44 PHYSICAL TRAINING 



have been arranged in groups according to the 

 chronological age of those measured, but about 

 four years ago Dr. C. Ward Crampton, of the 

 Department of Physical Education of the New 

 York City Schools came to the conclusion that 

 this system was not altogether reliable, especially 

 through a certain span of years. The fact is that 

 there is a great variation in measurements of 

 children of the same age chronologically, but 

 differing widely in physical maturity, that is, the 

 post-pubescent children of a certain age are likely 

 to be much larger than pre-pubescent children of 

 the same age. So it seemed to him that an ideal 

 system should consider the physiological age, 

 thus making for a great and difficult complication 

 — true though the judgment be. 



But it seems to the writer that a very impor- 

 tant point has been lost sight of. It is very 

 evident that people do not conform to one partic- 

 ular type of build. There are not only racial 

 characteristics, but distinct family characteristics. 

 For instance, we sometimes see children who are 

 very slender, and we find their parents slender 

 also, or one parent, and perhaps his or her pa- 

 rents also. The slender type is far from being 

 uncommon. On the other hand, the thick-set 

 type is fairly common, too, and the variations can 

 be seen among people of the same race. So it 

 must be a great error to say that a child of a 



