Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-13
PEDIC ALL M EN- T s
HONE TREATMENT FOR ANNOY.
ING MALADIES.
How to Rest the Feet and the
Proper Shoes to
Wear

PROPER SQOeS TO
Wear.
! Written for The Star.
Women who walk or stand a great deal
have trouble with their feet almost invari-
ably Not only does the entire foot swell
the soles become tender. burn and sting.
but often the arches Of the feet break
down, causing excruciating agony. ard in
some cases Gripping the sufferer for life
Proper treatment at the right time will
save even a breaking arch. and there are
many things that can be done to alleviate
| the lesser foot trouble. Many women look
to the night to provide this. and when they
| have laid their aching feet bed. con
slider that they have done the best that is
possible for them. In reality their feet are
getting only half the blood that might be
theirs. Instead of being laid fiat. on a
level with the rest of the body, they should
be raised on pillow or two, that the
blood flows away from them. This relieves
congestion and coolS them.
Rest Feet During the Day.
During the day. too it is possible to rest
the feet far more than most women do
One should never stand to task when 1t
is possible to sit. and it is fully as easy
| to do many things sitting that most women,
from habit. stand to perform. They simply
do not think to seat themselves when comb
ing their hair, sorting and folding laundry
linen and the like. Especially when the
feet are painful is 1t necessary to keep them
raised in a footstool or chair for feet
touching the floor never more than half
rest
Bathing the feet is essential to their
comfort, and 1t is wise to tougher the skin
as well as to cleanse it. For the last pur-
pose there Is nothing more hardening to
| the cuticie than alum. This may be put
Into the warm foot bath at night with a
little soda Observation-Disclosures cooking
| soda-or after soaking in well-warmed wa
| ter the feet can be rubbed in a saturated
solution of 80 per cent alcohol and pow
dered alum. The soda in the night bath is
used for it's cooling effect If the alum
and alcohol lotion is put on. the latter
! should be rubbed in rising as we'll as
on retiring: Every morning. If able to
stand the shock let cold water run on the
| feet before applying the lotion. Faithful
| treatment of this kind does much to re-
| lieve a woman's sufferings from foot tor
ture and often takes away all her dfscom-
| fort.
Shoes and Stockings Must Fit.
Further than this. stockings and shoes
should be of the right sort. A fresh pair
Of stockings each morning is not to be con-
sidered a luxury, but necessity. Let them
be of cotton, not too thin. Questioned re-
CCiely as ~ tic uOot COiIllOItdD dllU uOSt
durable stocking for everyday wear the
buyer of large department store declared
| lightweight, but not thin, cotton hose to
| be the most sanitary and most sensible Silk
and Isle were too harsh for the feet, he
said.
How to Treat Corns.
Corns. even soft ones. are apt to become
painful at times. The simplest treatment
| that can be applied to ease them is to stick
over each a piece of adhesive plaster. This
keeps the shoe from pressing directly upon
| the corn. and If the latter ia but slightly
| sore will often make the foot entirely at
ease. A hard and very painful corn may
be softened with iodine. II painted daily.
Pure carbolic acid will eat away a corn,
but must be used with the greatest care.
Merely touch the hard part with cotton wet
| in it, Be very careful not to touch the
flesh about the corn or the soft part Of that.
When moistening the cotton use a firmly
made. good sized wad, and wet only the
tip of one end with the carbolic. If too
much is absorbed by the wad, 1t will wet
does burn seriously 1t Is best to use 1t only
In small Quantities. couple of ounces Ia .
| bottle Is sufficient-and always to accom-
pany 1T when in use and to stand beside 1t
on the shelf should be bottle of alcohol,
containing at least pint Of fluid Alcohol
counteracts the effect of carbolic. If used
about the corn should become moistened
with the latter, pour on alcohol there
will be a more painful foot than at the
beginning.
| ''he hard calloused spots that form on
| tn, bottoms OF the feet often get into a
very tender condition. If they thicken con-
| siderably. as is usually the case, part
may be shaved off. Cover then the whole
surface with a piece Of adhesive plaster
and place over this thick layer of cotton.
Topping this is another piece Of adhesive
This has circular piece cut out of 1t that
is just the size of the calloused spot. This
arrangement makes a healthful pad for the
sore area which is well protected, but not
too thickly covered, the last adhesive be-
ing merely to keep the cushion of cotton
In position.
While broken arches are most common
to the shop girl. the agent. the dancer.
the waitress, the nurse and those engaged
In equally active occupations. there are
house wives also who are crippled in this
way. One but just released from one Of
the largest hospitals In the city had been
confined to her chair for two years by this
injury Business women who travel about
town great deal and swing themselves
off trolley cars which are still in motion
sometimes break down their feet.
Special Aids for Broken Arches.
Whoever suffers in this way must visit
| an orthopaedic surgeon at once and have
the feet strapped and bandaged in proper