Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-09-21
CARE OF THE FEET.
THE CRAMPED AID TORTURED FOOT
NO LONGER THE IDEAL.

NO LONGER THE IDEAL.
Views of Celebrated Anatomist-The I'm
portance of Wearing the Right Kind of
Shoes-Something About Corns and How
to Treat Them.
Very few seem to realize the impor-
lance of giving the feet proper attention
i'll order to secure better health as we'll
as general comfort. 1t is almost incon-
celvable that in our civilized nation in
the modern age there are still so many
otherwise sensible women who are will
ing to MAIN and cripple their feet and
suffer fortunes for the sake of wearing
shoes just little too small, or which
are, as they imagine falsely, pretty or
more fashionable. We see the folly of
the cramping process upon the feet of
the Chinese women, but how much more
inexcusable it is for women of this en-
ightened country.
In former times it has been the fash
ion for shoes to be made with high
heels, narrow, pointed toes and all sorts
of extravaganza shapes contrary to ease
and comfort, and as too many people
have felt it incumbent upon them to
bow to the demands of the tyrant fash
ion, no matter how unreasonable her
demands, the result has been for sue
ceeding generations untold suffering in
the form of corns, bunions and other
deformities, until now it is comparative
~ rare to see, except among savage ma
tions, perfect, well shaped foot. But
more sensible fashion allows the wear
ing of various styles of sensible shoes
that are adapted to the ease and COM
fort of the wearer, with thick soles,
wide, low heels and plenty Of room for
free expansion of the toes and muscles,
and the numerous corns, which are not
only exceedingly painful, but often seri-
Gus affairs, are gradually disappearing
from the feet of the sensible ones and
the ideal foot is no longer the cramped
and tortured foot
The celebrated anatomist, Professor
Hyrti of Vienna university, opened one
of his lectures to his class with the sim
gular question, (Which is the most beau
tiful foot, considered from the anatom-
ical standpoint" and then continued ::
''It is remarkable that there are so many
divergent opinions on this subject.
While the sons of men look upon a
small, slender and graceful foot, lady's
foot, as an ideal one, the anatomist ut
terly rejects it as beautiful, and only
the large, long and broad foot is the
ideal one in his eyes Even the greatest
classic writer's of antiquity, Horace, Ca
tallus, and others, who had great appre.
citation of the feminine beauty, never
mentioned in the descriptions of their
beloved-and, as is we'll known, they
had many-their small feet.
THE people belonging to the Celtic
race have small feet; the Hindoos es-
pecially have such feet and hands that
they may be envied by many European
countesses. The native troops of the
English army in India possess in Eng
land their own armory where peculiar
kinds of weapons are constructed for
them, and the sword hits made for
them are much too small for us to grasp
with ease. The greatest beauties of Eu-
rope, the Italians, have really long and
broad feet. "
But even if we do not care to be con-
WINGED that the ideal foot is the foot
that is long and broad, we can certainly
realize the Importance of care in select
ing shoes of the proper size for comfort
as we'll as beauty. The foot never looks
pretty in u shoe too small for it, and
such shoes soon become unshapely from
undue pressure, giving anything but
pretty appearance.
On the other hand, we should not fall
into the error Of buying shoes too large
These are quite as apt to cause corns as
small ones by rubbing certain parts of
the foot. If any one has the misfortune
to fall into this mistake, it can be reme-
died to great extent by inserting soft
wad of cotton batting i'll the toe of the
shoe or in the part that rubs against
the foot.
The same care is necessary in buying
shoes as i'll buying gloves. They will
last much longer and have better APP
pearance when made Of new, good skins
Old leather Or kid is not soft and elastic
and does not easily shape itself to the
foot or the hand. This is not only q
matter of comfort, but of economy. In
this, as i'll many other things, 1.-THE best
is the cheapest" and as few women, or
men either, for that matter, are good
judges of leather it will be wise to buy
only Of honest, experienced dealers, in
afford risks i'll a matter where so much
is involved. An uncomfortable shoe is
really very serious matter when we
take into consideration the pain and
discomfort, the probable deformities in
the way of corns and bunions, the wear
on the nervous system and the unpleas-
ant consequences of our irritable tenn
pers because of personal discomfort.
1t scarcely seems necessary to speak
of the Importance of frequent bathing
of the feet and pairing of the nails, and
yet many are surprisingly careless in
this respect. Corns are simply composed
of great number of layers of cuticle,
or scarf skin, one above another, each
successive layer being larger than the
preceding, SO that the whole assumes
the form of a grain of Indian corn
hence its name This is constantly press
ing its point upon the tender flesh when
the shoe presses or rubs against it, and
as this cuticle is easily dissolved to a
great extent by the warm water and
soap we can see that bathing is the most
ready and harmless remedy as we'll as
preventive.-Ex