The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-07-05
High Heels,

The s;yh means ans pleasant occupation r.
ronnS;n "ss are not agreeable; the sur
NJ . anranss suggest no ideas Of a hannv
nao+oI . ,r;.is character, save those cnn.
.'ectel Win the care of the s;ci, ot .,'o
Lr"s .,' the suffering. Esnec;aIlr
no these remarks apply to l,psn;taiys
devoted to surgical cases TN sp .,
institutions all the sights are of , . mtse
1ni aspect. Men and women ars p :" H.
seen suffering under the most Jr.. 10 oe
;n.hichons, their bodies distorted tha;r
iimos twisted, excrcscences clina;n 49, ~
them like living curses, ewes gona "s sn "
me hunan economy burdened by spe-
ciai malaGies, which can only be reach
cd by the Keen knife, the clear eve the
s'eady nerve, and the iron hand of the
veteran surgeon. And then the pren,.
ration and labor ar. on a level With
the task to he accomplished Mam
women, and children, liftless under tho
effects of chloroform, Or some othsr
agent Of a similar character. bnman
bodies carried from place to Place m
strctchers; the noiseless, but not slood-
less, work of the operators, the with.
ing of subjects when returning con-
seriousness makes them sensible of wha,
has been done, are all parts of scene
which, if once witnessed, will never be
forgotten. But all this is necessary,
as a means of relieving sufferers from
pain, and restoring them to the nse of
all their natural functions. Science,
skill and care reduce the sufferings of
those compelled to undergo surgical
operations, to the lowest possible point.
But enough remains to frighten people
from paths, the end of which is the
operating table and the surgeons knife.
One of these paths, which just now is
TILED with victims, is the wearing of
high-h boots by ladies and chill
dren. The practice is openly con-
demned by learned surgeons, and DR..
William H. Pancoast remarked the
other day, >after performing a painful
operation on an interesting little girl
whose feet had been ruined by wearing
wrongly constructed shoes, "tbls is the
beginning of large harvest of such
cases." And what else can be expect
ed7 Mothers walk the streets with
heels on their boots from two and a
half to three inches high, and not more
than an inch in diameter, and their
daughters follow the same badand bar
barous practice. In many cases sprains
OF the ankles are suffered. But these
are not the worst fruits of the high
heel tortue. The toes are forced up
against the forepart Of the boot, and
soon begin to assume unnatural posi-
uons. In many cases they are actually
dlslccated. In others the great toe
passes under the foot, the tendons har-
den in that position and lameness is
contracted, for which there is no cure
but the knife. When the injury does
not take this form, it assumes other as
nects almost as horrible and distressing
There are thousands Of young girls tip
toelng it along our streets to-day, who
IN few years will be cripples if their
parents do not interfere and remove. the
cause. We shall have a race of women
almost as helpless; SO far as walking is
as those of China. We con-
denim the practice of confirming the feet
OF Chinese children in wooden shoes.
and yet that practice is no more to the
feet than forcing them into small
boot, with an Alpine heel. This is a
matter of grave and serious Import,
and hence we press it upon mothers as
well as fathers. If they would not feed
the surgical hospitals, and have groups
OF MANNED daughters in their homes
they must commence crusade upon
high heels. No father should have
high heeled boots in his house, any
more than he would keep vicious
dog in his parlor. When skillful sur
geons, like DR.. Pancoast, from the op-
raise their voices against
high heeled boots it is time for old and
young ladies to pause and listen. At
this period they can choose between
and the operating knife. In
! short time it may be the latter, or
permanent ameness.[--Philadelphia
Age.