The New York herald., 1921-05-15

i
w beset the paths We Americans
wander in. This applies to nearly
all women and some men. for woes innumer-
able coming upon us because race
maltreat our feet. The recent pronounce
ment of Dr. Eugene Lyman Fisk surgeon
against the abuse OF soles and toes took an
unexpected turn however, when he said in
effect that the high heel was often more
sinned against than SHINING 1t has many
faults it has been convicted OF high crimes
and misdemeanors; It has been a stumbling
block in the highway OF health, yet, after
ALL its wicked sister the pin point toe, is
the chief temptation.
Women may even wear high heels and
suffer no great i'll effects. if they take some
precautions against falling into the class OF
the MANNED the lame and the halt Shoes
with high heels may even be worn in the
advertisement terpsichorean, which often is
not peripatetic judging from the gyrations
seen MI best cabarets. Ii one is so old
fashioned as to use ones feet in dancing
there may be a saving grace in the high
heel, provided, of course, shoes are so built
that the toes will have room to move.
Flat Foot Common Defect
Among Both Men and Women
Just by way of starting even in the
straight and narrow road, which the physi-
clans and the orthopedists would see lead
to the goal of pedal reform, 1t should be said
that American men,. as well women, have
fallen into Gripping themselves and under
m ming their health with faulty shoes.
or twenty thousand persons examined by
the Life Extension Institute, who are about
equally divided between the two sexes, II
was found that % per cent. in each class
were suffering from fiat foot.
1t is stated by a we'll known authority that
SO per cent of the recruits in the American
army in the European suffered from
defective feet, due to cripplng and deform
ing shoes.
How extensive are the pedal defects of the
American people is shown by the monu
mental work Defects in Drafted Men" pre-
pared under the direction of the Surgeon
General for the War Department
Foot defects" to quote from the report,
ARE by far the most important found in the
population of military age OF fiat foot alone
301. .146 cases are recorded, which is approx
imatey 12 per cent. Of the full population
here considered Flat foot detected not
usually or primarily by the form of the foot.
but by "A bad position in walking combined
with some discomfort In functioning. Sim
liar grades of fiat foot which have no history
of discomfort were sometimes not noted.
or those that were noted 264,2S7 were not
considered sufficient to prevent military ser
vice: 9.036 were considered of a degree that
would permit of limited military service
% were placed I'm the remedial group; 12,2S5
we're rejected at mobilization camps. Alto
gether 1901 men-that is, / per cent of
the men examined-were rejected for n
grade of fat foot that obviously incom-
-, Ftna
"In addition to Hat foot there were
number of other foot defects which were
likewise the cause of many reflections.
"Pronated foot was noted In 1873 men
and was the cause of the rejection of 1898
men,
Hollow feet, depending upon an abnormal
contracted condition of the ligaments, was
recorded of 3i35 men, of whom nearly a
quarter (S29) was rejected for any military
service. Finally, 1852 men were recorded
as having a foot deformity without specfica
ton. and OF these nearly all (6.61S) were
rejected. Altogether important foot defects
were noted in about Is per cent. of the men
examined, but were the cause of the rejee-
ton of only per cent.
at seems appalling that so large a number
of young men at the very acme of physical
development should be found with defects
Of the foot The cause Is partly biological
and partly social On the biological side it
is an evidence Of the incompleteness with
which the bones ngaments and muscles OF
the foot Of man are adjusted TO mans up
right position.
"Ou the social side. We find that the
human foot has been much abused by the
artificial alterations in form which II has
undergone by being cramped In shoes Evi-
dence tor this win be presented when the
relative frequency Of foot defects in urban
and rural districts is discussed. The social
factor has been responsible for great diff
ference in the proportionate defects in urbaD