The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-06-30
HIGH HEELS AND LAME BACKS.
Simple Cure for a Fashionable DisOr-
der-SOme PecuIiartiieS of the Femi-
nine Mind.
\ ew York sun.

New York sun.
A reporter, crossing the Fulton Fer,
some days ago, was made an unwilling lis
tener to feminine condolences OH baCkache
As all women and the greater part of their
men folks are directly or indirectly inter
ested in the subject, the reporter visited
man Of science who was named by one 0
the ladies as having cured her trouble.
"Oh, YES" said the doctor, "backache /,
very common among women; more thai
two-thirds of them suffer from it, Blu
there is one kind Of this trouble, caused by
a prevailing fashion, which women oUgh
not to allow themselves to suffer from"
care you specialist for fashionable back
ache?"
The doctor laughed. Il will tell YOU al
about it, said he. "Three years ago
fashionable young lady called upon me
saying that her back was very lame, anc
had been so for considerable time the
pain had lately 50 greatly increased that
she had become frightened about herself
She had been obliged to shorten her prom
enades, so she said, was almost incapable OF
dancing, and her life was gradually becom
ing a burden. She had tried everything,
aud taken medicine all the time, but-and
then the she broke down in such way that
| began to suspect hysteria
''She looked tired, and her face bore an
expression of pain and dependency which
was not compatible with her years-she was
about 23-nor her evidences Of constitution
al force which | judged to be s.gong /
confess | WAS at a loss "a account for her
trouble, and close questioning gave me nc
indication for treatment. | at last prescribed
a tonic-on general principles-and asked
her to call in about week. When she ap'
peared again, a glance suficed to show that
L 1 I l..
saw her walking up and down the off ct
IN nervous excitement, eXcle;ming that she
would never get we'll she knew she
wouldn't, etc As | looked, certain pecu
lIarity in her walk led me to think that there
might be some spinal trouble, and | com
menceQ q cross examination, which she
brought u sudden close by saying "Why
doctor, several of my friends are suffering
just as | am, but they are not so worn out
with pain; we can not all have the spina
complaints, can we?
Il thought it impossible of course" con
tinued the doctor, "and the interview ended
by my asking her to call again on the next
day and bring one of her friends with her,
when | would make another effort TO discov-
er the real cause of the trouble. had, III
fact, made up my mind that some peculiarI-
~ in dress was at the root of the difficulty
The ladies called, and had hardly traversed
the office before | observed in patient num-
Der two the same idiosyncrasy in walking
which | had seen in the first patient. | was
not long in discovering that the real difficult
" Law in the high and tapering heels of my
PATIENTS CATERS. Closer examination reveal
ed the fact that there was a difference in the
height of the boot heels of the two ladies,
and found that my first patient, who was
the greater sufferer, was the one whose gal
tiers possessed the higher heels. There was
nothing to do bui TO prescribe slippers and
wooden stockings for week, to be followed
by the wearing of shoes haXing low broad
heels"
"And it was this treatment which cured
the backache."
"All signs of lameness disappeared within
eleven days. and my first patient of this
kind, together with many who have follow
ed her, rega ned their health and strength.
There are many physiological reasons why
undue elevation of the heel must cause
trouble. 1t will suffice 70 say that it serves
TO throw forward the contents of the abdom-
inal cavity and the strata up0n the muscles,
nerves, aud cords more or less connected
with or surrounding the back are subjected
to unusual strain in resisting the forward
impulse. OF course, in such cases, lame
back is not of itself disease, but Gully the
indication of deep-seated trouble. ELiCh is
sometime difficult % Deal with. Ladies
should re warned that this fashion in heels
Is certain TO bring them-sooner or later
great trouble. If they must adhere to
the prevailing style, they should take to
wearing spiippers on every possible occasion
which the sacred duties they owe to fashion
may permit. That person may as well be
out of the world as out of the fashion is .
law more memorable in the miaos Of many
women than those Of natare or Of health