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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 10, 1913)
TheO maha Sunday Bee Magazine Page Copyright, 1911, by the Star Company. Ureat Britain Rights Reserved. mmamirs a m fa mi How the CHILD BECOMES A MAN By Dr. DAVID FORSYTH. Charing Crosa Hospital, London. ON examining: the skeleton of a baby the peculiar ity first noticed Is the striking difference be tween Its relative proportions and those of an adult The baby's head Is remarkably large, and Is no less than one-fourth ot the child's total height, whllo the head of an adult Is only one-eighth of the height .Baby's legs, on the other hand, are relatively short, measuring only about three-eighths of the height as compared with one-half In th6 adult The ratio of head to legs Is therefore two to three In tho baby and one to four in tho adult This is why babies look as though their bodies were too big for their logs, and their heads too big for their bodies. Another remarkable thing about the baby's skeleton is the size ot the cranium, or bony structuro which holds tho brain, and the small size ot tho face.. This Is due partly to the fact that a baby's brain is rela tively larger at birth than at any subsequent age, and SURPRISING CHANGES Which Take Place in the Bodies of GROWING CHILDREN also to the fact that tho faco develops slowly, and does not attain lis full alio until qulto late In lite. Tho lower Jaw, with Its milk teeth and Its muscles of mastication still Immature Is particularly small, and this makes tho dtstanco from tho mouth to tho point of the receding chin very Bhort Tho uppor Jaw is also undovolopcd, the .teeth not yet having been cut Since tho baby's faco 1b largoly composod of the upper and lower Jaws, it is completely overshadowed by tho cranium. As soon as a baby begins to walk its wolght is transmitted along tho spinal column to tho bones of the pelvis, and thence through the legs to tho ground. Tho forco of gravity acting on the baby's skeleton for several hours dally quickly modifies Its form, and changes Its Infantile characteristics. Tho spinal col umn, which at birth runs almost straight from the baso of tho skull to tho pelvis, gradually develops tho curves which persist throughout lite. Tho polvls, which Is very small in proportion to tho child, increases in size, and tho arches of tho. foot begin to shapo themsolvcs. All tlioso changes aro due to tho force of gravity, which begins to act parallel to tho length of the body an soon as tho child walks, and also to the child's muscular efforts to hold Itself erect, move about and protect Its Utile body from shocks. Atmospheric pressuro is another forco which has a pronounced effect on tho baby's skeloton. This effect is particularly noticeable In the thorax, which grad ually loses ItB funnel shape. Tho child's growth In height has two periods of maximum intensity. Tho first period covers sovoral monthB immediately following birth; tho second begins In girls about the twelfth .year and in boya a triflo later. Between these two periods tho growth is much moro gradual. At the close ot tho second period tho rato of growth diminishes ngnln. Boys, ns a rulo, ceaso to grow tall at the age of seventeen and girls at tho ago of fifteen. s After a child has passed tho In fancy stage its increase in height is subject to many variations. For example, tho growing toy or girl will measure over one-third of an inch taller In the morning than In tho evening of tho same dny. This Is duo to tho fact that tho erect posture during tho dayttmo puts tho body's weight op the spinal column, compressing Its segments, increasing Its curves, and lowering tho arches of tho foot on which tho weight eventually falls. A night's rest In a horizontal position overcomes this change, and by morning the body has returned to its full height Tho season of tho year Is another important factor Influencing a child's lncrcaso in height. Tho increase is fastest from April to July, and slow est from August to December. Growth la retarded by school work, but quick ened by play, particularly if it in volves open-air exercises. The child's Increase In weight fol lows a curve which rises rapidly nfc first, but becomes less and less steep In This Illustration tho Ftgur of a Baby Elevea Month Old Hat Been Enlarged to Equal in Height That of an Adult. A Compariion of the Two Figures Show the Profound Change In Form and Relative Proportion That Are Gradu ally Effected During the Year of Growth. until adolesenco is complotcd. It speeds up perceptibly In girls at about tho twelfth year, and in boya about two years later. Tho avorago weight ot a baby at birth is soven pounds. A hoalthy baby will double this weight in flvo months, troblo It In another seven and quadruplo it in nnothor eighteen. During tho first weoks of lite tho dally gain In weight Is about ono ounco; from tho third tc tho fifth week three-fourths of an ounce; from six to eight weoks ono-halt ounce, and from then until tho end of tho first year, two-fifths ot ah ounco. As is well known, tho flrBt tow days ot a baby's llfo are marked by a loss of weight This loss is most pronounced during tho first twenty-four hours; and it 1b usually not boforo tho end ot tho first wcok that tho original birth wolght will be regained. Of courso, all of these figures aro only averagos nnd do not apply to every child. Sometimes a child loses wolght perceptibly during tho night Tho reason for this Is that froquont feeding during the daytime adds to tho child's wolght At night Its meals are losa frequent and do not add to its body onough material to counterbalance tho loss of water through tho lungs, akin, oto. Ono thing -parents and nurses should remember is that Increase in weight does not necossarlly moan growth. It may ropresont merely an extra deposit of fat which !b sometimes vory undoslrablo. Badly fed children, when first given suitable food, show a rapid rlso In weight, but this Is an indication of fat deposit rather than growth. Although a baby's brain Is very Inactive at birth, Its rate of growth Is extremely rapid, and by the sixth month its weight will havo nearly doubled. After tho sixth month it grows slowly, and by tho end of the . sevonth year it will weigh not qulto twice what It did nt tho six months period. Ways of Fighting Summer Pests FIES aro tho. king of midsummer pests and their contemptible majesties may rule or ruin our health and comfort Like mosquitoes, these buzzing IrrltantB are sensitive to oils or strong odors. Dip 'a brush into oil ot sarafras and paint tho door and window frames with It Or wot a cloth in a half pint ot warm water Into which you have poured a dozen drops of oil of lavender, and wash the windows and screens with it An effective fly trap can bo made by mlxinr one teaspoonful of cream, one teaspoontul ot brown sugar and a teaspoonful of black pep per. Placo the mixture In a shallow dish and then leavo tho flleB to their fate. The cream and sugar will be the decoya and the poppor the exterminating agent. Another trap for unwary flleB Is made of a teaspoonful ot dissolved gum arable and the same quantity ot honey and brown sugar. A pinch ot alum added to this puts ,tho finishing touch to tho fly's career. Where files havo been there inevitably' fol low fly marks. To remove them is likely to deface tho picture frames or toilet silver upon which they have settled. Better than removal is prevention. Wash tho articles in. water in which onions have been boiled and tho flies .will give them a wide- berth. Ants are not only troublesome, but some varieties, notably tho large rod ants are dead ly. A child that was left alone tried to find Amusement in a hill of red ants found instead death. Tho insects literally stung him to death. A lump of camphor will keep anta out ot your clothes closets. A Blmplo way of causing tho evacuation ot an ant city In your yard or garden Is to dig a hole near It and place a bottle filled with water In the hole. Tho ants will Bwarm about It and despite their reputation among scien tists for Eagaclty will climb to the rim, hesi tate for an instant, then, undeterred by tho sight ot tho floating bodies of their comrades, plungo to their death. Tho popular theory Is that tho smell of water maddens them. Cer tainly Jt appears that it has the powor to turn .their ant heads. It ants have mado inroads Into your home, find the bolo or crack through which they come, fill It with qulckllmo and then pour boiling water over It Pulverized borax sprinkled about their haunts sometimes drives them away. Smearing molassep upon Jars and other vessels Infested with ants Is a good but not a neat way ot trapping them. A most effective method is to pour a half and half solution of carbolic acid down tho hole or crack through which they came. Tho stings of bees, gnats, wasps or hornets may be successfully treated by applying to the affected part, either with a piece ot clean muslin or a sponge, a mixture of equal parts of ammonia and of castor or olive oil, A strong solution of salt and water will be found helpful in alleviating tho pain. The Town Where the CYCLONES ARE BORN SCIENCE has (it last placed Us finger upon tho exact blrthplaco of tho cyclones which from tlmo to tlmo work devastation through tho West According to Dr. Emll Schlldenkrantz, an ominent German motoor ologlst, who has been visiting this country, tho cradle of the cyclone lies in the town of Yuma, Colorado. There Is born and nurtured tho whirling tornado the deadliest typo of destructive wind, a veritable dancing dervish of tho gales. Yuma lies about 138 miles east of Denver, in tho foot hills of the Itocky Mountains. Its altltudo is forty-ono hundred fpet It is gonorally agreod among tho weather exports that tho destructive whining winds aro caused by a vacuum which forms In the air and produces a dark, funnel-shaped cloud that whirls about with tremendous forco in the manner of a Summor-rosort merry-go-round. As soon as this vacuum forms, tho air rushes In to fill it, because, as the text books say, nature .abhors a vacuum. The air Is then apt to swirl about in a clrclo or spiral which results In a twisting wind or cyclone. Bearing these things in mind, Dr. Schlldenkrants determined to locate tho spot where natural conditions made tho formation of vacuums most likely. Ho studied the trail of tho recent cyclono that swept through north Kansas and expended its chief fury on tho city ot Omaha and followed it to Hb mysterious beginning In Colorado. Ho was not BatlBflod until ho camo to Yuma, tho little town on the custom Blopo ot tho Great Divide. Careful study of tho environment ot this town soon convinced, tho scientist that hlB task was completed ho had found tho cradlo of tho cyclono. Dr. Schlldenkrantz gives two reasons for his conten tion that Yuma was tho blrthplaco of tho rocont cyclono and was probably responsible for many previous ones. In tho first placo, ho observed that tho climate has uharp alternations ot heat and cold, This is ono con dition making directly for tho creation ot vacuums in tho air. The days aro intensely warm In Summer. Last month, for instance, tho thermometer climbed sov oral times to 108 degrees, Yet tho nlghtB wore always cool. SomotlmoB thoy woro so cold that tho townspeoplo found It necessary to closo tho doors and wlndowa and to build fires in tho atoyos and fireplaces. In the second place, tho soil at Yuma Is covered with the short, crisp, curling grass named after tho buffalo, because it, resembles tho hair ot his coat. Like tho buffalo, buffalo grass Is becoming oxtlnct but In nnd about Yuma It still grows In profuso quantities. This grass, curling closd to tho earth, tho scientist avers, reflects tho heat morb strongly than any othor natural medium. Dr. Schlldonkrantz says tho dreaded paving stoneB of tho city streets havo only half tho reflective powor of this closely curling grass. A walk about the pralriefl covered with It will confirm his theory, for it flings baolc tho heat so strongly that it causes tho face to becomo sunburned oven on a cloudy day. Tho grass, by forming a blanket oovoring the oartb, prevents tho absorption ot tho heat by tho earth,. Tho burning sun's rays that would othorwlso bo absorbed In tho ground aro flung back by the grass into the air, twice heating it, and bo croatlng the vacuum that is tho preparation for a cyclone. During his visit there in weather which the oldest citizens pronounced ordinary and moderate, ho studied the air with his teloscopo and distinctly saw through that magnifying medium tho formation of three tiny but unmistakably funnel shaped clouds. Yuma Itself, Dr. Sohlldonkrantz says, Is llko a typhoid germ carrier, of whom wo havo oxamples occasionally in a community. While diffusing germs of typhus those persons nevor suffer from thorn and while brooding and cradling tornadoes and cyclones, Yuma Is itself peace fully lmmuno from iheru. Yuma is situated in tho middle ot a wldo pr&lrlo. It enjoys tho cool breezes that sweep downward through the canons of tho Rockies. It Is vaunted by its tour hundred inhabitants, nnd Justly boasted, a natural sani tarium. Asthmatlo patlonta, convalescents and neuras thenics flock there for cure and find It; but Yuma, like its human prototypes, has faults, and Its fostering of cyclones is the chief. TERRAPINS to Be Grown on FARMS THE experts of tho Government Fisheries Bureau have found out that torrapln can bo successfully and profitably bred under artificial conditions. fThere is "money in the business. Terrapin cannot bo raised In tho back yard. There must be salt water, with a rising and falling tide. The neater must overflow the breeding ground (barring tho egg bed, as presently to be explained), and there must be a suitable enclosure to prevent the turtles from get ting away. In plenty of places along the Atlantic Coast are nat ural tidal ponds which might easily bo converted into terrapin farms by inclosing them with a tight board fence. The lenco How a Natural Pond Can Bo Utilized a a Terrapin Farm. A Tho Pond. B Fence. C Egg Bed. D Outlet of Pond. E Enclos ure for Young Terrapin. F Fence Around Laying Beds. should be set back from the margin to prevent shlpworms from attacking the boards, which ought to be seven feet Jong and driven three feet into the ground. At ono end there should bo a doping bed ot sand for egg laying, built up twelve inches above the extreme high-tide level. It will not do to have water overflow the egg hnd. Across the tidal outlet ot tho pond should be a gate of small iron bars set close together In a wooden frame or a oorrespondlng arrangement ot heavy galvanized iron netting to prevent the escape of the terrapin. Pro vision must be made for tho young turtles in a Beparato Inclosure somowhere about the pond. It is necessary to allow a water area of ten square feet for each adult terrapin. In ease a natural pond is not available a fairly satis factory Inclosure can be made on almost any low piece ot ground to which salt water can be conducted by ditches or through which a Bait creek flows. The Ideal situation for the purpose Is a swampy area of consider able size, all of which (except the egg bed) Is covered at high tide, but from which at low tide the water does not entirely disappear. Thi3 gives the terrapin an op portunity to crawl about and sun themselves. Good terrapin for breeding may usually be got from dealers. But the females purchased should measure six Inches along the middle of the lower shell and the males four Inches. The male terrapin has a longer tall and a smaller Head than the femole, but does not grow nearly so big. There should be twice as many females as males In the turtle pond. When the female is ready to lay she climbs up on the sand bank and scoops out a Jug-shaped hole eight inchs deep with her hind feet. Then she backs as far as possible into it and drops her eggs, eight or nine In number. Finally she replaces the sand, packs it down, conceals the spot by crawling back and forth over it, and goes away. She never revisits the place nor takes the slightest interest In her offspring after they are hatched. The laying season begins as soon as warm weather arrives. Care must be taken not to disturb tho ecs. It not do to dig them up or tramp over the bed. Rats. will eat them If they get a chance, so If rats are about they must be trapped or poisoned. In eight or. nine weeks the eggs will hatch. The first young ones may bo expected to make their appearance about the middle .of August, and from that time on a few will be seen 'from time to time crawling about tho ''ed. To prevont them from escaping the egg bed should be inclosed by a low fence with a cap board of Bmooth dressed lumber, which affords tho little terrapln no foothold. Their climbing ability is astonishing. They can ascend to tie top of a rough board fenco with ease, and by selecting a corner In which to climb can mako their way over a concrete wall three feet high. The young ones that are noticed crawling about should bo picked up and placed In tubs. Kept In tho oh ado and provided with finely minced fish for food. Most of them , however, re main in tho nests beneath the sand and should not emerge until the fol lowing Spring. But after time has been allowed for tho hatching ot all tho eggs it is best to dig up tho little turtles, In order that they may recelvo proper care. This may be done by scraping the sand away with the hands to a depth ot eight Inches, start ing at one corner ot the egg bed. Now, the Ilttlo terrapin may be-dealt with in either ot two ways. They may be' kept warm through the fol lowing Winter and regularly fed, or they may bo allowed to hibernate. If the latter method be chosen a box three feet long and half as wide, a foot in depth, is pre pared, with top, bottom and sides of galvanized wire net It has a hinged cover. Sunk in tho ground In a placo where drainage is good, so that the top of it shall bo level with the surface, ft Is filled with sand and Jhe bmall turtles are burled in It at a depth of five inches. They are left to take care ot themselves. When Spring arrives they will come out. If they are to be fed through tho Winter they must be kept In a heated building, where tho temperature will not fall below 70 degrees in the coldest weather. Under such conditions they show no desire to hibernate, and they grow, whereas 'the little terrapin fast asleep In tho Band remain the same size. When newly batched they are a little over an Inch long. In the following year they add an lnoh to their size nnd during the next Summer another Inch. Up to the third Summer it is impossible to distinguish the sexes, but as that season progresses the dltferenco becomes manifest and the females grow faster. The breeder may expect to have on hand a few salable specimens nt the end of four years and a good many by the end ot the fifth year. The males have little market value, and those not wanted for propagating pur poses should be got rid of as soon as their sex is posi tively ascertained. One man can easily take care of several thousand terrapin In a hatchery. How Children Are Now Being Taught TO READ WITHOUT Learning Their A, B, Cs MOST children knew instinctively that thero Is something wrong" about tho uninteresting and stupid alphabet It doesn't seem reasonable to them, and they hate it Now, It seems that they aro right Progressive educational students havo hit Upon a plan to leach children to read by tho new and efficient method of sound reading, which eliminates the necessity of learning tho A B Cs. This new mothod is recognized as one of the most important discoveries in modorn educa tional systems and bids fair soon to come into general use. The whole system of tho English language Is based upon sound. Every word spoken Is mado up of one or more distinct sounds. No ono speaks a word without giving utteranca to soma ot these sounds. When we say cat, wo do not name tho three letters, as c-a-v, nut wo glvo tho sound of "o" and "at" blended together and get "cat" The child by this now sound-reading method la taught to work out words by means of what is known as the family group. After learning tho sounds of the consonants tho child takes up different famllios,, as the "at" the "an" and the "ill" families, and builds words as "c-at," "r-at," fm-at," "m-an," "r-an," "Mil," "r-lll," etc., etc., adding little by Ilttlo until a largo vocabulary la acquired. This is tho foundation of tho new method of teaching known as the phonlo method. The first Important thing tor tho child to learn Is reading, in order that it may be able to gala Information for Itself, It is therefore of the greatest Importance that tho child bo taught this as soon as possible. With the tlmo-wastlng alphabet, a child wan considered somewhat ot a prodigy that could mastor the lotters and their order at tho age of flvo yearB. Many months wore wasted by tho children in having thoso twenty-six characters implanted in their minds. It has been demon otrated by the new phonlo system that children can acquire tho ability to read In much less time than by tho old A-B-0 method, and advance ment is much moro rapid. Sounds and not names of letters should be mastered first for words aro only sounds or com binations of Bounds. If the name ot the letter is learned first as under the old method, It inter feres with tho appreciation of the sound element In the word and unnecessarily complicates tho process of learning to road. After the child has commenced to read and ' has acquired a vocabulary and the ability to recognizo certain words, the names ot the let- tors and spoiling are Introduced. Tho primary work, howover. Is to teach the child to read, and a knowlodgo of the alphabet is not necessary to accomplish this. Uy tho phonlo method tho child is taught to recognize tho word and its name as a whole. For instance, tho word dog is recognized, taken in and absorbed by tho child as ono thing in its entirety, Instead ot learning tho three distinct characters of which tho word is composed. It is just as easy for tho child to do this as to re sort to tho old, cumbersome mothod ot picking out the three separata characters. Many who are teaching reading by the old A-B-C method think that is the best possible way, but the Modern Progress League has shown by actual practise that under the new plan chil dren can be taught to road quite Intelligently without knowing a single letter by name. One ot the advocates ot this system was questioned as to whother this phonic reading would not tend to make the child a poor speller. He said: "I do not believe the new method makes poor spellers. But I do think the old system of striking out tho sllont letters in words did affect the spelling. On the whole, I think children read and spell much better and in a much shorter tlmo when taught by the phonlo system." Making Your Camping Trip Do You Good SELECT for your camp ground an eleva tion beside a lake or stream, if possible, where it will be exposed to the sun at least a part of the day. If you use a tent, pitch It so that when it rains the water will drain away from It, and have the front so placed that the sun will shine as much as possible Inside. An open camp, with the front toward tho sun, is much preferable to a tent A very comfortable and healthful bed can easily be made with balsam or cedar boughs thickly spread upon the ground. If these are not obtainable use" spruce or hemlock boughs. Take a Bhort sua and air bath, tho entire body being exposed every day the sun shines. Make It quite Bhort at first, and as tho skin gets accustomed to the sun's rays mako the exposure longer, The head should be partially protected, at least until you becomo accus tomed to the exposure. During this sun bath exercise moderately, and rub yourself all over briskly with the handB or a coarse towel. This sun and air bath has a powerful effect upon tho skin, strengthening It, Improving circulation, and making It more actlvo in Its work of removing waste matters from the system. Take modorato exerclso of some kind overy day, rain or shino. Walking, rowing and climbing mountains are good kinds ot exer cise. Swimming Is excellent Avoid violent or excessive exercises. Too much 1b worse than none. You should conserve your vital ity during your vacation and not waste It. Eat plain, nourishing food, but do not or too lauxh. Take time to chew your food thor oughly. Pea, bean and lentil flours are easy to carry, and made delicious soups. They are very nutritious and easy to prepare. Evapo rated milk Is another desirable article. Choc olate Is a very convenient and satisfying lunch, for long trips. Drink plenty of water, but ba sure It Is pure. Practise deep breathing early and often. Get the habit tmd It will do wonders tor your health and strength. Those addicted to the habit ot smoking, and desirous of breaking themselves ot It, can more readily do so while enjoy Ins a va cation of this kind than when at home amid their customary surroundings. Life in the open air eliminates the craving for tobacco, and If once the habit Is broken there is no reason why it should over be allowed to take hold attain. Above all things, leave all cares and wor ries behind the minute your tent 1b pitched.