«$ DISEASES Class 1. 2. 2. id- 



lined with fur for the hands to take hold of occafionally, and al- 

 fo to go under the arms. By rhefe means I fnould hope great 

 advantage from gradually extending the fpine during the inac- 

 tivity of the mufcles of the back j and that.it maybe done with- 

 out disturbing the fleep of the patient, and if this fhould hap- 

 pen, the bow is made to open by a joint at the fummit of it, fo as 

 to be inftanily difengaged from the neck by the hand of the 

 wearer. This bow I have now uied with advantage on one pa- 

 tient, and it may be had from Mr. Hanifon, whitefmith, Bridge- 

 gate, Derby. 



It is alfo poflible that a flight comprefs on the prominent part 

 of a curved fpine might be applied with advantage both in fleep 

 and in waking hours, if it could be nicely held on the part by 1 

 weak and very flexible fpring, with a proper counter-prefTure on 

 fome dillant part ; but this would require more art than could 

 be managed, except by thofe who have very accurate mechanical 

 ideas, and mull differ with every kind of curvature. Thus it 

 the prominent part of the curve of the fpine be on one fide, a 

 fluffed cufhion fixed to the centre of a long thin flee! fpring 

 fhould be applied on the prominence ; one end of this long 

 fpring fhould be bent by a ftrap joined to a waiflcoat on the op- 

 poiite moulder, and the other end of it by a ftrap joined to draw- 

 ers on the oppofite hip j the degree of preiTure to be adjufled 

 by the tightness of thefe flraps. If the prominent part of a 

 curved fpine be exactly behind, the ends of the long fpring 

 i'hould extend from the lew eft bone ot the neck to the os cocci- 

 gis, and fhould have its two ends attached to the top of a want- 

 coat, and to the waiftband of a pair of drawers. 



It will be from hence eafiiy perceived, that all other methods 

 of confining or directing the growth of young people fhould be 

 tifed with great fkill ; fuch as back boards, or bandages, or flocks 

 for the feet ; and that their application fhould not be continued 

 too long at a time, left worfe conferences fnould enfue, than 

 ihe deformity they were defigned to remove. To this may be 

 added, that the ftiff erect attitude taught by fome modern danc- 

 ing mafters does not contribute 10 the grace of perfon, but rather 

 militates again 11 it ; as is well feen in one of the prints in Ho- 

 garth's Anaiyfis of Beauty \ and is exemplified by theeafy grace 

 of fome of the ancient flatues, as of the Venus de Medicis, and 

 the Antinous, and in the works of fome modern artifls, as in a 

 beautiful print of Hebe feeding an Eagle, painted by Hamilton, 

 and engraved by Eginton, and many of the figures of Angelica 

 KaufFman. 



Where the bone of one of the vertebrae of the back has been 

 fwellecl 0:1 both fides of it, fo as. to become protuberant, iihies 



near 



