Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-11-16

the foot, fourth to extend the
foot and turn it outward, NTH
to draw up the outer edge ol
the foot, sixth TO draw up the heel. Be
/ sides the outer layer of muscles, whicp
i act Just beneath the skin, she will find..
more numerous inner layer, with mr..
/ attachments, all giving the powa ~
/ cause various motions and complict1on'
+ of motions. She will see that ever pone,
| sinew. muscle and tendon is aWoleo W
some use, and is protected hi
ments. each according to its Ylue. 20
| Considering attentively he us .5 W
/ the various parts of the loo, sne WIN eco
| how ineomparably more gaceiai tiie i No
1 ton OF walking is than vcou,a oc II 'iie
| leg were terminated viii soiiu hooi VI
/ an infiexible, solid Trtaiiic puchskin.
/ She observes how. ipl walking at eacn
! step. the broad. elatlc, cusiliohea heei
receives the weightof the body-hot an.
ruptly. as if the hei-bonc were a straight
1 continuation of the bone OF the ieg'
/ which would gfe the jar OF wooden
ler but by. n mechanism that lets the
weight dowp without conclusion, ana
/ transfers it,n part to the broad sole OF
the anterifr part of the foot. She Will
observe. As the body leans forward, how
tho soIoand the toes must receive the
we;gbtuntil the limb swings forward for
anofler step. She will see how external
| nresure of these muscles must retard
ana impede their action. making the mo-
tim painful or awkward. She will no
pnc wonder at the gripping effect of
shoes, tightly laced over the annular iig-
ament. beneath which runs such deli
cate and complicated system OF muscles,
running down from the leg, and attach
ing to all the joints of the foot. In short
she will be ready to agree that the whole
structure is piece II wonderful mech
anism and continuance, scarcely inferior
70 that of the hand; and so, while her
conscious reason is predominant, she
will believe and declare that all these
natural provisions and adaptations
should be seconded by art, and in no
manner impeded.
But the casing which false art and
capricious fashion prescribes for this del
| icate structure is incomplete violation
IL all these ideas. In the natural foot
| the play of all the muscles and tendons
are free, and the blood circulates freely in
every part The artificial shoe cramps
| every muscle and impedes the entire cir
culation. The natural foot expands be
| Meath the pressure of the body; the shoe
pinches il into shapeless clump OIL
mass. The natural foot hangs and
| swings as gracefully and as freely as the
| hand but the fashionable shoe holds il
at stiff right angle, forbidding ease
strength, tiexibility or comfort. Inc
natural foot has it's heel, equaling in dl
ameter the thickness of the ankle, on q
! level with the ball of the foot, and sepa'
rated from it by the natural bridge OF
beauty. The artificial heel is n narrow
plug, two inches long, inserted under the
| hollow OF the foot, pitching the toes Tor
ward into their narrow encasement, Tor
1 bidding safety of posture or grace OF
! action, dangerous on all staircases Oh
! rough paycments and wholly inconsist
i cnt with anatomy. TO the eye OF the
i naturalist the heel of the period is PERM
/ cious and absurd If all mankind were
/ doomed to wear such heels, the human
! race would degenerate into imbecility
and sink To a worse than barbarian level
| If the feet of the Romans had all been sc
cramped, distorted and compressed, Car
! thagc, Spain, Gaul, Thrace, Greece
Egypt and Assyria would have been SAFE
I from their incursions. The wcarers
wigglc, stagger and toddlc on their leath
crn or brazen stills, but they canno
march, or even walk, in any just'sens'
of the word. The style is one of fash
/ ms base impositions, involving discom
fort which not even the most frivolous
of the vain can long afford to endure
I Every Saturday.