Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-29
i'THE WAIST OF THE PERIOD
The London Lancet ON Tight LaeIng-
An Indignant English wOman's

The London Lancet on Tight LaeIng-
An Indignant English wOman's
Protest.
The London Lancet says: "Our
old friend, tight-lacing, has again
made his appearance. Beaten back
for a time, probably more by fash
ion than by the spread of knowl-
edge, he has not been killed, but
has only recoiled apparently for a
better spring, for his victims are as
numerous and as pitiable as ever.
The folly is one which was formerly
to be found mainly in the drawing
room, but now it also fills our
streets. 1t is Iamentsble to obs
serve at every turn a woman,
young or old, who moves forward
in a STOPPING position, unable even
to hold herself upright in conse-
quence of the constraint upon the
muscles of the back. If the evils
of tight-lacing we're confined to the
distorted appearance which it never
fails to produce, we might regret
indeed to see the female form di-
vine so defaced, but it would
scarcely be in our province to COM
ment upon it. But, as medical
practitioners, we see its effect every
day in the train of nervous and
dyspeptic symptoms by which it is
constantly indicated, and in the still
more grave and internal mischief
Of permanent character which is
often caused by it. Until some lit
tie physiological knowledge is
made part of female education,
and is considered an accomplish
ment,' we suppose it is of little use
to protest against the cruel injury
to health which women thus inflict
upon themselves. The matter is one
that is worse than crime-it is
folly for beauty is destroyed by
the process which is intended to
increase it."
An indignant woman writes to
the London Times protest against
the London Lancet's remarks on
tight~lacing. She says:
1.-THE writer in the Lancet says
he sees ladies STOPPING in conse-
quence of being tight~laced. Any
person of experience knows that
wearing tight stays of proper con-
structiOn, and stiff enough in front,
produces exactly the contrary effect.
Those whom he sees STOPPING have
either acquired the habit during
the late fashion of neglecting the
figure, or are led into it by wearing
the stays with weak steels in front,
for which we are indebted to the
doctors, and which are now found
to produce also that very dyspepsia
which the writer in the Lancet at-
tributes to tight-lacing.
ale may learn from 'Fairholt's
Costumes and other books that, in
spite Of the denunciations of doc
tors of medicine and theology, this
fashion has fourished throughout
Europe for a thousand years at least,
with only very short occasional in
terruptions, and by no means
among our sex alone. And if he
will for once consult instead of ad-
vising those who have had real ex~
pe1ience of it, he will learn that
when practiced judiciously it is not
only harmless, but often beneficial
to health, and extremely pleasant.
We cannot even claim the credit OF
martyrdom.
"a great number of letters to the
same effect as this have been pub
lished in the last year or two, but in
periodicals. which arc Obscure com
pared with the Times, or | should
not have ventured to trouble you
with this.
81 remain, sir, your obedient
servant,
ssNOT "A GIRL OF THE PERIOD.