The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1880-04-01
REFORM IS NECESSARY.

FORCIBLE APPEAL TO THE WOMEN OF THE
LAND TO GIVE THE WAIST A CHANCE"
CONCLUDED ERoN YESTERDAY
That curse to woman-kind, the corset, in
its manifold fashions and shapes is still
abroad in the land. Whom have we to
censure that 1t is 500 Ourselves, only:
Were our law-givers TO enact a law con
straining us to put our yielding frames in
side one of these implements of torture,
what howl would there arise from all our
suffering ssterhood How pathetcally
would we appeal to our flat chests; our
crooked backs and high shoulders, to our
agonies in childbirth, and to our injured
babes, themselves To all these and
thousand other ills would we point to
emphasize our wrongs. Are we the less
victims to our corsets. that we
alone, are culpable? Surely not.
Are we not or should we not be, all
the more ready to lift this curse from off
our own and our children's shouldere's?
The single consideration for our unborn lit
tie ones, alone, should be all the incentive
needed to spur us on to a speedy radiance
of this great hindrance to their we'll devel-
oped physical organisms. Had we no
thought of our own sufferings, had we no
memory of our bitter grief and unavailing
regrets over the tiny mounds in the "Silent
Acre. there would still be the sad sight
forever before our eyes, of a generation of
women deformed. That many (and we
we are thankful the number is so Gfeat)
among our younger women and girls who
have the good sense so eschew every thing
pertaining to supports for the chest is
something gained on the right side; but
that this is not the rule, too many women
know to their sorrow. Nor can we claim
for the more intelligent women the advan-
tage in this, particular. As an instance of
how little thought even some of our best
informed women give to this important
subject, have but to relate one instance
that came under my own observation,
the subject being one Of the most adj
vanced ladies among my acquaintances.
The lady in question anticipating the ar
rival Of a little stranger in her home, re-
quested my assistance in making ready for
its welcome. After period Of intense suf-
tering to the mother,a dead babe lay on the
pillow beside her. Her health had been
good and there was no apparent reason why
her hopes should be thus blighted The
mystery was explained when we came to
remove the outer garments Of the poor
mother and discovered snugly buckled
around her. CORSET! She assured me
she had worn it, mot tight, of course she
added, "all the time Another case of a
mother who had, she told me, danced
lalt the night in my wedding dress
,nly few weeks before my first child was
)orn.' Need add that of the five chill
lren she had given birth to, but one was
living and that one child that had reason
o curse her mother that she lived at all?
These two are cases in my own experience,
xtreme cases; but who does not know of
imilar ones' And yet every physician can
ell us of many such cases; and can tell us
he remedy, too, in a manner forcible and
convincing But does hc' wish they
vould---one and all of them
If what have said here, shall be the
leans of "Rciorming" even one woman,
hall feel well repaid for my poor effort.
XENoBIA.