, 1882-11-03
HIGH.HEELED SHOES.
4 Fruitful source OF Bnck-Ache and
Kindred Ills.

hinurcu Ills.
Back-ache," says Il prominent New
York physician, sis very common among
women; more than two-thirds of them
suffer from it. But there is one kind OF
this trouble, caused by Il prevailing
fashion, which women ought not to al
ow themselves to suffer from.
A few years ago fashionable young
lady called upon me, saying that her
back WAS very lame and had been so
for u considerable time; the pain had
lately so greatly increased that she had
become frightened about herself. She
had been obliged to shorten her
promenades, so she said, was almost iu-
capable of dancing, and her life was
gradually becoming burden. She had
tried everything, and taken medicine
all the time, but-and then she broke
Iown in such u way that began to sus.
pect hysteria.
She looked tired, and her face bore
m expression Of pain and lespondency
which was not compatible with her
ycars-she was about 23-nOr her eyi.
tences of constitutional force, which I
judged to he strong. | confess | was
mt a loss to account for her trouble, and
close questioning gave me no indication
tor treatment. | at last prescribed u
lonic-on general principIes-and asked
| ler to call in about week. When she
appeared again, Il glance suffice to show
that she was no better, and / was much
puzzled as L saw her walk up aud down
the Office in nervous excitement, e1-
claiming that she would never get well
he knew she wouldn't, etc. AS looked
1t certain p"cuIiartty i'll her walk led NE
10 think that there might be some spins
trouble, and L commenced cross-eNa.l-
lnation, which she brought to sudla:
close hy saying: why, doctor, severn
of my friends are suffering just rs am
but they are not yet so worn out with
the pain; we cannot all have spinal conf
plants, can We?
L thought it impossible, of course.
and the interview ended by my asking
her to call again on the next day, am
bring one of her friends with her, when
would make another effort to discover
the real cause Of her trouble. | had, in
tact, made up my mind that some pecul-
difficulty. The ladies' called, ard had
hardly trav rsed the Office before / OBJ.
served i'll patient No 2 the same iuiosyn-
Grassy in walking that had seen in the
first patient. L was not long in discover
ing that the real difficulty lay III the
high and tapering heels OF my patients
yaiters. Closer examination revealed
the fact that there was u difference i'll
the height of the boot heels OF the two
ladies', and found that my tilSt patient,
who was the greater sufferer, was the
one whose CATERS possessed the higher
heels. There MAS nothing to do but TO
prescribe slippers and WOODEN stockings
for Il week, to he followed by the wear
ing Of shoes having low, broad heels.
IAN signs OF lameness disappeared
within eleven days, and my first p.titnt
If this kind, together with many whn
have followed her, rtgained their health
md strength. There are many phys
oiogical reasons why undue eleva-
ZION OF the heel must cause trouble. 1t
viii suffice 20 say that it tents to throw
forward the contents OF the abdominal
ravity, and the muscles, nerves
VId cords, more or less counect-
I'd with, or surrounding the back, are
subjected to unusual strain in resisting
the forward Impulse. OF cuGr5', in such
cases, lame back is not of itself disease,
nut only the indication of n derp-seated
trouble, which is sometimes difficult to
teal with. Lad es should DO warned
that tins fashion in heels Is certain to
uring them-sooucr or l~ter--great
trouble"