of 

 the other. 



Of the twenty-two athletes two were base-ball players, six foot -ball 

 players, six rowing-men, and eight were track-athletes. Of the foot- 

 ball men five were also rowing-men. The averages are given for the 

 four sets of men, as well as for the two classes (non-athletic and ath- 

 letic), that the reader may see for himself how each kind of exercise 

 has affected those taking it. The figures for the special athletes are 

 derived from so small a number of men that they can hardly be taken 

 as conclusive. They are merely significant. The small gain in the 

 average of "strength of legs" of the foot-ball men was due to the 

 loss of strength on the part of one man. Without him the remaining 

 five gained an average of forty-eight pounds. 



The growth of girth of necJc of the athletes, in comparison with the 

 same item for the non-athletic men, is Avorthy of attention. The gain 

 in strength of back of the track-athletes, and their gain in strength of 

 arm, ought to be noticed. 



To test the question of symmetry of growth, the differences be- 

 tween the sizes of right arm and left arm, of right forearm and left 

 forearm, of right thigh and left thigh, of right calf and left calf, were 



