16 PHYSICAL TRAINING 



i i ' ' ■■ 

 to be bent forward in a sharp curve, and not 

 infrequently one shoulder is distinctly higher than 

 the other. These faults are generally easy to 

 see, whether the child is seated or standing. 



Sometimes, too, a child, instead of standing 

 erect, will invariably lean against the nearest 

 object, or as invariably stand upon one certain 

 foot. At this time another fault is not infre- 

 quently noticed, and that is that the arch of the 

 foot has broken, resulting in flat-foot. 



These, then, are the more common faults which 

 affect the carriage of a child. It is well to con- 

 sider them in detail. 



Hanging head may indicate one or more of 

 several things, among which are weak mus- 

 culature, malnutrition, under-feeding, and defect- 

 ive eyes. Perhaps the most common cause is 

 weak musculature, and this, of course, may in 

 turn be due to lack of exercise, unhealthy sur- 

 roundings, or scanty or improperdiet. 



Stooping or round shoulders and flat chest 

 generally accompany the hanging head. The 

 musculature may be again at fault, though 

 another very important cause may be at the 

 bottom of it. A serious nasal obstruction, such 

 as may be produced by the common adenoid, can 

 occasion this whole series of faults — the flat chest, 

 because breathing is difficult; round shoulders, 

 because the chest is flat and undeveloped; and 



