Rensselaer Union, Volume 2, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 August 1870 — The White Man’s Feet. [ARTICLE]

The White Man’s Feet.

Edward E. Cheever, in the May number of The Naturalist, giyes a most interesting paper on the “ Indians of California,” in which we find the following passage: “In tracking white men, they (the Indians) cannot make mistakes. Tho white man’s foot is deformed, made so by the shape of his boots and shoes, and even when barefooted, his toes are turned inward. The Indian’s foot, never having been compressed, has the toes naturally formed and straight, sis our fingers are, and ho can even use them .to hold arrows when he is making them. When he walks, therefore, each toe leaves its imprint in the dust or sand, the imprint of the little toe being as straight, perfect and distinct as the largest.” This paragraph might be mado the text for an article. We wish we knew of some plausible reason why Indians deserve better formed feet than white people, but we do not. No doubt it is a matter of accident, rather than of choice, but so it is. And, surely, the white race, with all their glorious achievements in tho sciences and the arts, might easily construct boots and shoes on such models as would allow nature full play; and we believe they would If they had a proper understanding of the subject, and a higher ideal of what a glorious state physical perfection is, apd the degradation of deformity. The foot is not so degraded a member of the body that wo should neglect it, and it cannot grow into perfect form if pinched and cramped by bad shoes, and the sooner people know it the better. It is no excuse that it is kept so much out of sight, for the true artist recognizes deformity, even though covered by finery and leather. Will not our mothers who have tho care of children look into tho subject, and if they have been in error beforo, at opco apply the true remedy ?—Scientific American. •

• —The summary of ths receipts of the religious societies of Great Britain for 1869-70 embraces 50 socictios, with an aggregate Income of $5,982,445, not including $400,000 of sales of the Bible Society. The Foreign Missionary Societies received $2,861,735; Colonial and Jewish Missions, $585,015; Home Missions, sl,596,145; religions educational societies, $281,995; the tract societies, $147,005 ; and the Bible Society (including sales) $911,825. j —A red lead manufacturer, qf France has discovered that tho use of milk at thchr meals, which he has. made obligatory on his workmen to tho extent of one Hire daily, preserves those employed in lead works free ffrom any symptoms of load disease. HeVouchea for the truth and correctness of this communication.