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

The following extracts from the pen Of Prof
Olissr Wendei Holmes. We take from the A.
iantic Monthly. from which a very correct idss
OF ,his great liz provemens in the manufacture
of boots may be gained. II should be born e
Ia mind that Prof. Holmes 10 not given to psf.
Ing p1tent inventions that are no. Of the high.
est aud most important order:
DR.. J. G. Plummer formerly of Portland, nov
OF Bottom. hae devoted himself to the etudy Of
the ioo' and to the construction Of last upon
hich boot shos can be moulded which
shall be adapted to its form and aocommed atsd
TO its action
To do this, he begins where every sensible
a an would, by contemplating the natural
foot as t appears in infancy, snspoied ss ct
by soclsl corruptions. IN adults fortunate
enough to have escaped these destructive in.
tlaences, in the grim skeleton sspect Invested
OF its ont ward disguisss.
The human foot 10 It. natural condition de :
ecribes two distinct arshes-ons Iona itudnal
with the heel and the ball Of the foot for It's
bases; the other il the traverse arch having
lie base on either side Of the foot.
A man who walks on natural surfaces sith
his feet unprotected by any artificial sefeEcss,
calls ths action of these arches into fall play
| at every step. The longitudinal arch L. the
most strikiusIy marked OF the two 10 some
races and iD certain individuals 1t 10 much do :
veleped. 80 ss 10 give the high .pstsp which
is pF'xsd as an evidence OF good blood. The
Arab says r. stream o water can flow under
h's loot without touching shs sole. Uader the
conditions supposed, OF a naked foot on a nat
urai surface, the archie. of the foot will Oom-
monly maintain their integrity, ard give the
nobls savage or tas barefoossd Scotch las.is
the clactieiiy Of gait which We admire in the
chic. en- of nature.
But - a large portion OF mankind tread Oh
artificial hard snrfaces. especially paveme nts
their les. ars subjected to very unnatural
amount OF wear and tear. How great this IL
the inhsbltsn,s OF cities are apt to forget
To says the feet from the effects Of violent
percussion end uneven surfaces, they must be
protected by thick seies. and thick solss re.
qnirs strong upper leather. When the foot IL
wedgsd into cas of thsss essings, . new boot.
struggle begins between them, which snds
coinpromiss. The foot becomes more or
is6s conpresssi or deformsd, and the boot
more Or less stretched Ut the points whore the
counter pressure takes place.
On the part of the foot. the effects Of this
warfare are liable to show themselves In the
Tn lokeDing and inaaustioD of the iptesums rts
10 displaesm emit Of the toes, and occasionally
10 tbs breaking down Of the transverse or
lcngisudnsl arches On the part Of the hoes
or shoe. there IL gradual accommodation
which In time ITS It TO the feet almost 40 iii
had been moulded upon H. 90 that litsls be-
fore It 's worn out IL 10 Invaluable, like other
blessings Frightening before they take their
fiisbt.
Now Mr.. rluusr's improvements proceed
from I've series of data. First. certain thser-
sticai infersnsss from the facts above named.
Finding the arches liable to break down. be
supports the transverse arch BY making the
inner surface OF The cole corrsspondins to Ito
CONVEX instsad Of coreave transvsrsely !; he
makes the middle portion Of The sole convex
| again 10 both directions to support the loDsi-
| tudinsl arch. and for the came reason extssds
the heel Of the boot or shee forward. % - to
support the anterior portion Of the heel 81
the foot. Secondly. Mr.. Plummsr takes an old
shoe that has done good service, and studies
the reisfs and hollows which the foot has
shaped on the Inner eurfses Of it, SOLE Com.
pairing the empirical results Of this sxsmips-
ten with those based on the anatomical date
above given. and finding general soinsidsnes
In them, be eoustruets HE last il accordance
With their joint teachings.
Mr.. ". G. Warmer. the we'll kssvn beet
and shoe merchant Of this city, hes purshassd
the right 10 nee this most valuable Of modern
inventions, AID 10 prepared to all orders
promptly. Those Who desire healthy and
perfectly easy fitting bsot shosld leave their
measure there.