272 ADVANCED PHYSIOLOGY 



foot down flat on the ground and causing the nerves and 

 muscles to suffer .much under unnatural strains. 



To avoid the misfortune of a flat foot one needs to acquire 

 the habit of "toeing in" slightly. If a person practices rising 

 on the toes a few times each day, and in thus rising throws the 

 weight first on the little toes and then on the great toes, and 

 also learns a method of walking like the Indians with toes 

 pointed straight forward or a little inwards, he will generally 

 avoid "flat foot" and broken arches. This method of walking 

 is best acquired by throwing the hips slightly forward with each 

 step. 



Narrow-toed shoes affect the transverse arch in front. If 

 the toes forming this arch are crowded and confined, there is 

 nothing for them to do but to press mechanically upon one 

 another or be displaced; and when the weight is thrown for- 

 ward on the toes, if these cannot spread, they bind or are 

 forced to cross one another. 



A tight shoe incidentally interferes with circulation in the 

 foot, which, of course, means the inadequate nourishing of 

 all the tissues concerned, and in winter especially makes 

 cold feet inevitable. Discomfort in any part of the body 

 signifies that there is nervous irritation there, and waste of 

 nerve energy in any one organ means that less will be avail- 

 able for the rest of the body. 



A healthful shoe should, therefore, have low heels, should 

 conform to the shape of the foot, should not be so tight as 

 to pinch, should be made of yielding upper leather so that 

 the toes may be moved, and should fit in such a way that the 

 " breaking in " of the shoe will not be a necessary and dreaded 

 experience. Common sense and public sentiment are de- 

 manding that such shoes be manufactured more and more 

 extensively nowadays, and they can be obtained if one will 

 insist upon comfort and health, instead of fashion and false 

 notions of elegance. 



