The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1874-11-13
Tight Lacing.
BY DIR. J. H. HANAFoRD.

11SUI AaC1uSs
BY DR. J. H. HANAFORD.
1t is presumed that lew will admit
the habit of tight-lacing, while still
smaller number really understand the
evils of such habit. But that many,
II not most, female forms in civilized
society are contracted-actually made
smaller than nature intended-cannot
admit of a reasonable doubt. To be
assured of this it is only necessary to
examine the forms of the two sexes,
remembering that, for obvious reasons,
the female waist and chest should be
relatively larger than those of the males.
This is true at birth, as all physicians
may easily learn. This general simi-
larlty may be observed in the "form"
and the size of the chest-that of the
girl slightly larger than that of the boy
of the same weight and the same gen
eral outline of body-as they grow side
Dy side. at least in early life. AS the
boy engages in his active sports, and
breathes much of the pure air of
heaven, his lungs expand, his chest en-
larges, really improv ng in form as he
approaches manhood. This results
from the fact that the bones in early
life are more cartilage than hardenep
bone, and may be either enlarged or
diminished
From birth to about ten years of age
the girls chest enlarges correspond
inglY with the rest of her body, at least,
if she is allowed the freedom demanded
by the exuberance of her nature, while
after that-too often-another transfor-
nation occurs which cannot be the re-
suit of accident, since, instead of an in
crease in size of the waist, while the girl
is still growing, this alone IS diminished
is as much smaller at the age of
eighteen or twenty, compared with its
size at ten, as the body, as whole, is
larger This may seem singular
freak of nature, never seen in the brute
creation, not even among those-as the
monkey familY-moren nearly resembling
man. Darwin must have made a mis-
take.) These prospective bones are SO
yielding in early life that even very
slight force is enough to materially
change the form of the chest, which in
natures mold increases IN size from the
arms downward, the 'Fhoating ribs
admitting of no little variableness of
motion and form A very slight pres
sure on these yielding bones, moving
with ease at one end, constantly exerted
from day to day and from year to year
during the formative period of human
| life, will produce very marked effects,
| Just the reversal of natures form, Civ
| ing the wasp-waist" or "hour-glass
waist placing the apex of the cone
| downward instead of upward, under the
arms, as it was intended, for manifest
reasons. If these statements are not
correct, it is very easy matter to dis
prove them by examination and by a
comparison of the sexes. Ii true, it
will not be difficult to see some of the
evils resulting from such an unnatural
| off En
the Creators plan of structure. +s>Let it
be remembered that our strength, vigor
and health are made dependent, largely,
on the capacity of our lungs, which
may be enlarged or diminished. Other
things being equal, the larger the
lungs the more power and health
the individual will possess. These
lungs contain about 600, 600, 900 of air.
cells, in connection with which the
blood, coming in contact with the In
spired air, is purified, which puritica-
tion depends upon the purity of that
air and It's ample supply. If the lungs
are reduced one-half in size, and have
only one-half of their capacity, it is
manifest that they can perform but one
half of their labor. Ii these air-cells
are diminished in size, their walls
brought in contact, and SO kept till
they adhere, of course just that number
of them must be rendered useless for
the remnant of life. This result is the
necessary consequence of such lacing or
contraction of the size of the chest, of
necessity tending toward the produc-
tion of that dreaded and fatal disease of
civilized life, consumption, known to be
fearfully prevalent among females, and
for manifest reasons, prominent among
which is this contraction of the chest
this crippling of the natural action of
the lungs. While the air-pure air
| vitalized by it's natural per cent of
oxygen-is the natural and necessary
nourishment for the lungs, as food is
for the stomach, deficient supply
must of necessity impair their action
and tend to destroy them. If they
naturally contain one gallon of air, and
their capacity is reduced by this con-
traction to one-half, it is manifest that
there must be corresponding injury
sustained.
If we would reduce the fearful fatal
ity of consumption, and render our
women more hardy and healthy. we
must increase the size of the chests and
lungs of those now deformed by this
suicidal custom, and also allow the
young to grow as it was intended by the
Creator that they should grow, secur-
ing ample chests, capacious and healthy
lungs. They should in early life be
allowed more freedom--with no feal
that they viii become boys - should
they use their muscles naturaIlv-in.
spring copious volumes of this invigor.
ating air-life-g1ving and an absolute
necessity-by day and by night The
fear of this 81 night air." SO far as its
purity is concerned, is simply foolish.
It is damp and may demand extra
clothing, but it is in no sense poison
only in certain malarious districts, ETC..
and must be breathed, if we breathe al
all, at night. IF poisoned air can be found
at night, it is in our closed sleeping
rooms-often foul and poisonous
in the extreme-but not SO when un.
confined. Nature demands more air,
more sunlight, andn more freedom
Chicago Ledgeg.
CARDS IN HOME LANaUAeE.-A gen.
tleman of our acquaintance found the
other night, much to his surprise. thai
| his wife knew somathincr ahor+ L.