Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-23
LEG CROSSING.
Needless and Dangerous Pressure on
Nerves and Vessels.
From the Troy Times.

From the Troy Times.
Inasmuch as crossing the legs causes
hollow thighs, it may be Of interest TO LOOK
into the matter from a medical point anu
notice some evil effects OF the practice
The back of the knee, as we'll as the front
of the elbow and wrist, the groin ana tne
armpit contains important nerves ana YES
sells which not SO we'll protected against
direct pressure as similar structures All
other parts of the body. This space oehlno
the knee, bounded above by the hamstrlhes'
or tendons of the plexar muscles, ana De-
low by the heads of the great calf muscle
is called the popliteal space and contains
two large nerves, the external and the IN
ternal popliteal nerves. which are the olvi-
sions of the great scrotic, together Win
the large popliteal artery ana lts Veih'
which carry the blood to and from the leg.
Besides there are numerous branches sup
plying the joint, and also a numoer OF
small Emphatic glands. These structures
are beneath the skin, embedded IN 1at anu
connective tissue, and the pulsatlon o. the
artery can often be felt, While or the nerves
the external can be made out just lnSloe
the external hamstring.
Now 1t is the pressure upon these vessels
and nerves, brought about by Improperly
crossing the legs, that often gives rise to
serious trouble. Fortunately most or us
throw the crossing leg so far over the leg
crossed
I'D on the other and popliteA space Is le1t
free. But very often the legs are crossed
In such a way that the knee pan or one
fits accurately into the popiiteal space OK
the other, thus throwing the weight OF the
leg upon the vessels ana nerves Wnlcn u
contains The leg and foot become NUMB
or .go to Sleep" as We say, and the loot Is
seen to jerk up and down with a definite
| rhythm This means that the nerves are
| compressed and the artery is constructed.
| If the Jerking of the foot be watched one
| will see that it beats in time with the
| pulse which means that besides the hydro
! static pressure in the blood vessels the
| heart Is overcoming to a certain degree
| the weight of the leg and the walls OF the
| compressed artery are strained. The vein,
| too, is CONSTRUCTED and our feet feel big and
| swollen and the superficial veins the
| back of the leg often stand out in black
lines.
| That these symptoms are unfavorable is
| beyond a doubt. A compressed nerve, II
| long subjected to such conditions, Is bound
| to rebel. Sciatica, ascending paralysis,
| chronic numbness and cramps have often
| been traced directly to the pressure caused
by crossing the legs. Many men go lame"
| in one leg or have a bad knee" and 1t Is
found that they hebitually cross their
| legs in a definite way. Construct artery
| or a vein and the penalty Is sure and often
| swift. Thrombosis, or blood clot in The
vessel; aneursm or morbid dilation OF
| the vessel; improper venous return and var
loose veins, to say nothing of swollen feet
| and poorly nour1shed muscles, are some
| of the graver ills.
| Fortunately not all or necessarily any OF
| these affections are inevitably entatled by
| crossing ones legs. However, IL the danger
signals of numbness. swelling and jerking
| of the foot appear, we may rest assured
| that If long kept up we may and probably
will suffer from one or more of these
| troubles.