The Washington times., 1921-03-20

7 TOW many fathers and mothers ever
dreamed that the way boys coat
fits about the neck and shoulders
may have most serious effect on his
health-that it may be the cause Of his
round shoulders and narrow chest-that 1t
may even explain why their little son is
so inattentive and backyard in school?
How many parents ever suspected that
the kind of shoes and waists and stock
ing supporters children wear may make
all the difference in the world with their
chances of growing up into healthy, Wig
orous and good looking men and women?
Very few. probably. But science has
discovered that these seemingly trivial
matters actually have highly important
bearing on the health Of growing children,
and on their good looks, intelligence and
prospects of long life.
Ill-ftting coats which twist childreH's
bodies out Of shape, waists and stocking
supporters which hamper their vital organs
and shoes which deform their feet are only
few Of many things which need to be
carefully guarded against in order to avoid
injuring them for life.
The shape of the chairs they sit in at
school, the height of the desks at which
they do their lessons, the way they are
taught to stand and sit during the years
when bones and muscles are easily moulded
all these are things that may easily doom
health and perhaps to an early death.
These interesting and important discov-
cries are the result of an exhaustive in
vestigation which has been carried on for
several years by the American Posture
League, an organization composed of 1000
hygienists. A nationwide campaign Is
now under way to impress parents teach
efs and the children themselves with the
vital importance of the facts which have
been brought to light and thus help the
coming generation to be healthier, hap
pier and longer lived than any previous
one. -
Although the leagues work is intended
primarily for children, many Of the lessons
1t has to teach can be learned with profit
by grown people-provided that their
bodies have not already been damaged be-
yond repair by bad habits of sitting and
standing and by wearing the wrong kind
Of shoes and other clothing.
When the league began to study the
various Ills that are believed to be due to
improper attitudes of the body and to try
to find ways Of preventing them, 1t was
impressed right away with the prevalence
Of fallen arches, fiat feet, corns, bunions,
weak ankles and other painful foot
troubl-s which lower peoples health and
efficiency. The enormous number of men
who had to be rejected for service in the
recent war on this account was proof
enough that there was something radically
wrong with the nations feet.
To find out Just what was wrong the
leagues scientists undertook what was
probably the most thorough study ever
made of the human foot. Careful tracings
were made of several thousand feet in
order to see what position they assume
when bearing the body's weight and rest
ing squarely on the ground.
These tracings included the feet Of men,
women and children OF all the different
races of mankind-white and black, red
yellow and brown Among them were feet
that had worn shoes from earliest infancy
and also many from India. China and the
1ungles OF Africa that had never known
the feel of leather.
As soon ~ all these tracings had been
measured and compared 1t was at once