Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-28
IoW.NECKEp DRESSES.
How Women Contract Pulmonary Com
plaints-CopyinG from ths French.

plaints-CopyinG from ths French.
From the Mem YORK telegram.
The prevailing fashion of low-necked
dresses has been condemned for the past
( year most severely, and since the death
! of Miss Bayard-who, ii is said, died from
| exposure-the sensibie-minded have loud
1 lv spoken against the low-necked and
! sleeveless garments which are worn by
| ladies of fashion at opera and ball. Twen-
" years ago, both in England and IN this
country, this fashion prevailed. The bod
ices were not cut SO low in front or so
low behind as they are now, but there
was over the shoulders narrow strip of
material, 10 which was fastened a dlmi-
nutiye sleeve. In those days the ladies'
here copied the English fashions; now
they copy the French. And as the French
fashions are set by the demi-monde, 1t IS
not to be wondered at that there Is little
bodice TO the dresses now worn. Indeed,
il is rather surprising that there is any
bodice al all.
THREE-QUARTERs NAKED.
When one goes to the opera and sweeps
the tiers of boxes with an opera glass for
a moment, the question comes, is 1t prop
er 10 look? Upon careful examination
and scientific computation it is pretty
certain that of the ladies at the opera ia
any five boxes adjoining one another not
less than one out Of every three IS three
quarters naked above the waist-tnat Is,
OF the square inches Of surface, from the
waist up, three-quarters are exposed 10
/ the view and 10 the air. While TINS Is true
| OF opera-goers, OF those VINO 90 TO balls ii
/ is far worse. The percentage Of semi
/ nude figures increases until fully 80 per
| cent. Is reached.
What may be thought of the prOprlety
! OF this stripping OF the body from stand
/ point of modesty is one thing and from
| standpoint OF health is quite another.
/ Eyerv sensible person knows and Will adj
nit that nothing can be more trying to
the constitution OF any young girl or mid
] dle-aged matrOn than exposure. Ard yet,
night after night hundreds OF them take
of flannels and high-necked cloth dresses
10 put on the low-waisted, lOW-necked,
sleeveless cOrsage. If they were to 90 to
/ places where there were so drafts no
/ harm would he done; but, as IL is, in
every place they go the rooms have not
| only different temperatures, but the
doors are being constantly opened and
closed, letting in currents of cold air
which sweeps over their naked shout
ders.
WHAT COMES or IT.
Does nothing come OF it? or course.
| SO often it is said that Miss SO-and-SO has
| a bad cold or Mrs. This-and- That is laid
up with pneumonia That one hardly pays
| enough attention TO the remark to remem-
Der il. These constant colds, the doctors
say, predispOse women to cold by crea-
ting local weakness IN the lungs. Moth
ing is so common as pulmonary com
plants or bronchial affections, and IN
nine cases out OF ten the cause is no more
remote than the lOw-necked dress. The
doctors may speak of this evil and i'm
plore their patients to wear clothes, but
without avail Beautiful women will
take medicine, but at clothes they Will
insist upon drawing "A line. Health is
desirable, but why enjoy it if out of the
fashions: Better be dead that out Of the
fashions.
A PHYSICIANS VIEWS.
DR.. Holbrook Curtis, of No. % West
Thirueth street, the specialist, whose
practice is largely among the operatic
and theatrical profession, spoke very feel
ingly OF the evil practice Of the prevailing
fashion. said he:
Twenty years ago the fashion Of wear
ing decOllete dresses was carried TO such
an eNtent that as a result pulmonary
complaints were greatly increased, and
The natural outcome was the elevation of
the corsage. To-day the fashion has
again become so prevalent that woman
feels out Of place at dinner unless she
be in a lOw-necked dress, Many cases OF
pneumonia which occurred among we'll
known New York women last year were
directly attributable to cold caueh t at the
dinners and balls. No. The opera is not
responsible for as mucn as one would i'm
agiue. Women will sit in the prOsceni-
uI0 boxes oil the Academy OF Music with
a lraught of ice cOid air on their naked
shoulders as uudinchingly as possible,
: wneu man on the contrary would 20 To
tue rear OF the box and throw his overcoat
over his evening dress. There seems To