Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 June 1881 — HIGH-HEELED SHOES. [ARTICLE]

HIGH-HEELED SHOES.

A Fruitful Source of Back-Ache and Kindred Ills. “Back-ache,” says a prominent New York physician, “is very common among women; more than two-thirds of them suffer from it. But there is one kind of this trouble, caused by a prevailing fashion, which women ought not to - allow themselves to suffer from. “ A few years ago a fashionable young lady called upon me, saying that her back was very lame and had been so for a considerable time; the pain had lately so greatly increased that she had become frightened about herself. She had been obliged to shorten her promenades, so she said, was almost incapable of dancing, and her life was gradually becoming a burden- She had ‘ tried everything,’ and taken medicine all the time, but—and then she broke down ih such a way that I began to suspect hysteria. , “ She looked tired, and her face bore an expression of pain and despondency which was not compatible with her years—she was about 23 —nor her evidences of constitutional force, which I judged to be strong. I confess I was at a loss to account for her trouble, aud close questioning gave me no indication for treatment. I at last prescribed a tonic—on general principles—and asked her to call in about a week. When she appeared again, a glance sufficed to show that she was no better, and I was much puzzled as I saw her .walk up and down the office in nervous excitement, exclaiming that she would never get well, she knew she wouldn’t, etc. As I looked, a certain peculiarity in her Walk led me to think that there might be some spinal trouble, and I commenced a cross-exam-ination, which she brought to a sudden close by saying: ‘ Why, doctor, several of my: friends are suffering just as I am, but they are not yet so worn out with the pain; we cannot all have spinal complaints, can we ?’ “ I thought it impossible, of course, and the interview ended by my asking her to call again on the next day, and bring one of her friends with her, when I would make another effort to discover the real cause of her trouble. I had, in fact, made up my mind that some peculiarity in dress was at the root of the difficulty. The ladies called, and had hardly traversed the office before I observed in patient No. 2 the same idiosyncrasy in walking that I had seen in the first patient. I was not long in discovering that the real difficulty lay in the high and tapering heels of my patients’ gaiters. Closer examination revealed the fact that there was a difference in the height of the boot heels of the two ladies, and I found that my first patient, who was the greater sufferer, was the one whose gaiters possessed the higher heels. There was nothing to do but to prescribe slippers and woolen stockings for a week, to be followed by the wearing of shoes having low, broad heels. “All signs of lameness disappeared within eleven days, and my first patient of this kind, together with many who have followed her, regained their health and strength. There are many physiological reasons why undue elevation of the heel must cause trouble. It will suffice to say that it tends to throw forward the contents of the abdominal cavity, and the muscles, nerves and cords, more or less connected with, or surrounding the back, are subjected to unusual strain in resisting the forward impulse. Of course, in such cases, lame back is not of itself a disease, but only the indication of a deep-seated trouble, which is sometimes difficult to deal with. Ladies should be warned that this fashion in heels is certain to bring them—sooner or later—great trouble. ”

Statistics of Color Blindness. The report of the committee appointed by the Ophthalmological Society of London, to collect statistics of cases of color blindness, presents many features of special interest. The Secretary of the committee, Dr. Brailey, with the assistance of sixteen colleagues, has examined 18,088 persons of all classes, of whom 1,657 were females. It is at on ie curious and suggestive to find that, while the average percentage of color defects among men is 4.76, and 3.5 for very pronounced defects, it falls in woman to the low figure of 0.4. This, if true, remarks the London Lancet, would seem to suggest a new sphere of labor for women. if women are comparatively free from color blindness, they are so far specially indicated for many of the less laborious occupations in which good color perception is desirable or absolutely indispensable. It is satisfactory to find that these last statistics confirm, in the main,' those collected by the late Dr. George Wilson, of Edinburgh, nearly thirty years ago. This is especially noticeable as regards the comparative frequency of color defects among members of tne Society of Friends, particularly among the poorer section of them. Though the members of the Ophthalmological Society seem either not to have known the fact or to have forgotten it, Dr. Wilson found a considerable number of cases of color blindness among the members of the Society of Friends, and he was of opinion that this was not an accidental circumstance. He further believed that the largest proportion of cases of color blindness would, on extended examination, be found among the less-accom-plished male Friends in thejlarger cities. —Scientific American.

Of Interest to Volunteers. A circular from the Adjutant General’s office, War Department, says: ‘‘There being now pending in tnis department great numbers of volunteer pension claims which cannot be satisfactorily verified for want of information which missing records of discontinued volunteer commands would afford, and it having transpired in many instances that officers of the late volunteer forces have still in their possession or under their control books and other records pertaining to their corps, divisions, brigades, regiments and companies, their attention is called to the fact that all such books and records should be deposited with this office, and they are earnestly requested to cause the same to be forwarded without delay to the Adjutant General of the army, Washington, D. O. No expense, other than postage or proper express charges (when packages exceed four pounds, the limit for mail parcels), can be paid by the Government. In the interest of the great number of widows, orphans and disabled soldiers whose claims are involved, the newspapers of the country are requested to give the substance of this circular the greatest publicity.” J

Don’t Constrain the Children. Why force them to do what they dislike? It is seldom that any good is gained by such a course. Why should your little boy be made to eat the fat of his meat if he loathes it, or anything, no matter what, that is repulsive to him? Or why make a child miserable by forcing it to wear articles of clothing which its taste does Dot approve, or at which other children laugh ? I think that little girls suffer more from this than from any one thing. Almost all of us have

some such memory. I know a lady whose childish life was made wretched for a year by an obsolete old bag in which she was forced to carry her books to school, and another whose mother forced her to wear some old lace, which, though costly, was laughed at by the ignorant children who made her world, and declares that she actually wished herself dead until that lace was banished from her wardrobe. If you can manage it, be wise, and consult your children’s tastes in these unimportant matters.