1923- No. 4- PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT C'F CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE. 21 



n. Weight of the body. 



The same sort of balance was used at the weighings at all the 

 schools. It was supplied by the firm \"iig & \'raalsen. Although it 

 would seem unnecessary, I shall especially mention, that every single 

 individual was weighed ^' absolutely undressed. The fact is that the 

 great majority of foreign investigations of school children does not 

 fulfil this elementary demand. As some have been weighed with 'under- 

 clothes on", others with "light summer clothes on", others again "with 

 the shoes taken of", etc., consequ- 

 ently the largest part of the inter- 

 nationally collected material is unus- 

 able for comparisons. The supposed 

 difficulties with the weighing of 

 older girls all undressed are exagge- 

 rated, when the weighhing is done 

 by women (physicians, nurses, tea- 

 chers) — any w ay in a country w here 

 the state church is lutheran (!V I have 

 namely found that atacatholic institute 

 objektions were raised against "ex- 

 posure of the body". It should be 

 strongly emphasised, though, that an 

 older girl — that is, after the age 

 when the signs of puberty have be- 

 come visible — never should be com- 

 pelled to that sort of examination. 

 If she wished to take a coat or 

 anything around herself, it should be 



permitted, but this must then be weighed specially afterwards. This will 

 very seldom be necessary, when the examiner has sufficient tact and 

 discretion. 



The weight was recorded in kilograms with one decimal. The 

 results are found on table 4 and the graphical presentation of the average 

 numbers on curves, figs. 8 a and b. From the fmblic school material — 

 7 to 14 years — we find that in the beginning the boys are the heaviest. 

 This continues until nearly 11. At 11. o tlie two sexes have the same 

 number, after that the girls become the heaviest. (It will be remembered 

 that the corresponding relations were found for the absolute height.) 

 7/kr material from the higher schools shows that tlu: girls first at 11^ 

 or 12 get the highest numbers, a relation zvhich continues until nearly 



Fig. 8 a. Public schools. 



Also measured. 



