272 .PHYSICAL EXPRESSION. 



Good proportional growth. We often say that 

 a certain man is well proportioned, or that he 

 presents good proportional growth. This is one 

 mode of expression of beauty in the human form. 

 In speaking of a proportion we must refer to two 

 subjects, as to the quantity of growth. When we 

 say that the proportion of growth in two parts of 

 the subject (head and body) is good, we are really 

 making a further comparison. We compare the 

 ratio of growth observed, say, in John, as to his 

 head and body; and we compare this with the 

 ratio found on inquiry between corresponding 

 members in a perfectly formed model : the " good- 

 ness." of the proportion depends upon how near 

 the ratio of the size (quantity) of head and body 

 in John approaches to that of the perfect model. 

 A good proportional growth depends upon the 

 comparison of the ratio actually observed with 

 the similar ratio of the perfect model. Thus, when 

 I say that a child's head is in good proportion, I 

 compare the size of its head with the size of its 

 body and thus obtain a ratio; then, ascertaining* 

 the ratio of head and body in a perfect child, I 

 compare the two ratios, and contrast the actual 

 with the perfect proportional development. If 

 John's proportional growth is the same as that of 

 the perfect model, we say that John is well pro- 

 portioned. It seems, then, that the " kind " of 

 development may be a question of proportion. 



The consideration of the term " a similar series of 

 kinetic actions " is postponed (see p. 276). 



In examining the attributes of functions, we have 



