THE MEASURING 67 



It is found that there is a great variation in the 

 weights of boys of the same height. Between a 

 normally slender boy and a normally thick-set 

 boy of the same height there may be a difference 

 of nearly thirty pounds. According to the usual 

 tables of measurements the slender boy would be 

 marked down as being so many pounds " under 

 weight," and the thick-set boy might even be 

 given weight-reducing exercises. So, as has been 

 said, we have found it reasonable to divide chil- 

 dren into three physical types, just as adults can 

 be divided, that is, the slender type, the medium 

 type, and the heavy type. 



Between boys of the same height but of dif- 

 ferent types there are corresponding differences in 

 girths. But a slight increase of girth all over 

 the body would not make a great difference in 

 measurement in any one place, but would make a 

 decided difference in weight. So the simplest 

 method of tabulating types is by the height- 

 weight standard. Of course the three types are 

 not absolutely clear and distinct from each other, 

 for there are gradations between them, and it 

 would be possible to tabulate differences to 

 almost any extent between the extremes. We 

 have inserted two intermediate tables, one between 

 the slender and medium, called slender-medium, 

 and one between the medium and heavy, called 

 medium-heavy. For convenience it is advisable 



