PERSONAL APPEARANCES IN HEALTH AND DISEASE. 63 



foot, in which the strong fibrous ligament that passes 

 under the bones of the foot and maintains its natural 

 arch is weakened, and the whole structure yields. 



The wearing of tight stays and corsets the folly of 

 which is, that they are worn with the avowed object of 

 distorting the figure leads to compression of the lower 

 part of the chest, interfering with its movements in 

 breathing, and displacing the abdominal organs. Apart 

 from the foolishness of the practice from an aesthetic 

 point of view, it is still more unwise in a hygienic, as 

 there can be no doubt that compression of the chest 

 must both impair the action of the breathing muscles, 

 and render the muscles compressed by it weak and in- 

 effective. But in spite of much attack the practice holds 

 its ground, and so it will as long as there are foolish 

 women enough in the world to think that a small waist 

 is a thing of beauty. 



Other pieces of clothing which are worn habitually 

 tighter than they need be, such as stockings, may not be 

 productive of much change in figure, though to the last- 

 mentioned articles must undoubtedly be attributed many 

 cramped and deformed toes ; that tight garters should 

 be discarded is obvious, since, by compressing the veins 

 of the leg, they retard the flow of blood from the limb, 

 and are a prime cause of enlarged veins in the leg and 

 swelling of the foot and limb. 

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