318 APPENDIX. 



1024. Effects of Stays on the Size, Vigor, and Health 

 of our Species. Beside the consequences ascribed to the 

 uses of stays, in the foregoing pages, there is another 

 effect to be noticed, which, so far as we know, has been en- 

 tirely overlooked, or at least unnoticed, by writers on the 

 subject of physical education ; but which the patriot and 

 philanthropist cannot but consider as highly important. 

 We mean the effects of tight lacing on our species in a 

 national point -of view. 



1025. It has been shown in the preceding pages, that 

 when any portion of the animal system, and especially 

 the soft parts, are pressed, nature sets herself to work, and 

 because she cannot remove the offending cause, avenges 

 herself of the insult, by removing through the absorbent 

 system, the parts pressed upon, arid thus relieves herself 

 of the injury. 



1026. Now the glands, or organs which secrete the 

 fluids peculiar to the several parts of the system, are 

 particularly sensible to injuries of this kind ; and when 

 they occur, nature evinces her resentment by a speedy 

 reduction, or sometimes by the entire removal of the 

 offended organ. -In case the gland happens to be one 

 which nature intended should be prominent, the continu- 

 ance of the pressure will either prevent its full develop- 

 ment, or if already developed, will reduce it to the com- 

 mon level of the surface where it is situated. These are 

 well-known physiological facts, of which the physician 

 in his practice, and the common observer in his observa- 

 tions, have undoubtedly seen numerous instances. 



1027. The class of animals called mammalia, as al- 

 ready explained, receives its name from the presence of 

 certain glands, called the lactescent, which are common to 

 all the species, and which are designed to secrete suste- 

 nance, for the continuance of the races to which they 

 severally give existence ; and without such an organiza- 

 tion, no tribe of animals can claim a place in the natural- 

 history arrangement of this most important division of 

 the animal kingdom. 



1028. When this class was formed, the order called 

 bimana, or two-handed, of which man is the only species, 

 there was no want of those peculiar qualifications in our 

 race, which constitute membership in it j but at the pres- 



