544 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



of the great organs in the abdomen. It is estimated that dilatation, 

 and letting down of the stomach, will be found in sixty per cent, of 

 all adult persons. Oftentimes there are no symptoms indicating this, 

 but when present they point toward a series of disturbances resulting 

 from loss of muscular quality in the stomach itself. In those whose 

 abdominal walls are feeble the organs have a tendency to sag and droop. 

 This produces a series of alterations in the relationships of the organs 

 and particularly of the blood vessels and structures concerned in 

 their function. In the case of the kidneys, whose support is largely 

 through the vessels which enter and leave them, and whose shape is so 

 nearly spherical that they move readily, the suspensory tissues are not 

 seldom twisted, thus shutting off the passage of waste material and 

 interfering with the action of the nerves to the extent sometimes of 

 causing pain and suppression of the function. In females this ten- 

 dency to ptosis falls seriously upon the genito-urinary cycle, hence the 

 uterus and ovaries are thrown out of their normal adjustments. In 

 women who have borne children the abdominal parietes have all suffered 

 more or less overstretching, and the slackening of these supporting 

 tissues works mischief and discomfort. In some men, too, this is ex- 

 perienced. It becomes especially conspicuous where faidty attitudes are 

 added to the structural defect. I have elsewhere expressed my opinions 

 more fully on this and offered suggestions for relief {Phila. Medical 

 Journal, January 10, 1903). These visceral ptoses are recognized as of 

 large significance and their remedy is a matter of increasing importance. 

 It can be seen at a glance that misadjustments of the abdominal organs 

 require attention, sometimes to a very pronounced degree. The first means 

 of relief sought by women is by the use of various forms of the corset. 

 This garment is so universally used that we are compelled to accept it 

 as a necessity, although I am of the opinion that we could get along 

 very well without it if it were possible to bring women to believe so. 

 However, the main thing is to induce women to use those corsets 

 which will do the least harm. A certain amount of harm inevitably 

 must follow the use of a needless artificial support. The walls of 

 the abdomen should be competent to support the contained viscera. 

 Where these walls are notably defective they should be supported 

 artificially only until they can be trained to do the work adequately 

 for which they were constructed. It is an axiom that all artificial 

 support is merely for the purpose of conserving function until the 

 tissues can be brought back to the normal. The first thing to be 

 acquired in getting rid of these defects is to teach the person to stand 

 correctly and continue to maintain proper attitudes under all circum- 

 stances. Wherever there is a stooping position maintained without 

 effort at holding the abdominal organs in place voluntarily, there is 

 a tendency for the abdominal viscera to pour out over the brim of the 

 pelvis, which is thus necessarily in a slanting position. 



