The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-06-24
TIE FEMININE FOOT.
How Ill-Made Caters, Dancing and Rope
Skipping Destroy the Instep.

How Ill Made Caters, Dancing and Rope
Skipping Destroy the Instep.
From the New World
One of the oldest orthopedic surgeons in
New York yesterday told a World reporter
that the number Of played feet in this city was
large and rapidly increasing.
"What in the world are 'splayed feet 2"
asked the reporter.
"Why, splayed foot is fiat foot, or one
in which the arch of the instep has been
broken down."
"Pray, why should people living in the city
Of New York break down the arches of their
insteps?
''rhey do it by wearing high-heeled shoes.
OF course, l am speaking of young girls and
misses aud not of grown-up persons of either
sex. Now, the misses and young ladies of
France wear heels that are even higher than
we are accustomed to see in this country. But
the heel of the French shoe is placed we'll for
ward, almost under the middle of the foot, SO
that the arch or instep is supported just as the
span Of bridge is sustained by a tower or
abutment under the middle of the span. Our
shoemakers place the heel further back.
This lengthens the span and increases strain"
''Do you often come across these cases of
broken-down insteps?'
"They are by no means uncommon. They
are almost exclusively confined to females, and
the weaker the general constitution the more
likely is the foot to suffer-"
"What is the difference in the appearance
of pair Of feet that are splayed and a pair
that are not splayed?"
"All the difference in the world. The nat
ural foot is beautifully arched at the center,
especially IN female. Any person who has
high instep has good right to be proud Of it
as any person with classic features has to be
proud Of the image that he sees reflected when
he looks at the mirror. Splayed foot is most
common among peasants Of some of the Euro
pean countries where the people are obliged
to do hard work, such as carrying heavy bur-
dens at very early age. In such cases, es-
pecially if the child is poorly fed or naturally
weak, the lgaments sustaining the arch of the
haye pair Of feet as flat as the paws ofa
grizzly bear. And yet should hardly make
| such comparison, for broken down foot is
worse than fat; it curves the other way, so
| that the toes are always pointing upwards.
"And the cause Of this deformity is entirely
| attributable to the defective construction Of
high-heeled shoes?"
"No, not entirely. I think it is sometimes
produced by children beginning to dance al
most as soon as they are able to walk, such as
| we seen in some German communities. In
dancing the little youngster sometimes sus-
tains the whole weight of the body on the tips
| of the toes quarter Of an hour at a stretch.
| The bones at that age are little less than
cartilage. and can very easily be deformed.
AS proof Of this you only have to recollect the
Chinese practice of shaping the feet of their
female children. suppose the feet of young
girls of tender constitution are also sometimes
injured in jumping the rope especially in
such trials of endurance where they pit them
selves to see who can jump the greatest num-
| Der of times without stopping"
"How about roller skating, which has late
ly become so popular ?"
"There can be no doubt that little exer-
else each day at roller-skating would strength
en- and invigorate the muscles of the legs.
But the trouble is, the girls we see playing at
roller-skating on the sidewalks and IN the
parks are allowed to greatly overdo the bust
ness. The result is that instead of we'll
rounded. plum, muscular limbs, we see, after
few weeks practice, a pair of attenuated
''broomstricks, accompanied by wan ex-
preston of the countenance, and an unnatural
nervousness of the whole organization. Oh,
if the people of this world would only make
use of the common sense with which kind
Nature has endowed them!'