HOW WE CROW.

Mataura Ensign, 23 May 1910, Page 2

HOW WE CROW.

NATURE'S WORKINGS. Although most of us, in considering our physical development from infancy tamaturity, like Topsy, '"Spec we just growed," and that at a uniform rate in all our members, the real facts are a somewhat surprising revelation of Nature's workings within us. A writer in 'Chambers's Journal' supplies much food for reflection in reference to the question, and entirely dispels -the idea .that the growth of the body is a steadily progressive process comprehending the entire structure. For example, when a child is born its little chest contains a bulky organ known as the thymus gland. It lies just above the heart and extends up to the neck. After the second year the gland begins to shrink, and at the age of thirteen or fourteen it rapidly degenerates, until in -the adult person it is represented by a merely insignificant remnant. The liver of an adult feigns

about three or four pounds, representing about a fortieth of his entire The liver of an infant is revv;3a|flrply much larger, and represents Stjl-awat & twentieth of the child's avoirThe fact that a baby comes the world as a very obese young S& person is the subject of interesting by the writer. His theory |*f-vis that this is a provision of Nature jj" , made during the far-away epochs in the -history, of our race when the vicissitildes of life were greater than they are , to-day and that only that sort of baby that came' into the world with a rei*- serve supply of fat would be proof : against the troubles that beset the first years of life. Nowadays babies being ..... born into a community that rejoices in -> a profuse supply of patent foods, to say nothing of humanised milk and other : " 'aids to infantile well-being, this early obesity does not seem quite so necessary. Still a chubby baby is regarded as a thing of beauty, and will doubtless continue to be regarded as a joy ■ . for ever. •--* legs measure but a Sjfs," -quarter"ornis iofal length; whereas a i =. - fufl'grown v man owes half his height | • to his nether limbs. A rapid growth of ; • the infant's legs is a feature of its i.!,.- early'-life, and a child of three is already half as tall as it is ever likely to i- be. During childhood boys and girls increase their height at the rate of tko ' "inches a year. It is seldom that much growth is made after the twenty-first year. Babies' feet and hands are large r in proportion to their other measuretnents, and these members, fortunate- - t ly, do not increase in size to the same ' extent. The brain adds most of its weight between birth and the seventh year of age. In most cases it does not y v-- react its maximnni weight until the t . fortietli year, and then loses an ounce f*" every ten years. This loss, however, i&not directlv associated with any loss 'r.'/ of intellectual strength. The child be'comes the man by metamorphosis as by increase of bulk. The man not an enlarged infant any more fe'/'fean the infant is a tiny man. Nature Intakes the babe in hand and fits it step pgiliy step, bodily and intellectually, for gpTpß coining succession to man's estate.