Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-10
CAUSES OF LAMENESs.
Corns and Ingrowing Nails and What
Causes Them.


From the St. Louis Globe Democrat
The mincing walk, often accompanied by
limping found among the dilettante, and
others as well. is in the majority of cases
due either to extreme pain produced by too
tight shoe or those excrescences upon the
foot known scientifically as "clavus'' and
vulgarly as "corns." The corn is a circu-
lar, fattened, hemispherical, circumscribed
tbickening of the horny layer Of the epider-
mis-, namely, the external skin, extending
In the form of a cone below the normal
level of the internal layer of the skin known
as the corium, the constant pressure hav-
Ing produced some localized absorption Of
this internal layer. Corns may be produced
either by friction or pressure, so that If
the shoe is too large there is quite as much
risk of coris as though it were too small.
Ccrns result from pressure or friction
either of the shoe or adjacent surfaces, as
those of contiguous toes; in the latter sit
nation, from the constant moisture, the
usually yellow, horny, epithelial masses be-
Ing substituted by soft, whitish collections
of epithelium, and known as soft corns."
These, being relieved, leave a slightly
elevated margin of white dead cuticle with
the central red depression involving the
deeper layers of the skin, through which Is
seen the congested inflamed corium. Pres
sure upon the corn always produces pain by
driving the conical mass of epitheluIn down
upon the sensitive tissues of the feet.
Since pressure from improperly shaped
shoes is usually the cause of corns this must
be corrected. The direct pressure must be
taken off by felt rings; a simple circular
piece of thick felt the size of a Nickel or
q little larger may have a hole cut through
1t and the same placed over the corn and
held In place by adhesive plaster. By this
means the pressure is removed from the
irritated point, the location of the corn
corresponding with the hole in the circular
piece of felt.
AS preventer Of corns frequent bathing
of the feet and keeping OF the skin soft
and pliable Is important. In these modern
days, when shoemaking has become an art
In the enormous factories of the country,
there Is little excuse for corns as q we'll
equipped shoe house can fit perfectly any
foot that is presented.
InGrOyving Nails.
Distressful lameness and an awkwa I'd
walk are often occasioned by ingrowing
toenails; and at this point it is well to
enter protest against the toothpick shoes
worn by many. The toe of the shoe should
be broad enough to allow ample room to the
toes, without crowding or overriding
Where there Is a tendency in the direction
OF an ingrowing toenail, it is in nearly
every Instance the nail of the larger toe.
This can be guarded against by permitting
the nail tc grow long, even at the expense
CT the stocking In trimming, the corners
or the nail should never be cut off. 1t
permits the pushing upward and crowding
against the nail of the adjacent flesh, and
favors ingrowing. If the nail be encoura ged
In It's length and trimmed squarely across,
a triangular portion being cut out of the
center the outer parts of the nail will be a
protection to the delicate flesh about it, in
stead Of an irritation. Too close pairing of
either finger nails or toenails should be
discouraged.
When 1t Is remembered that the hang
nails about the fingers are the result of
neglected rails, and are really dangerous,
as they favor infection and incubation
with disease germs, and often serious blood
poisoning, 1t is surely justification of the
amount of attention now being given to
maniCuring them.
measure of the same manicuring at
tention should be given to the nails of the
tees Surely no one will be foolish enough
to wear an uncomfortable shoe, which is
productive sometimes of serious and even
dangerous diseases of the feet; blood
poisoning has been known to occur from
neglected or badly treated corns and in
growing nails. Keeping this in mind one
must admit that ii is a mistaken prompt
ing Of vanity to wear ill-fitting shoes for
the sake of reducing the size changing
the shape of the foot, when in city of
even a half million inhabitants there Is not
another individual save the victim that
cares one way or the other about the mat
ter, except for artistic as well humane
reasons he would much prefer to see a
foot comfortably clad and to observe a
walk Indicative of a good understanding.