The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-08-17 00:00:00

MEDICAL HINTS FOR THE PEDESTRIAN

MUSCULAR EXERCISE IS CONDUCIVE TO LONGEVITY

(No. II.)

Mr. EDlTOR,—Further, if the tour be only two or three
days, then a knapsack will hardly be necessary, and you can
carry the few articles wanted in the wallet-like pockets of a
shooting jacket. The velveteen jacket is common and
serviceable ; but there is a still better in the woollen plaid,
or mottled jacket, for two or three reasons,—first, they don't
retain the unpleasant smell of the former, which is never
lost, and even increased on getting wetted. Second, they do
not allow you to get so chill as the velveteen. Lastly, the dye
does not come off. This style of coat, with half a dozen
pockets in it, is more convenient than a frock coat of cloth,
the weight is better thrown around yon in the shooting coat.
In the pockets inside you may put an extra shirt and a hand-
kerchief or two, with a silk night-cap, which is useful in the
day time when lying down awhile on the grass, and when the
hat can hardly be well retained on the head ; it is a sufficient
protection against catching cold in the head whilst taking ten
minutes' repose ; and further, by pulling it over the ears it
will prevent insects from getting into them ; for although in
the generality of cases the drum of the ear is a perfect
barrier, securing the internal ear from foreign bodies, yet
this drum is not always perfect, having been attacked by in-
flammation, causing partial or complete destruction of it in a
certain proportion of instances, and then small insects might
feel disposed to thread the mazy labyrinth of your ear, or in
any case they might lodge themselves in the outward tube of
the ear to the annoyance of yourself, though this would be
no otherwise injurious. If you have a great liking for ease
you will not have your coat made with any fashionable tight-
ness, but quite loose, particularly in the arms.
In lieu of the oil silk cape, you can get now an article water-
proof, and yet so light and accommodating that it is not only
portable but pocketable ; it is of French manufacture, and
has been not inappropriately called the "Zephyr." A üble
breasted waistcoat is too great an advantage to be foregone,
for whilst you can button it back, making you very little
warmer in fine weather, it is a comfort to be able to button
yourself up tight across the chest and up to the chin, in rough
weather, independent of your coat. One good reason for
having the coat made to button very easy is that otherwise it
will button up too tight in case the pockets are filled.
The cravat may be taken off with comparative impunity
whilst actually walking, but you should. readjust it on
stopping: owing to this simple rule being disregarded, many
have to thank themselves for sore throats, which a little re-
flection would have obviated all common risk of. The best
shirts are those made of calico or long-cloth. As to shoes,
it is a greater comfort than will be generally credited, to have
them made an inch fully longer than the foot, and with very
broad toes—this allows all the toes to expand freely, and to
yield to the constant elongation of them and the foot, from
the pressure of the whole body ; you can only justly appre-
ciate this by standing on one foot only, and then observing
how much more room the foot takes up in the length of the
shoe particularly, than under any other mode of observing
—this occurs actually for the moment of each step-taking,
and it is from the cramping of the toes by the crabbed shoe,
for this moment when the whole body is supported by each
foot alternately, that the pressure and accompanying friction
against the side of the shoe, causes that common nuisance a
corn. If people would but use their common sense, and get
longer shoes and boots with broad toes, they might have
them narrow, and clasping home the arch and rest of the
foot—and their corns would disappear like magic—we speak
confidently because from personal experiment and experience;
only discard the present fashion in shoes—make them but easy
one way, in the length, and broad pointed, and the toes will do
their duty, not only without complaining, or hanging out
signals of distress, but walking would become in truth what
nature meant it should be—a luxury common to all. The
Oxford shoe, as it is called (lacing up the middle and over
the instep) is the best of shoe, but one objection is the
frequent breaking of the silk lace or tape—there is now an
improvement on this, where the opening of the valve ne-
cessary to get the shoe on is thrown to the outside, and is
fastened down by a small buckle, such a plan effectually
prevents any water getting inside the shoe, and will allow of
equal adjustment to the swelling of the foot at the end of
the day, (a fact not duly calculated for, and a reason why a
Wellington boot is bad to walk in :far) after the second or
third day's performance, or in changing for thicker socks.
Socks are better than stockings for many reasons, and not
least because headaches and swelling of the legs and feet
often depend on the use of garters, which become inju-
riously tight under the prolonged and arduous exercise of
the pedestrian. Let those who are sceptical only try it,
those men who have any prestige for as many cinctures as
possible around their body are welcome to retain this order of
the garter, a badge of the slavery of dress. A great advan-
tage in the foregoing recommendations about shoes is indeed
self-evident—viz., that whilst modelled on nature in pre-
ference to mathematical principles—as Gulliver's coat was—
the foot will be allowed to remain as the great artisan of its
perfect and astonishing structure, intended it should be ; and
consequently the shoe retains its shape to the last, if people
would take the pains to walk evenly and straight, instead of
on on the outside of their foot, which was not adapted for
that purpose exactly. (The reason why this uncomfortable
habit is acquired is because persons carelessly turn their toes
in, when walking, instead of turning them out, hence the
only wonder is that the outside of the foot is not a regiment
of corns !) We have indulged in a little pencilling by the
way—but the great discomfort in walking is too every day and
too general a case to be unworthy of a moment's attention,
even at the cost of being impertinent to our more immediate
object • we have stated some facts and ventured to recom-
mend that, from experience which the reader may need or not,
in proportion as he values the comfort and the luxury of a
free and easy pedestrian tour.
We should say that one good pair of shoes, neither too
heavy nor too light, will be sufficient, and a pair of pumps to
put on in the evening, or when the others are wet; one of
these latter will go snugly in each side pocket, with a sock
turned outside in, around it.

Though the woollen socks may be, as Colonel Shaw says,
the very best, yet for a short trip angola or merino, a mixture
of wool and cotton, is well adapted for summer.

For a walking companion We advise further a good light
cane in preference to a heavy stick. A. cane of a proper
stoutness (the Mahratta are the best) will support You all you
can want, whilst from its comparative lightness, at the end
of a long day's run, it will do all but carry Huff.
We have a recommendation to make to our walking friends,
particularly if unused to much walking in the country, be-
cause, however practised in daily town walking, yet in the
country they are apt to overdo themselves at starting, and
get fatigued with the exhilarating new demands upon their
animal frame ; therefore it would be well to limit their first
and even second days work to something under what might
be accomplished at a possible stretch, for if the first day be-
come a toil instead of a pleasure, the spirits begin to flag, and
few minds can, under the pressure and lassitude of the first
day's forced march, get up early next morning to enter gaily
upon the second day. On an average we should say that for
those who can accomplish 20 miles for a day's walk, that a
dozen or 15 is the outside they should lay out for the first
effort, then they will have spirits and ability to do the 20 on
the second, and perhaps 25 on the third, and they will be in
the safest way to reap all the benefits without the distresses
of a country walking exploit. Exercise pushed to the matter
of fatigue so as to render the muscles sore and trembling with
overstrained effort—remaining so after the night's sleep—is
not the true and composed enjoyment of country touration.
Experience will probably have already convinced many of
our readers that our advice, gathered from the same source,
is not to be despised, though they may be some buoyant spi-
rits who feel as if they had done nothing unless they came in
like a horse after a day's hunting, tired and jaded with the
da 's glorious run, forgetting, as these high flyers must do
y
surely, that the hunter gets the next day for rest and recruit-
ing, so that, in fact, he only runs generally three such days
out of the six or seven. This ought to moderate the zeal of
those freshmen who seem to doubt that discretion is the better
part of valour ! Wet are certain
sgotdaiinthsatetdn? withany whatagre
he paysentourist
gtoeotsddelasrpifroirted'in be't if no
purchase of, whereas it is at the enormous
bid be so naturally perhaps, but so foolishly offered, that his
reflection should take exception at. This remark applies not
only to this little episode of our common life, but to that or-
dinary tenor of our courseasl.awlicohio,obsecause we pursue
with too absorbing an aim—too a grasp—palls,
wearies, and disgusts.
What saith the sage Armstrong. p. 36.
"For know, whate'er
Beyond its natural fervour hurries on
The sanguine tide ; whether the frequent bowl,
High seasoned food, T. exercise to toil
Protracted; spurs to its last stage, tired life,
And sows the temples with untimely snow."
A WALK-ER.

( To be continued.)

The passage from Vienna to Constantinople may now, by
the force of steam, be made in fourteen days.