The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-11-04
AN ESSAY ON C0RNS.
" CONTAINS THE EXPERIENCE OF AN
MOURNING SUFFERER.

else an Important Influence.
"What makes corns?'
"If people would not walk, they woult
not have corns, replied the chiropodis
emphatically.
Tho reply was satisfactory as far as i
went, but it didn't go far enough, ant
therefore the sufferer, not being able t.
rid himself Of the pain by riding al
ways, walked and pondered.
He began to notice, when he walked
in one direction on one side of street,
that ono foot was affected and when
he walked in the opposite direction that
the other foot was affected. The distress
was In tho foot that was toward the curb.
He could not walk ahead awhile and
then walk backward to relieve the pain,
because ho thought that he might be
looked upon as crank and that such
behavior in public street would be alb.
surd anyway. Then he examined his
shoes and observed that the most Of tho
wear WAS on the outer edges Of the soles
and heels and that the upper leather
had begun to bulge slightly over the
worn parts Of the solcs. When he put
his shoes on again, he observed that the
leather where it bulged pressed On the
painful area Of each little toe.
With the results of the observations
in mind, the sufferer proceeded, step by
step, somewhat painfully at times, to
ascertain the cause Of the effect on his
shoes. He would not acknowledge that
he might be bowlegged ard unable to
wear evenly the soles Of his shoes, and
nobody who met him could observe any
unusual DETECTION from the ordinary
lines of legs. Ho trod carefully, and,
without making himself conspicuous
tried to walk on level, SO that tho
pressure would DO equal OIL the whole
surface of each sole. His toeing was
characterization too much outward
nor too much inward-und at times he
succeeded in walking rs his mind di.
rectcd, but usually the distress that no
WINGED from indicated that something
was wrong somewhere. The foot on tho
curb side Of the walk was generally dis
tressed moro than the other Tho fit Of
his shoes WAS fair, and for awhile the
suffering investigator could not deter
mine the reasons for the tendency to
bulge on the sides. He dcfcd any one to
prove that the bottled waters that no
drank could have an effect on his sys-
TEN that would tend to make him edge
toward the gutter. Such an idea ought
not to be thought Of.
Going somewhat deeper into tho sub.
ject, beneath the shoes and the painful
areas tho investigator gave some atten-
ton to the surfaces OH which he walked,
and slowed away in his memory the
characteristics Of localities in which he
believed he had experiences that were
painful, moro painful, and most pain
full. or almost painless. He noticed, for
instance, when he walked across an as
phalt pavement from one sidewalk to
another in certain localities, that his
trend WAS even and that he had 1ittlo
pain. The experience suggested that ho
could generally have relief by walking
Oh asphalt pavement, but he remember
cd tie arrest Of an eccentric pedestrian
who insisted On having the privilege Of
walking in the middle CT the street and
decided that he would not risk himself
in that direction, Notwithstanding tho
relief that might be obtained. He no.
ticed also that the distress was less i'll
some localities than in others and that
all sidewalks were not alike. Ho tried to
coniiIo his walks to the localities in
which h. felt iho least distress, but he
had to 20 such Il roundabout way to ar
rive ut any particular place, especially
his place Of business, that the plan had
to be abandoned. Besides, be never trnd
u perfect ror.tC--a route that throughout
its length had "A surface that could DO
paced without pain. AT enc Point or an
other the patient Investigator felt
twinGes that were almost unbcarablr.
Lining M tho suhicrt on the hest
So% ion to ,. to D" or H%s* T Ths , he
him to the sidewalk. describing the &c.
ton ficuratiycly. He did not drop Gu
his l,rcs. Ulthouah he bol fine ir,uulso