Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-11-05
SOFT SOLED SHOES.
Chinnmnn snys They Would Pre-
vent American Nervousness.

vent American Nervousness.
"The American people are essentially
q nervous people, remarked an educat-
ed Chinamnn to Star reporter, and
the best of physicians agree that this
nervousness is on the increase as the
country grows older. Where 1t will end
is, of course, matter of conjecture, for
a remedy, or a series Of remedies, may
be discovered as time runs along. Ger
tain it is that unless this nervousness
can be cured the future of the American
people is very serious problem. AL
ready it is matter of discussion IN tho
medical journals, and, though hundreds
of books have been written and will yet
BIO written Oh the subject, there is no
great unanimity Of opinion as to the
remedy. Indeed the cause has not yet
been fully ascertained, though there
are number of causes Ihave theory
as to great deal of this American
nervousness, and, though many do not
agree with me, think it is the right
one. My idea is that it is caused by the
shoes the people woar-not the shape OF
the shoe, for they are of all shapes-but
the way the shoe is made. All Ameri-
cans shoes have hard, solid soles. Those
who wear slippers or felt shoes find re-
lief, simply because the soles are soft
and yielding. There is no nervousness
among the people of China, and there
has been none for the past 1000 years.
Maybe there is not as much activity
among the people Of my country as
there is among Americans, but China
men arc not as slow as some may sup
pose. Tho best Chinese writers, medical
men. say that NERVOUSNESS has been
kent out of China by tho fact that tho
people there wear soft soled shoes. The
soles, as any one has discovered who
has examined them, are of a yielding,
pliablo character.
"The benefits of this kind of sole are
numerous, and time has proved It,.
Every one who wears soft slippers, car
pet or leather, appreciates this, though
maybe unconsciously. he knows he
finds a rolief, but rarely realizes that it
is tho softness or yielding of the soles
that gives it. OF course it is very
largo question, viewed from any stand
point, but it is q very important one
1t may be going backward, as some
imagine. for the average so called up to
date American to adopt an idea that is
over 1000 years old in China, but
firmly believe that the idea is q very
valuable one. In past years tho best
writer's have agreed that the national
disease of America is dyspepsia. dc
not concur in this in full, though 1 real
ize that there is much dyspepsia. My
experience, however, is that there is as
much NERVOUSNESS as dyspepsia, and that
nervousness is the moro damaging. The
5000 years of civilization Of China, OF
want of civilization, you may think,
have proved many things that have not
been proved in other nations, and that
cannot be proved except in time. Soft
soled shoes drove nervousness out OF
China, and will do the same for Ameri-
ca. A hard soled shoe, like a high
heled shoe, puts person under ten
sion. This tension is wearing, and the
nerves seem to wear out first. 1t is the
relaxation that is desired to cure nerv-
ousness no bracing up or tension. My
theory may not be borne out by the
facts, but feel convinced that 1t will
be. Washington Star.