The Tucson citizen., 1902-01-08
BAD FEET THE RULE
A CHlROPODlST TALKS ABOUT his
WORK AND HIS PATIENTS.

He Says He Saves More People From
Acute Misery Than Most Phy-
siciaDs-A Twist In the walk That
Does Damage to the Feet.
GossIping with the undertaken. the
veterinary surgeon, the barber. the
barkeeper and other familiars. who
call him Doc" the chiropodist was
In an instructive mood. He could not
quite understand how 1t could be that
the really good and able men OF bis
calling were not ranked higher In the
social scale.
Now, l save more peopl from
acute misery than most physicians"
he said. My work is often just as
dangerous as that of the surgeon. for
there Is the same peril OF gangrene.
that awful shadow that looms up
wherever the knife touches the body.
The surgeon has an advantage over
me. When be has made a wound
there IN no danger of the patient put
ting next TO 1t goods too often highly
colored with very poisonous dyes.
This my patient 10 apt to do In draw
Ing on his sock. My position is really
one OF great responsibility. but there
are not many who treat me with any
marked respect.
1T would surprise you 10 know bow
many people have bad feet. IL my
observations are correct. and I don't
see why the average give should moi
be right, So per cent OF the people
in New York have one form or an
other of foot trouble. cut away more
than twice my own weight In callouf
every year.
"Of course the trouble comes from
edy. for the made to order shoe is real
ly. as rule, no better than the one
manufactured by wholesale. The near.
est approach 20 remedy for trouble
that IL rarely cured. but can be greatly
relieved is TO wash the feet every
night and every morning. They act as
one OF the main sewers OF the body
and should he constantly washed.
Then do not wear a loose shoe or a
tight one. The snug shoe Ii the best
Another and a very important point
Is that the socks should exactly fit the
feet. and. IL one can afford them. they
should be wool OF different weights
for the different seasons
Scarcely a man whose toes | atm
whiting falls to ask rye why any
man. careful as he Ia. shoNld be pee
tered with corns. In wet weather or
just before change In the weather he
Ia brought to the verge OF nervous
prostration. He In irritable and even
suffers fever. His business In inter
fered with In the daytime. aud at night
his rest In disturbed by aching feet
II tell him the exact truth. and that
In that the vast ma jority OF his fellows
suffer az he does and that those ex-
empt have their feet regularly attend
ed TO. II is just as necessary as II is
for people to be regular with their
meals or In their visits 10 the Dentist.
The reason for this is In great part the
city pavements. 1t is the same with
men as with horses.
''Very few men walk property. They
twist on the sole OF the foot. making
an extra strain and wear at one spot.
Nature tries 10 remedy this by forming
q protection OF hard skin. but she
overdoes this. because she is hampered
In the operation by the shoe. This
twisting Is absolutely due 10 what any
physician will tell you IL true. One
limb In nine out of ten cases Ia a
fraction shorter than the other. Then
too. few nen with their eyes closed
.an walk in n straight line. With their
eyes open they steer with their feet
1t ls thts difference In strength or
length OF the legs and the necessary
steering that makes the twist. and the
twist makes the corn.
Talk about your Bertillon measure
ments. 1t would be better TO record
the twist and character of walk. Nc
two men walk just exactly the same
and the twist of the foot Is absolutely
different In NIL men.
"With such good fellows as you for
companions | ought not 10 talk abou,
my social station. treat not less than
200 patients n week. and they aver
age 30 cents apiece, so my income is
something over $4,000 a year after |
have deducted expenses. | own my
own home. but the wife and daughters
do not like the chiropodis,'s sign and
the great gold foot at the front door. ="
New York Times