ON MENTAL AND PHYSICAL FACTORS INVOLVED IN EDUCATION. 337 
most prominent writers in this field—Meumann and Huey—have come 
to diametrically opposite conclusions. Meumann decides for Phonic 
methods in the early stages, Huey for Look-and-Say. It should be 
noted, however, that the former is dealing with a language which is 
very largely phonetic in its spelling, the latter with one which is very 
irregular—more irregular than most people suppose. There are not 
wanting strong advocates of the early use of the Look-and-Say Method, 
even in Germany. And if its superiority could be demonstrated for such 
phonetically spelt languages, it would a fortiori be assured for our own 
tongue. 
(c) The Psychology of Writing. By Wiu1am Brown, M.A., D.Sc. 
A complete psychological study of the processes involved in writing 
would include many preliminary investigations into the acquirement of 
skill in motor activities generally, the conditions of voluntary control 
of such activities, and the nature of their dependence upon the neuro- 
muscular system of the individual at different ages. Much work of 
this general nature has been carried cut during the last few years, 
especially in America and Germany, and precise and valuable results 
have been obtained. Less has been done in connection with the actual 
problem of writing, although sufficient to demonstrate the great value 
of psychological research on subjects of this nature. Among many 
excellent investigations those of Professor Meumann are perhaps the 
most important. Meumann considers that the variations of form, 
pressure, and time-relations observable in the writing of adults, and 
even in that of children, originate not so much in the hand as in the 
brain. ‘ Hand-writing is essentially brain-writing.’ Indeed, Preyer 
had previously observed that if.one moyes the pen with the mouth or 
the foot the same characteristics occur. It is the nature of the innerva- 
tions coming from the cerebral cortex, the form and extent in which 
they are synthesised, that is the main determinant of the character of 
the handwriting. Meumann has investigated variations of pressure 
in handwriting by getting the subject to write on a strip of paper 
stretched over an aluminium plate. The aluminum plate is supported 
on three levers running down below to one point, through which the 
pressure exercised on the plate is conmer to a pneumatic capsule. 
From this the pressure is transmitted to a second capsule furnished 
with a lever which traces a ‘ pressure-curve’ on a slowly revolving 
smoked drum. The results show that adults fall into two types as 
regards writing—the masculine and the feminine type. The former 
write with greater pressure and somewhat slower than the latter, the 
pressure varying in a definite manner, so that there is in each word a 
point of maximum pressure. With some individuals this maximum is 
at the beginning of the word, with others at the end. As the speed 
of writing increases, the pressure increases. In the feminine type the 
pressure-curve has several maxima, and increased speed is accom- 
panied by diminished pressure. 
The pressure-curve for children is quite different from both the 
above types. There is no rhythmic writing-curve. Lach single letter 
—with beginners each single stroke—is written with equal pressure. 
1912. Z 
