Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 10.djvu/843

 REVIEWS 827

the child's impulses than upon their anticipatory aspect, here differ- ing from the theory of Groos that the play-activities of the young are a rehearsal of the more serious activities of later adult life. No one can doubt the importance of the growth-rhythms in child- development nor the paramount importance of adolescence among these which two themes may be said to be the keynotes of this book. In what follows the attempt is made to give a positive state- ment of the nature and meaning of adolescence as elaborated in these two volumes, without adhering strictly to the chapter headings, and as far as possible eliminating side issues.

Adolescence is a sort of deferred infancy, the infancy of man's higher nature, of the human as distinct from the brute. The child is not completely born until he has passed through this larval stage and metamorphosis of puberty. Or it may be called a physiological second birth : it is no accident that at this time usually occurs what religionists call the regeneration of the soul or being born again.

Important growth-changes characterize this period: increase in height and weight, of parts and organs, of motor power and func- tion these underlying and making possible still more striking and important psychic and social transformations. Perhaps the most obvious fact is that adolescent growth is not uniform, but rhythmic- ally distributed and often spasmodic. "An infant who grew equally in all directions would be a monster, so the pubescent who developed all the faculties which are normally given at this age without due subordination and unity would be at once many kinds of both criminal and lunatic." Variations often thought pathological are normal at this age.

Again, it must be noted that "the parts do not grow in equal ratio. If they did so, the infant would become a monster adult with an enormous head, with legs and arms too short, the body, especially the belly, too thick, the trunk too long." This is seen most clearly in a comparison of the growth of the bones and muscles. " During pubescent growth the muscles increase in both length and thickness in both sexes, especially in boys, and their points of attachment to the bones become more pronounced." The inequality of their growth is the frequent cause of growing-pains.

There are profound changes in the circulation due to growth of the heart and blood-vessels. The lungs also increase in capacity by reason of the enlargement of the thoracic space. There are certain changes in the growth of the skin and internal tract. " At adoles-