| THE HEIGHT AND WEIGHT OF THE CUBAN TEACHERS, |
WITH COMMENTS ON THEIR PHYSICAL STATUS COMPARED WITH THE AMERICANS.
By Dr. DUDLEY ALLEN SARGENT,
HEMENWAY GYMNASIUM, HARVARD UNIVERSITY.
WHEN the Cuban teachers were in Cambridge last summer, it was commonly observed that they seemed to be smaller in size and stature than our own American teachers and students. This impression was undoubtedly favored by the peculiar manner in which some of the Cubans wore their clothing. Many of the men had their coats cut in at the waist, and wore them tightly buttoned about the waist and chest, while the trousers were large and full, especially at the knee. This gave the bodies of the men a lean and slender appearance. Most of the women went without their hats when going to and from the recitation halls, and, although many wore high-heeled shoes, the diminutive stature was very apparent.
In order to determine the facts as to the physical status of the Cuban teachers, about a thousand (973) of them were measured and weighed at the Hemenway Gymnasium at Harvard University during the first week in August, 1900. As this work was undertaken in connection with the regular work of the Harvard Summer School of Physical Training, the time that could be given to the measurements was necessarily limited, and the height and weight were the only physical observations taken and recorded. In order to facilitate the work, each teacher was given a card to fill out, upon which were blank spaces for his number, date of measurement, name, date of birth, and his own and his parents' nationality. The cards distributed to the women were pink in color; those given to the men were green. These cards were brought to the gymnasium by the persons who desired to be measured, and the height and weight, taken in inches and pounds, were entered upon the cards, which were then left to be tabulated. Contrary to the usual custom with American students, the height and weight of the Cubans were taken with the clothing and shoes on. Three-quarters of an inch were allowed for the height of the heel of the shoe, and six per cent, of the total weight of each woman and seven per cent, of the total weight of each man was allowed for the weight of the clothing. The subtraction of the height of the heel of the shoe and the weight of the clothing from the original height and weight as taken, make these factors in the measurement of the Cubans comparable with the
