III. Proportions of Children's Hands and Feet.

Children's Hands from Five to Six Years Old.

The length of a child's hand is equal to two units or half the height of their head. Similar to an adult's hand, a child's hand consists of the main hand and the fingers. Here, in plate 29, fig. 1, the length AC of the hand is equal to two units minus a very small amount, or DE, representing two units minus one-eighth on the scale DM, which totals two units. The length of the back of the hand, presented here as AB, is equal to half the entire hand represented here as AC. The width of the hand is equal to one unit: here, FG equals DH. The width of the wrist is three-quarters of a unit: here, JK equals HL, or three-quarters of a unit. As for the lengths, the fingers are in the same proportions as those of an adult. The phalanges decrease by a quarter, and the nail occupies half of the last phalange: the middle finger is the longest. Regarding widths, children's fingers are thicker relative to their lengths, compared to those of an adult.

When the hand is viewed from inside, the fingers appear shorter. The middle finger, presented here as AC, fig. 3, occupies not quite two-fifths of AB: the other fingers are in the same ratio to the middle one as in fig. 1.

When the hand is viewed from the side, the width of the wrist is two-thirds of a unit: here, fig. 3, AB equals FG, meaning two-thirds of FH. The width of the hand seen this way is one unit minus one-sixth: here, CD equals FA. Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 should be measured like figures 1, 3, 4, 5, bis.

In children, the bones are less firm than in adults; consequently, joints are less apparent. Children's hands are plumper and rounder than those of adults.

Figure 6 shows an elderly person's hand. We placed this hand here for comparison with children's hands. They are the two extremes.

Figures 7, 8, and 9 represent much younger children's hands, which are shorter and comparatively wider than the first ones.

Children's Feet from Five to Six Years Old.

The foot of a child aged five to six years is two units in length, or half the height of the head. It is divided into three parts, just like an adult's foot: one-third for the heel length, a second third for the arch, and the third for the big toe. See here, plate 30, figure 1.

The thickness of the foot from the ground to the articulation of the instep is three-quarters of a unit. Here, EF equals CH.

The width of the instep, at its thinnest point, is one unit minus an eighth: here GF equals CA. The distance from the ground to just beneath the inner ankle is half a unit: here, bc equals Cd. Similarly, in adult feet, the outer ankle (or the ankle outside) is lower than the inner ankle (the ankle inside).