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.
