Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1863-11-23
The PIummer Boot.

The following extracts from the pen of Prof
Oliver Wendel Holmes, We take from the At.
iaatic Monthly. from which very correct idss
OF this great i,r provemen, in The manufacture
of boots may be gained 1t should be borne
In mind that Prof. Holmes 10 not given to psf.
Ing itent inventions that are not Of the high.
est and most important order:
DIR. J. c. Plummer formerly of Portland, now
| OF Bo.ton, has devoted himself to tho etudy Of
The loo. and to the construction OF last apon
which boot shos esn be moulded which
sha u be adapted to Its form and accommcd atsd
TO its action.
To do this, he bsains where every sensible
n an would. by contemplating the natural
foot as it appears in infoucy, snspoiied ss , ct
By social corruptions, in adults fortunate
enough to have escaped these destructive in
fiaences, in the grim ekeleton aspect Invested
OF its utaard disgu'sss
The human foo. in its natural condition de :
| ecribss Two distinct arehes-ons iont itudinal
with the heel and the ball Of the foot for It's
bases; the other il the traverse arch having
,ts base on either eide Of the foot.
| A man who waiks on natural surfaces sith
! his feet unprotected by any artificial aefescss,
GALS tho action of these arches into fall play
at every step. The longitudinal arch l. the
most strikiugly marked of the two ln some
races and iu certain individuals 1t 10 m uch de-
veleped. 80 as TO give the high .nstep which
is pr'zsd as an evidence oi good blood. The
| Arab says q stream o wster can flow rndel
hs 100. wishou; touching ,hs so!s. Uoder the
conditions supposed, OF tt naked foot on a nat
urai suriace, The areaea of the foot will oom-
monig maintain their integrity. ard give the
nots savage or the barefoossd Scotch las.is
tbs elacticity of gait which we Admire in the
children OF nature.
| But ss large portion OF uaukiud tread OF
artificial hard surfaces. especially pavements,
their lee. ars subjected to very unnatural
amouut OF wear and tear How great this IL
tae inhsbitsnts OF cities are apt to forget.
! To aava the feet from the efeots of violent
percussion and uneven surfaces. they must be
protected by thick coles. and thick solss re.
onirs strong upper leather, When the feot is
wsdgsd into cas of these essings. . new boot,
a struggle begios between them, which ends
. cotnpromiss, The foot becomes more Or
lsss conpressoi or deforusd. and the boot
more Or less stretched at the points whore the
oonotsr pressure takss place.
| On the part Of the foot. the effects OF this
warfare are liable to show themselves in ths
| 10 dispiaceD enl Of the toes, and Occasionally
10 ths breskipg down Of the transverse or
Longitudinal arches. On ths part Of the hoet
or shoe. there 10 . gradual soeommodatio
which in time fits u to the foo. almost - II Il
had been moulded upon IL, 90 that . litsis be-
fore It ie worn out 1t 10 invalue ole, like other
blessings Frightening before they take ths.s
Aiabt.
Now Mr.. Pluuer's impr proceed
from svs series of data. First, certain tbssr-
e,icai infersnsss from the facts above named.
Finding the arches liable to break down, be
supports the trsnsvsrse arch BY nakiag the
inner surfacs OF the cole corresponding to its
CONVEX instead Of copeave trsnsvsrsely hs
makes the middle portion Of the sole eonve.
again 10 both directions to suppors the loDsi-
tndinai arch, and for the same rsassp extends
the heel Of the boot or shee forward. % % to
support the anterior portion Of the heel ef
the foot Secondly. Mr.. Plummsr takes an old
shoe that has done good service, and studies
the reiiefs and hollows which the foot has
shaped on the Inner surface Of its SOLE Com.
pairing the empirical results Of this sxamipa-
tisu With those based on the anatonieal date
above given. and finding general soineidsnee
In them, be eonstruets his last il aeeordanos
With their jolat teachings.
Mr.. ". G. Warmer, he we'll kssvs beet
and shoe merchant Of THE city, has purchased
the right 70 nee this most valuable Of modern
inventions, sad u prepared to al orders
promptly. Thoss Who desire healthy and
perfectly easy dtsiug bsot shosld leave their
measure there.