The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-02-08
A Dissertation, on Shoes.

A Geneva correspondent of the Lon.
don Times writes: At tho recent meet |
ing Of the hygienic congress here Col. |
liegler, who in addition to his strictly |
military :ank Is also chief surgeon OF |
the Federal army, read an interesting
papor on shoemaking, or, rather, on the
evil effects of badly made shoes, with
special reference to hygiene and the
marching powers of soldiers. Among
other interesting facts Col. Ziegler men,
toned that the Swiss examining sur
geons are compelled to reject every year
eight hundred recruits-the strength of
n battalion-for malformation of the
feet resulting from badly fitting shoes.
The foot is in reality bow so elastic that
at every step it contracts and expands,
lengthens and shortens, and line drawn
through the center of the great toe in
tersects the heel. But shoemakers, who
are generally utterly ignorant Of the
anatomy of the foot, do not give room
enough for the lateral extension Of tho
great toe. They crib, cabin, and con-
fine it until it is forced against the other
toes. Hence arises frequent infamma-
tions of the great toe, corns, ulcerations,
and sometimes veritabe articular in
tlammation. Another evil which Col.
Zieglor ascribes in great measure to bad
shoeng, is tlat,footedness, whereby tho
arch is converted into straight line,
and prolonged walking and marching
rendered impossible. Another cause Of
this defect is the habit of carrying heavy
weights ut an early age; but in most in
stances, Herr Ziegler contends, perfect
shoes would restore the foot to its nor
NAL condition. The first obstacle to q
reform in the shape of shoes lies in the
fact that it would involve great ex-
penSe in the shape of new lasts, an ex-
pcnSe that shoemakers are naturally
10th to incur. Fashion has also its lasts,
and Shoemakcrs consider themselves
bound to conform to tho prevailing
mode. A test of q perfect pair of shoes
is that when placed together, they
should touch only at the toes and heels
the soles should follow the sinuosities of
the feet, and to give room for their OK
pansion should exceed them in length
by fifteen to twenty milmeters. AS for
military foot-gear, the Colonel said, q,
without answering the question whether
soldiers should wear shoes, "laceups," :"
or "bluchers," that is matter of
opinion. Although the principle Of the
"normal" shoe has been accepted in
Switzerland, it is so far without result,
| for Swiss soldiers shoe themselves at
their own expense.
The question is, however, being taken
up by the Confederation, and q new
regulation on the subject is about to be
introduced. The only armies in which
the normal shoe has been adopted are
those of Germany and Italy. In 1876
the Government of Baden organized q
shoe exhibition, in which the Italian
model carried off the honors. The
French army is shod on the old vicious
| principle. The Russian shoe is about
as bad rs it can be. The ordering OF
| this important article of military cloth,
ing should be assigned to the medical
staff. The shoeing of children is n mat.
ter of great Importance, and shoemakcrs
I apprentices should be instructed in the
theory of their calling. AS further means
toward q reform, tho Colonel recomends
that in all establishments controlled by
the State the normal shoe be made
compulsory, that military shoemakcrs
be properly instructed, and that in every
country there should be model shoe
factory for the making of "physiologic
shoes"
After Col. ZieGlcr had read the pa
| per, DR.. Roth, of London, produced an
| English-madc shoe which answered tC
the conditions laid down by the Swiss
surgeon, and he contcndcd that for the
| prevailing defects in foot. gear the in.
| difference of the medical faculty was
quite as much to blame as the ignorance
of the shocmaking fraternity.
DR.. jaeger, the great German authority
on clothing and hygiene, called atten,
ton to the materials of which shoes arc
made. The leather in ordinary use, he
considers, has quite as many sins tC
answer as the shoes into which it is con
vcrtcd. Instead of tanned and black
encd leather, he would have wool, fei,
and above all dcerskin. OF all these h
showed specimens, (which appeared
rational"
| After n discussion on the cause Of fla
feet, DR.. Vallin. Of Paris. admitted tha
in france shoes for the most part ar
abominably bad, and the feet Of thei
wcarcrs almost invariably dcformed
The shoes worn by Parsians ore, how
ever, not quite so contrary to nature q
those worn by ParisiGnnes, whose ail
seems to be to make their feet rcscmbl
in shape the hOOfS of horses.
In summing up, DIR. Iicglcr eXprcsSC
his regret that fashion was allowed
have so great m influence on the ShO
, ing of human kind, and that in this,
sometimes in other matters, HUSBAND
& should live under their wives slipper