62 PERSONAL APPEARANCES IN HEALTH AND DISEASE. 



flat head is esteemed an honour, arid distinguishes the 

 freeman from the slave." 



The Chinese custom of cramping the feet of female 

 children, consists in so binding them up that the toes 

 and heel are almost brought into contact, and the sole 

 of the foot bent upwards in a high arch. The result 

 FIG 12 * upon the shape and structure of the foot 

 and of the leg is very marked (Fig. 12), 

 the bones of the toes and foot itself 

 being small and atrophied and com- 

 pressed, whilst the muscles in the leg 

 which should act on the toes, but which 

 are never called into action, are wasted and small. 



Turning to the " civilised" customs; the high-heeled 

 boot of modern female fashion does not favour the de- 

 velopment of calf-muscles, seeing that it throws the foot 

 forwards on the toes, and normal progression cannot take 

 place. The wearing of small and tight boots a far more 

 prevalent evil leads, as is well known, to much dis- 

 comfort in progression and much deformity of the feet. 

 The toes cramped, distorted, and displaced, become the 

 seat of thickenings of the skin where pressure is most felt, 

 and corns and bunions come to disfigure the natural 

 elegance of a well-formed foot. One other evil resulting 

 from the wearing of improperly-made boots is the flat 

 * Foot of Chinese woman (after Humphry). 



