The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-06-11
iiG. - II. !Fi4,
High Heels and Lame Backs.

some days ago, was made an unwilling
listener to some feminine condolences on
backache. As all women and the greater
part of their men folks are directly or
indirectly interested in the subject, the
reporter visited a man of science who
was named by one Of the young ladies as
having cured her trouble.
i"Oh, yes" said the doctor, "back-'
ache is very common among women;
more than twO-thirds of them suffer
from it. But. there is one kind of this
trouble, caused bya prevailing fashion,
which women ought not to allow them
selves to suffer FROM
i"Are you a specialist for fashionable
backache?'
The doctor laughed. "I will tell you
all about it, said he. "Three years
ago fashionable young lady called
upon me, saying that her back was very
lame, and had been so for a considera-
bic time; the pain had lately so greatly
Increased that she had become fright
ened about herself. She had been
obliged to shorten her promenades, so
she said, was almost incapable of dane.
ing, and her life was gradually beeom-
ing a burden. She had tried every
thing and taken medicine all the time,
tNt-and then she broke down in such a
way that l 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 constitutional force, which l judged
to be strong. l confess was at loss
to account for her trouble, and close
questioning gave me no indication for
treatment. at last prescribed tonic
--on general principles--and asked her
to call in about week. When she ap-.
peared again, glance sufliced to show
that she was no better, and | was much
puzzled as I saw her walk up and down
the office in nervous excitement, ex.
aaiming that she would never get well,
she knew she. wouldn't, etc. As l
looked, a certain peculiarly in her walk
led me to think that there might be some
spinal trouble, and commenced a cross
examination, which she brought to q
sudden close by saying: Why. doctor,
several of my friends are suffering just
as am, but they are not yet so Worn
out with the pain; we can not all have
spinal complaints, can we?'
"I thought it Impossible, of course"
continued the Doctor, "and the inter-
view ended by my asking her to call
again on the next d;.y and bring one of
her friends with her, when l would
make another effort TO discover the real
dause of the trouble. l mad, in fact,
made up my mind that some pecnliality
in dress was at the root of the difficulty.
The ladies called, and had hardly
taversed the Office before I observed in
patient number two the same idiosyn-
qrasy in walking which I had seen in
the first patient. Twas not long in dis-
lowering that the real difficulty lay in
the high and tapering heels of my pa
tents CATERS. Close examination re.
vealed the fact that there was a differ
ence 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 CATERS possessed the
higher heels. There was nothing to do
but to prescribe slippers and wooden
stockings for a week, to be followed By
the wearing of shoes having low, broad
heels" MI
"And it was tms~treatment which
cured the tbackache?'' al .,.'.t,;4 so ~.
"Alli signs of lamepess disappeared
within eleven days, and my first patient
Of this kind, together with many who
have followed her, re&ained their health
And strength. There are manv phvsi.