Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1852-12-10
Wearing Suspenders.

SSSfS~eS
1t is the prevailing fashion, especially in
cities, for men to dispense with suspenders,
and support their pantaloons by having
them made to button tightly around the
person, above the hips.
1t is our settled conviction, that this
practice is decidedly detrimental to health.
Much has been justly said against tight
lacing, as applied to females, of the sus-
pending heavy skirts to the hips, they
by fastening them tightly around the waist
or loins, where there are no ribs or other
bony framework to resist the compressive
power. The changes have been rung upon
the heat caused by this close bandaeing of
the abdomen, the evils of thus crampng
that part of the vital appara.us-the di-
gestive system-which nature intends to be
free and unrestricted as to room and action
-wculd that these tones could have been
needed in time to prevent the frequent
death-knell which such practices have reu-
dered necessary but who ever thought of
sounding the alarm to men against SINH
lar practice in respect to their own dress!
We admit that half dozen skirts weigh
ing many pounds, are worse for the con-
stitution Of the wcarer than the drawers
and pantalocns as Worn by men, but worse
only because the quantity is greater, and
the pressure necessary to sustain them is
more. The principle is the same, females
should support their skirts mainly by the
shoulders.
The hips of boys aud men are constitu-
tionally narrower than those of the female;
and therefore the clothing thus worn re-
quires to tighter to prevent slipping down.
AS we walk the streets of our city we
see scores of boys, from twelve to sixteen
years old, with their pants buckled very
tightly around their diminutive hips, pre-
venting growth at this rapidly growing
age, and the result is generation of slim
shanked, -hipped, gaunt-waisted,
dyspestic, paIe-faced puny apologies for
men.
1t is evident to every rejecting mind,
that the process of digestion cannot be
properly performed, when tie region of
the stomach and intestines is cramped by
tight dressing. This soft compressible part
of the body should be left as nature has
left it-unrestnined, untrammeled.
Tie up the bowels of horse, and how
long could he work? ? to say nothing Of
covering him With barrel slaves instead of
whalebone, and lacing him up with cart
rope from shoulder to hips. What re-
spectacle horse would not balk at the man
ifest infringement Of his liberty and the
laws of his nature; and is man an exception
to physical law?
But, says the ladies, "Our dresses do
not feel tight" Neither would ring
placed on child's finger, and allowed to
remain on until the child was full grown;
but there would be groove in that finger,
and in the very bone within it, SO that
there would be no room between the ring
and the bone for the flesh and for the cir
culation of the blood. So we get acoustic
med to tight dressing, the soft parts of the
body will not grow against hard pressure,
therefore the dress may not feel tight.
We plant ourselves on this point, and
claim that our position cannot be disturbed,
viz:-the animal economy, from head to
foot, should never be dressed in such
manner as in the least degree to cramp the
freedom Of any action of the body or limbs.
Let this be the rule with all, aud one half
of our doctors might be spared to cultivate
the soil.