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XX. Anatomical description of the foot of a Chinese female. By Bransbv 

 Blake Cooper, Esq., Surgeon to Guys Hospital. Communicated hy Peter 

 Mark Roget, M.D., Secretary to the Royal Society. 



Read March 5, 1829. 



A SPECIMEN of a Chinese foot, the account of which I have the honour to lay 

 before the Royal Society, was removed from the dead body of a female found 

 floating in the river at Canton. On its arrival in England it was presented to 

 Sir AsTLEY Cooper, to whose kindness I am indebted for the opportunity of 

 making this curious dissection. Without entering into an inquiry whether this 

 singular construction, and as we should esteem it hideous deformity of the 

 Chinese female foot, had its origin in Oriental jealousy, or was the result of an 

 unnatural taste in beauty ; I shall content myself with describing the remark- 

 able deviations from original structure, which it almost every where presents. 

 It may be proper, however, to remark, that as this conformation is the result 

 of art, commenced at the earliest age and exercised on the persons of females 

 only, we should naturally expect to find the most perfect specimens among 

 those of the highest rank. Now as this body was found under circumstances 

 which lead me to suppose that it was one of the lower orders, the measured 

 proportions of the foot are therefore to be considered somewhat above the more 

 successful results of this cruel art when completed on the feet of those in more 

 exalted stations of life. 



To an unpractised eye, the Chinese foot has more the appearance of a con- 

 genital malformation than the effect of art, however long continued ; and 

 although no real luxation has taken place, yet at first sight we should either 

 consider it as that species of deformity vulgarly called club-foot, or the result 

 of some accidental dislocation, which from ignorance and want of surgical 

 skill, had been left unreduced. 



From the diminutive size of the foot, the height of the instep, the want of 



