Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-08-29
Femala Cnstanie.

With all our abstract horror of the innovations
of modern days. we must confess that the idea of re-
form in the dress of appears TO us to be no.
without sound reason. The time will unquesona-
bly, come when tue corset, any other appliance for
COMPRISING that part of the body which encloses
the heart and lungs, will be considered a more
internal machine than the Chinese shoe, and long
skirts sweeping the floor or street will he held
ridiculous abomination. Whether the "Bloomer
costume" with its l-sarred beginnings, will ever
come honestly into vogue, is a moot point; but
that it is in itself sensible and beautiful, canno
be denied. A new and serious argument against
the present vile fashion is furnished in the follow
ing excerpts from late medical publication:
A late number of the Boston Medical and Surgica
Journal publishes paper, read before "the Boston So
ciety for Medical Improvement" by DR.. w E. Coale,
on the present fashion OF dress amongst women In
its relation to their health The following paragraph
merits the wise consideration of all whom concerns
with a view OF improving their shape, the lower
part OF the dress OF women now consist OF six, eight
even more, skirts, made of various materials; cotton
the stiff woolen material intended Tor curtains call
ed moreen flannel, and at times quilted with cotton
wooi-Wel CHING together, as ascertalned by sctua
experiment, ten, twelve, and fifteen pounds
Each OF these supported by string drawn very
tightly around the body. We have seen marks ofthese
strings for four days after the skirts have been removed
we ha seen them even after death. Here then is
the first source of evil-the continued pressure and
constran that these strings keep up evidently embar-
RAISING greatly the organs within. When 10 this how
ever we add the weight OF the skirts we cannot but
perceive how great additional force is set TO
work, partcury if its operaon-as exerted upon or.
gans having amongst themselves a mobility al
as great that of fud--be properly estimated
To protect the abdominal vscera against this pressure
remember there is nothing, in front at least save
thin partition OF woman's soft and ensionless muscle
That these viscera should be forced downwards is mt
suprslDg that they must in turn an equal force
downward on The pelvic viscera is apparent. !.
Here we have an explanation full, aud we trust con-
vncng, OF the frequency of disease in the youpeest and
hearest OF the which twenty years since vas con-
sldered peculiar to those whose powers of life was
greatly exhausted by demands upon them or were al.
ready on the decline from age; explanation may
mention IN passing, not yet offered, far as l can as
certain, by any other writer"
Dr. Coae says, that until the last fifteen years al
though the dress times low on the chest
it was hung by broad shoulder straps often coming
from the shoulders high up towards the sides of the
neck. Prints illustrating the fashions of this country
prior to the time mentioned, and the costumes of Eng
land France for any period prove this About fiji
teen years since, ball dress, the shoulder straps
were lett Oft, so that the upper line oil the d,ess was
perfectly horizontal and this, with the elastic views of
delicacy so peculiar 10 fashion, often low enough
10 disclose the edge OF the ampit In this style there
was danger of the dress slipping down, and it would
do so but Tor the ingenious continuance of whaebone
expense OF the inner vital organs which they are
nj