The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1871-06-08
High Heel Shoes.


The following sensible remarks we
clip FROM the Philadelphia Age: Wis
iting hospital iu large city is by no
means pleasant occupation. The sights
are not agreeable; the surroundings
suggest no ideas of a happy Or agreeable
character, save those connected with the
care of the sick, the PROSTATE, the suf-
fering. Especially do these remarks
apply to hospitals devoted to surgical
cases. Id these institutions all the
sights are Of painful aspect. Men and
women are to be seen suffering under
the most dreadful Affections, their bod !.
les distorted, their limbs twisted. ex
cresences clinging to them like living
curses, eyes gone, and the whole human
economy burdeued by special maladies,
which can only be reached by the keen
knife, the clear eye, the steady nerve,
aud the iron hand o. the veteran sur
geon. And then the preparation and
labor are on level with the task to be
accomplished. Men, women and chill.
dren, lifeless under the effects of chloro.
form, or some other agent Of a similar
character; human bodies carried from
place to place on strechers: the noiseless,
but not bloodless, work Of the operators,
the wrlthing Of subjects when returning
consciousness makes them sensible Of
what has been done are all parts Of u
scene which, if once witnessed, viii
never be forgotten. But al this is
necessary, as means Of relieving suf.
ferers from pain, and restoring them to
the use of all their natural functions.
Science, skill aud care have reduced the
suffering Of those compelled to undergo
surgical operations, to the lowest posi-.
BILE point. But enough remains to
frighten people from paths, the end oil
which is the operating table aud the
surgeons knife. One of these paths
which just now is filled with victims, is
the wearing of gh.heeled boots by
ladies and children. The practice i
openly condemned by learned surgeons
aud DR.. William ii. Pancost remarked
the other day, after performing u pain
ful operation on an interesting little
girl, whose feet had been ruined By wear
ing wrougly-constructed shoes, .this i.
the beginning of n large harvest Of sucf
cases." And what else eau be expect
ed Mothers walk the streets will
heels on their boots from two and 1
half to three aud half inches high
and not more than an iuch iu diameter
and their daughters to follow the samt
bad and barbarous practice. In many
cases severe sprains of the ankles are
suffered. But these are not the worsI
fruits Of tie high Heel tuiture. The
toes are forced against the forepart oI
the boot, aud soon begin to assume un
nat-ral positions. In many cases they
are actually dislocated. 10 others the
great toe passes Under the foot, the
tendons harden in that position, aud
lameness is contracted, for which there
is no cure but the knife. When the
Injury does not take this form it assumes
other aspects almost as horrible aud
distressing, There are thousands Of
young girls tip toeing 1t aloogour streets
to day, who, in . few years, will be Grip,
Piles if their parents do not interfere
and remove the cause. We will have o
race Of women almost as helpless, so far
as walking Is concerned as those ol
China. We condemn the practice Of