Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-09-09
THE CORSET.
What DIR. Mary A. Allen Has to Say
Against Its Use.

The Herald of Health is honestly en-
deayoring to fulfill its mission by wag-
ing war against the corset. One of the
most jealous helpers is DIR. Mary A.
Allen. who tells her little story and fol-
lows it up with moral worthy of at
tention, to say the least.
80, dear! / don't know what is the
matter with me. am SO tired all the
time can't stand anything; l can't
walk three blocks. l have neuralgia
every little while. Pm good for moth
ing, and yet there seems to be no dis
ease about me- | wish you'd tell me
what ails me-"
The speaker was beautiful girl about
10 years old Nature had inten ded her
for magnificent specimen of woman
hood. She was not less than five feet
seven inches in height, but with shout
ders and hips broad in proportion; she
measured but twenty-five inches around
the waist.
Of course, she asserted that she did
not dress tight; but when told that in
order to have good health she must
leave off her corset she rebelled, .'Why.
how would / look without corset?n
she exclaimed; .'pd be perfect fright.
What reply was there to be made to SO
convincing statement? But by the
light of science her whole body was
Illuminated. and to the understanding
vision she was perfect fright as it was.
l never see such figure that / am moi
reminded of Hiram Powers query in re-
gard to acknowledgement lady: ~
wonder where she puts her liverP"
1t is easy enough to prove that the
breathing capacity is actually lessened
by the corset, even when not worn
tight. Any one who wishes to try the
experiment can sit down and begin tc
draw in the deepest breath possible,
when the limit of the corset is reached
unclasp it and see how widely its clasp
can be separated by the action of the
lungs alone. Then if you bear in mind
that these muscles have been weakened
by non-use, and that with full liberty
they would increase in strength, you
will be able to imagine how much the
corset has lessened the vital capacity. J
saw fine illustration of this few
days since. called upon lady whose
library labors are wonderful. She re-
celved me in a neat but loose dress, in
which every organ of the body had full
play. She rejoiced in her perfect physi
cal freedom. She ran up and down
stairs with the lightness of child, and
felt no palpitations of heart or oppres.
sion of lungs. Later in the day she
dressed to 60 out upon the street with
me, and put on corset. 81 do it in
Difference to the opinion of my friends, y
she explained. '.They complain if ]
outrage their sense of propriety by APP
pearing without one, but i do penancs
all the time / wear ii.
We started off at her usual brisk pace,
but in very little while she said to me
/ Il can't walk SO fast when I've corset
on. can't breathe, you see." And Sc
to accommodate her diminished powers
of breathing we slackened our pace,
and soon she commenced to look weary,
her CHEEKY laugh became less frequent.
her face began to wear an anxious look;
her vital capacity was iessened, and
her whole system felt the effects of it.
II could accomplish nothing at all, y
said she, "if were compelled to wear 9
corset at my work.
asked a young lady to sing for me
the other day. With some hesitation
and bushes she excused herself, saving
Really, | shall be obliged to decline
the fact is, | am just breaking in new
corset, and it hurts me so | can hardly
live. ;" why do you wear it then?''
30. I'd look SO without corset"
To me she would look far better, for
could see that her health was failing,
her cheeks paling, her nerves starving
for the vital breath of Gods pure air,
which the corset was shutting out of her
lungs.
1--WE girls are always glad to undo
our corsets and draw a long breath al
night" said one frank girl to me. ave
don't wear them tight, we can put our
hands up under them always, butt
does seem so good to get them off and
| breathe lust as biz as we can y