The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-10

water. A physician will usually pre- scribe suitable sedatives. Usually this medication will relieve the noises but, as before stated, some cases are quite intractable.
 CHOOSING A CORRECT SHOE
 It is safe to say that larger num- Der of persons than ever before are buy ing shoes with frank desire to, pro- tect and aid the feet rather than for a bizarre appearance or according to the vagaries of style. Realizing this fact, the editors of 'Hygeia requested Dr. Charles A. Parker to prepare a state ment of advice which would aid the average person in selecting proper shoes.
 The shoe for the normal foot should be of a size and shape to receive the foot with comfort. It should be neither too large nor too small, nor of such shape as to distort the natural charac- ter of the foot that it is supposed to fit. It is hardly worth while to select shoes with the idea that the foot will change to fit the shoe. What happens is that the foot corrects the shoe and diStorts it to it's own shape. This is commonly spoken of as breaking in the shoe and shoe thus broken in no longer has the new or correct appearance that it had when first worn.
 Most important is the length of the shoe. A shoe that may seem long enough when being put on may be found short no standing, as the foot lengthens when weight is put upon it. Short shoes crowd the toes together and force the smaller ones upward and backward. This is one of the causes of corns, ham mer-toes and similar deformities. But worse than this, short shoes prevent the small toes from being of any service in carrying the weight at the last part of each step. The weight is, therefore, thrown wholly on the ball of the foot, and this develops thick, protective callous that is painful and disabling.
 The ball points of the foot at the base of the large and small toes should coin eide accurately with the same points on the sole of the foot. The width of the shoe must be carefully adjusted to the foot in this region and to the toes in front. If the toes of the shoe is too mar row, corns .and bunions result inyaria- bly,.
 The narrow portion of the shoe be- tween the heel and the ball of the foot should be firm, as it is the supporting structure. Of course, flexible or non supporting shanks, as this portion of the shoe is called, are built in shoes used for athletic sports, and will serve to exercise the feet. In most shoes, they should be firm enough to exercise their supportive function properly, and in heavy persons should be especially strengthened.
 The heel of the shoe should be broad enough to provide security and stabil- ity and thus protect against sprains. It should extend far enough to get under the weight-bearing part of the heel. If the heel is too low it will not throw the body forward enough to aid in walking and if 1t is too high it will produce in- stability.
 The most suitable height of heel va- ries considerably with different types of feet, and thus to some degree with the sex of the wearer. 1t is possible to test the foot in order to determine the prop. CT height of the heel for that type of foot, The person tested may sit in A chair with the leg held horizontally out in front and with the knee straight. The person then draws the front of the foot strongly upward toward the body without turning the ankle. The ankle made by the place of the sole with the plane of the leg can be determined by the eye, and is usually about a right angle. If 1t is just a right angle, or even little less, the heel cord is long. The suitable height of heel for men is about one inch and from a quarter to a half inch higher for women. If the test mentioned shows the angle to be more than a right angle, the heel cord will be shorter, and a higher heel will be necessary to assure comfort and ef- ficiency.
 Dr. Parker advises particularly against sudden changing from high to low heels. This will cause disagreeable symptoms with aching muscles in the calf of the leg and in the thighs. Feet that have been accustomed for years to one type of heel must change grad uaIly to another type, and it unreason- able to suggest that all women should at any time wear a single height of heel.
 In general, all of the shoes for one person, excepting possibly special dress shoes, should have the same height of heels once the suitable height is de- termined, and they should be kept in good repair and not worn when they have become uneven.
 Overlooking of the feet or overuse from too long walks or walking over rough ground should be considered an indication for sufficient rest to permit the tissues to recuperate as they should.
 CrumbliuR Teeth