The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-07
TIE CHINESE WOlIEN'S EEL
NOW THEY ARE MADE UNvirRILLY
SMALL BY BfNDfGING
One Chinese Womnn Tried In san Francisco
Tor Cruelty In Allowing u child Feet to
bc Compensated Mis-ionnry,s Account.

| feet Dandaged, was called for trial the 1oliee
| Court yesterday. The child n gir12 years OF
age. was carried into court by NJ Locke the
Chinese Interpreter. and placed ina chair ON
the witness stand. Tho arrestinlflccr testl-
fled that he found the girl on Painc street in
the care OF the accused. and tat she was
scarcely able to walk. and appefed to be in
great pain. The mother of the giI testified that
the operation of reducing the ret of the girl
was commenced in China by Chinese doctor.
who had charge Of the child for o. year. Since
then the girls feet had been ket ban lnged t.
prevent them from increasing in szc. Tho .
girl. she said. had now arrived at an age when
sho could apply the bandagcs lrrseli. and could
| havo them loose or tight as Ae pleased. Tho
mother said that II was the cstom In China to
stunt the growth OF the feet 4 female children.
30 thht when the girls grew ~ hey might mar
| ry rich merchants who world not make them
| work. The defendant, sai( the witness. WINS the
grnndm2fhGer oil th1 ehd S' a1 n, 9ys
| girl removed the bandagA from one OF her feet.
| II was demonstrated byhis exhibition that by
| reason OF the barbaroustrcatment to which the
| girl had been submitted since childhood. the
| feet have boon deforncd. and never can he re.
5SrS iR the The accused s
| the ground that she dd not have the care Of the
| child, but ntlmated thnt the parents should he
arrested. This Is tp first case OF the Kind ever
The II Rev W Mr. 6oolttc an English missionary
| writes ms follows o. the subject OF COMPRISING
| the feet OF Chinese females: The distinction he
| tween the size ahd shape o. ne i"ei 9i thr wo-
| men constitutes Me caste OF China. II there hd
| anything which constitutes caste In this empire
| The common people neither know nor carrany-
| thing about the origin Of the custom of COM
pressing the feet of small girls. frw of tho
literary class seem t. hnvc any clear opinion in
regard TO- IFS origin. Some say TINT an Emrrg,s
nasty originated the custom. She had club
feet and prevailed upon her huslmud, in order
to conceal the dcformity. 10 cause all the ladies'
OF ms court To- compress or hhndnge thrlr J. IT.
IN this way they were nndc To- appear with feet
Ike hers. Others say That tn Pm tieoo b'-nl n
the time OF the Tang dynasty. which llnurish"d
about one thousand years Hgo. Punng-lll u
fay9ritc con eubinc Of Ting linluchio. ar'ordnS
To these. inaugurated the practice by first bind.
ing her own feet. BY degrees people initiated
her example. until the custom prevailed IN all
the provinces of tho empire The dominant
allow their women 10 bind or cramp their feet.
II units beauty for entrance into the Imperial
any sinall-footed female enter the Imperial
palace ut p kin-at least. such II the common
saving. The feet Of the girls. usually wn.n
about 8 or years OF age, are compressed by
bandaging. to prevent the further growth and
To- reduce them 10 the form and appraran" ~
much admired by the rich and literary p'ope
OF China For this purpose the foot is extended
at the ankle. the iieshy part OF tho heel j. pr
ed downward and forward. and the entire loot
Is carefully wound With long haniugc rom
the ankle to the extremity OF the toes and back
aGnin.
| checks the circulation Of the blood AMI rcnrls
| or entirely prevents the further growth of the
foot. Thf small t2es are 9Nurally' or rgtls{
| bent under the foot The loot Is prevented
| from spreading out. AZ, when the weight of tho
| body Is thrown upon 1t as IN state Of freed NJ,
| IL becomes very narrow and tapering 10 point
at the end OF the great toe. The ih-t"p becomes
pnnaturaly prominent. ana the oS-cd'c,s u
| bone which forms the bottom and posier.pf
| part of the heel. is somewhat turned downward
| The foot compressed II placed IN short. mar
| row shoe. taperinE To point. and somctlme-
| block OF wood II used. SO supporting IN" heel
| that the body seems To stand on tip-tp' the b 4
being from one 70 Two inches higher tnan tho
| toe. The heel also extends ha 'kwdrd and up-
ward beyond the heel Of the shoe. 80 that foot
really four or five in hes long Will stand "a' ly
in and upon shoe only ihrer or three ami a
hHlf inches in length. the ankl" rrmnih ~
nearly ot the natural sic AMI the in-trp h' ~
worry prominent. Thr organs oi lo'umoi n
present To western Observers II very un'oGih
t-ually il requires two or three yc0ra, n p.
orly attended 10. for the feet To- Dee erluurd i.fl
the gontoel shape. There II no iron or wpp len
Shoe used for COMPRISING the foot. Tho u-
sirumenis employed are strips Of cloth 1850
narrow handages. Tho foot gradually shrl =
AMI shrvelS az. Whom thu humiages are rr.
/ moved Tor the sake al washing the feet or y
hlndagins tighter the small toes after niut. flIs
! or years of compress tun. arr Nm h" 10 r"sunl'
thor natural appearance ana position, hui e-
main cramped and are almost without seH,a-
When the process IS begun ut the proper ago.
ana IN" hundnging X properly attended o.. Che
rather L. ia" level ~ the "nd of the lars" i"
Tho heel CONS underline process Of hunlagius.
g. clongto; but when the foot IL large and pl.
most iull grown before the roinpr sslng begins,
tn heel oiteutimos cannot hc brought down %
level With the end of the toe: then "a block 1
put in the shoe under the heel SD that the h 10.
nearly ON the same level aS the one ON which
the indiVil ual is ,stanlinT. Really She W.. =
hulscs outward in front. Tho gontsrl Shu, fur
the bandnsed feet is gbout three inches On tho