OUR BODIES AND HOW WE LIVE 



distorted joints, and ingrowing nails, but, in many instances, 



tends to make the gait stiff and ungainly. 1 



62. Effect of Alcohol upon the Cell Growth of the Bones. 



The bones grow mainly during the earlier years of life, and 



yet they do not reach their full growth until about the 

 ^^^^^^fc^ twenty-fifth year. It is 



said that the skull grows 

 even after that age. Now, 

 we know that a person's 

 form depends to a great 

 extent upon the size and 

 shape of his bones, because, 

 as we have seen, they make 

 up the framework of the 

 body. It is plainly evident, 

 then, that the bone cells, 

 which are busily building 

 up the bony tissues while 

 we are young, must not be 

 injured or badly nourished, 

 otherwise our bones may 

 become feeble and stunted 

 in their growth. 



FIG. 33. Showing how the Bones of 

 the Skull may be artificially de- 

 formed by " Head Binding." 



From the photograph of a "triangular" 

 skull found in an Indian grave in Ancon, 

 Peru. 



1 Most deformities of the feet are developed during childhood, while the 

 bones are soft, the ligaments less resistant, and the muscles, together with 

 the other foot structures, are undergoing rapid changes in development. 



The power of the foot as a sustainer of the weight of the body is 

 readily understood. The heel, great toe, and outer side of the foot form 

 the three points of a tripod. An outward-crowded great toe decreases 

 the utility of the foot to just such a degree as it is forced from its normal 

 position. 



Toeing in is often due to the unconscious effort to lessen the strain on the 

 arch of the foot, produced by badly formed shoes. Few children will toe 

 in if they wear properly shaped shoes. 



