The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-08-31
FATAL FASHIONS

puzzled until quite recently to ac-
count for the greatly increased num-
Der of deaths from pneumonia dur
ing the last three years in women
between the ages of eighteen and
thirty years. AT last a reason has
been discovered. 1t is due to the
silly fashion of wearing blouses so
made that only a layer of the thin
nest gauzy material protects the
neck and chest. To walk about,
when cur changeable climate is
taken into consideration, in one Of
these blouses is simply to court
death, and the garment has well
earned its name of pneumonia
blouse"
The fashion of making children
wear sandals instead of shoes and
stockings reached is height last
year, and, despite all that was said
in its favor, it was both a silly and
fatal one. Deaths from lock jaw
increased by the dozen, for sandals
gave practically no protection to
tiny feet from pieces of broken
glass, Jagged stones and other such
things. A very slight cut. too,
between the big and second toes is
quite sufficient, as many a mother
found to her sorrow, 20 cause lock.
jaw. Sandals are the lazy mother 5
friend, because they do away with
the necessity for darning socks, and
save expense in the matter of shoe
leather, but they cost lives.
Hysteria and melanchoia are
brought about (says a prominent
physician by the fashion of doing
the hair on top and, to use MS own
words, II can go back through my
books for close upon forty years,
and tell whenever it was fashionable
Tor ladies to do their hair on top by
the increasing number of them that
sought advice for hysteria aud sim
liar nerve complaints at different
times"
Where have all the red socks
gone? Nobody ever wears them
now, although few years ago they
were AL the rage" among that
section of the community which
aspires to be smart. 1t was found
however, that red socks came un-
der the category of fatal fashions,
inasmuch as the dye used in their
manufacture was very liable to set
up blood-poisoning if the very
slightest abrasion existed on the
foot. AS it is impossible to pro-
duce "tast" red dye for socks
unless high price is paid, the
fashion died, after proving fatal to
many of its followers.
Akin to the pneumonia blouse"
for women was the very low-cut
double breasted vest of decade ago
for men. This killed weak -chested
and consumptive individuals by the
hundred, and, as a consequence,
vests have been cut higher ever
since, until the present fashion de-
crees an opening of two or three
inches only 2 t the neck-a very
sensible fashion, too, especially as
winter is approaching.
The old-time macintosh is a
fatal fashion. People wear them
through the pouring rain, wet with
out, and hot within, owing to the
lack of ventilation. AS soon as
they take them off, the cold air ont.
side comes in contact with the over
heated skin, and a fatal chill is too
often the consequence. 1t is no
over statement to say that properly
ventilated macintoshes have saved
the lives of hundreds Of people.
Among many others, infamma-
BILE hair-combs. high collars, silk
hats, patent-leather boots, and
strapped gaiters-all come under
the category of fatal fashions, but
their shortcomings are probably
too we'll known to need detailed
mention here.