The Miami times. [volume] (Miami, Fla.) 1923-current, 1951-07-28
CARE AND
TREATMENT OF
FEET
BY DR.. G. n. GREENE
Doctor of Surgical Chiropody
FOOT TROUBLES MAY BE
OCCUPATIONAL

soldering. We say innocent for
there is no real intent to take time
or neglect work, but pain and dis
comfort literally drive the en-
ployee off the floor for a few
minutes out once or twice a day.
but if one hundred girls in a large
organization do this the time lost
adds up to one thousand minutes
or sixteen and two-thirds hours,
more than two whole working
days. What does that cost in
wages? What does it cost in pro-
duction? Here is a case, not ex-
ceptlonal by any means, but will
answer these questions.
The managers of a laundry
noticed that the girls in the shirt
ironing department were leaving
their work more often than seemed
necessary. Investigation disclosed
that it was on account of their
feet. Management got busy and
summoned chiropodist for treat
ment and advice, particularly
with reference to shoes suitable
for work, also for poStural habits.
Almost over night production in
that department jumped twelve
per cent. Incidentally, there was
a corresponding increase in the
operatives earnings; they were
on piece work.
Many foot ills. are direct out
come of the work itself. For in
stance, there is the Jumper" on
delivery trucks. All day long he
is landing on the ball of one foot,
pounding the bones and delicate
tissues until he developes a con-
dition not only in the foot but in
the knee as well which may be-
come so unbearably painful that
1t necessitates the loss of several
days or possible permanent dis
ability.
Then, there is the mail man.
tramplng up an down steps UNI
TIL the leg muscles give out and
he can not take another step. One
such man with only a year to 60
until retirement was faced with
the possibility of leaving his job
When someone Steered him into
a chiropodiSt'S office. Within a
few days he was back on active
duty and with an occasional
booster treatment, finished out
his full time.
Men who wash cars. working
on wet floors all day, wear shoes
or rubber boots with soles one
to two inches thick, so thick that
they deprive the foot of its
natural fiexibility. This develops
peculiar slapping gait which in
jures the ligaments and other
delicate structures in the sole of
the foot and may necessitate a
long series of treatments. Some
time the patient has to give I'D
this kind of work and find another
job.
There is mistaken idea that
corn or bunion or ingrown nail.
and may be fallen arches. are the
only ailments that affect the feet.
On the contrary, any foot doctor
could give you a list of fifty or
more foot Affections. Some are
due to circulatory deficiency,
some to an organic or systemic
fault. Whatever the cause, all can
seriously affect the workers well
fare, the quality of his output and
his faithfulness to duty. For this
reason it is just plain good BUSH
ness sense to enlist the services
of a professionally trained spec
ialist in this field of medicine.
Not only does he relieve the acute
everyday troubles that become
a deterrent to good work but by
detecting the early signs of sys-
temic as they show on the foot
and helping to get the employee
into the hands of the right ply
stefan at once, he also helps to a.
vert a serious illness that would
certainly entail a considerable
loss Of time, to say nothing OF
the expense to the patient and
possibly to the employer.
Not long ago a man went 10
a foot doctor with sore on his
foot that had persiStently refused
to heal. The chiropodist. after
giving it local treatment ordered
the patient back to his physician
to be tested for diabafaS The fo~]