Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-06-06
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The practice Of COMPRISING the feet Of
females still prevails throughout China,
and especially in Ningpo District, where
no women with natural shaped feet are to
be seen The custom has nothing in it of
religious or social observance, being simply
slayish following of fashion that dates
back to an unknown time. 1t is generally
supposed that it originated in the twelfth
century. during the reign Of the Emperor
Tchou. Koung. The wife of this monarch
was beautiful Misunderstanding to Chi
nese ideas-but she had crippled,feet To
cover this defect, she invented the fashion
OF wrapping the feet in bandages and
wearing little shoes. The ladies o. her
court followed her example, and to attain
the requisite smallness, forcibly compressed
their own and their daughters feet, a Gus
tom that has been perpetuated to the pres
ent day.
Tee compression is effected by bandages,
which are made for the purpose, and are
about two inches wide and two yards long
for the first year and five yards long for
subsequent years. The end of the strip is
laid on the inside of the foot, at the in-
step, then carried over the toes, under the
foot and around the heel, the toes thus be-
ing drawn toward and over the sole, while
bulge Ia produced on the instep, and a
deep indentation on the sole. Successive
layers of bandages are employed until the
strip is all used, and then the end is sewn
| tightly down. The foot Ia so squeezed up
ward that in walking only the ball of the
great toe touches the ground. When the
foot is first bound it is sprinkled with pow
| dered alum to prevent the formation of
ulcers; the bandages are changed every
| month.
At the end of the first month the foot is
| put in hot water TO soak some time, then
the bandsge is carefully unwound, much
dead cuticle coming off with Ii. Frequently
one or two toes drop of, in which case the
woman feels afterward repaid by having
smaller and more delicate feet. Indeed,
| young girls will eften secretly tighten their
| bandsges after these have been put on by
| their attendant-much as our modern
young ladies do with their waists. Each
time the bandage is taken off. the foot is
kneaded to make the joints more flexible,
and is then bound up again as quickly as
possible with fresh bandsge, which ia
drawn up more tightly. During the frat
year the pain is SO intense that the sufferer
can do nothing and can leave the house
only in sedan chair. Indoors they move
by means Of two light stools fastened to
the knees. For about two years the foot
aches continually. With continued rigor.
GUS binding the foot eventually become:
dead, and the leg from the knee down
ward shrinks SO as to be little more thar
skin and bone. II the feet are well cared
for, the girl ceases to suffer at the age o.
Is or IA, but occasionally one is met witt
who has never recovered from the com
preston.
The smallest size to which the feet may
be reduced is three inches, and ladies Of
the higher class cover these "stumps
with richly ornamented slippers.
Mr.. Bennington says it is an error &c
suppose, as many do, that it is only the
upper ten" among Chinese women who
indulge in the luxury of small feet. It i;
common in every class, even the lowest
The pain endured while under the opera.
ton is so severe and continuous that the
poor girls cannot sleep without narcotics,
| and then but fitfully. The unsightliness Of
the bare dwarfed foot even the Chinese re.
gard as disgusting. The girls do not like
any one to see their bare feet, but delight
in showing them when dressed, and theil
garments are made to expose the shoe.
The English and American missionaries are
attempting to stop this practice, but it is
not probable that their efforts will meet
| with much success.