Identifier: plainhometalkabo00foot (find matches)
Title: Plain home talk about the human system--the habits of men and women--the cause and prevention of disease--our sexual relations and social natures
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Foote. Edward B(liss), 1829-1906. (from old catalog)
Subjects: Medicine, Popular Marriage
Publisher: New York : Murray Hill publishing company (etc., etc.)
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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e chest so tight that the free action of the diaphragm is interrupted.Of the many thousand ladies whose lungs I have examined, atleast seventy-five per cent, of them could expand the upper parts oftheir chest from one to three inches, by tape measurement, whilethe expansive powers of the lower portions were often less than halfan inch, and seldom exceeded one. In those persons who have nothabituated themselves to the wearing of tight clothes, the expansivepower of the upper and lower portions of their lungs varies onlyabout a quarter to half an inch, whereas, in fashionable ladies, italmost invariably varies from one to three inches. Any woman cantry this experiment and convince herself, with a tape measure, placingit first around the chest immediately under the arms, and then to thelower extremity of the lungs. The experimenter, after adjusting thetape, should exhaust the air from the lungs and then draw the tapeas closely as possible; then inhale, gradually allowing the tape to slip
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POSITIONS OF THE DIAPHRAGM. BAD HABITS OF MANHOOD AND WOMANHOOD. 151 through the fingers until the lungs are swelled out to their utmostcapacity. The figures on the tape generally give a result which willconvince the fair experimenter that she has been from childhood aconstant violator of natures laws. The disturbance of the functions of the diaphragm is by no meansthe only evil of tight lacing. The circulation of the blood and theelectrical radiations are impeded thereby, in addition to which thereis a still greater and more alarming evil. I allude to the pressurewhich is thrown upon the bowels, and from the bowels upon thewomb. The peculiar organization of woman renders the practicetenfold more injurious to her than it would be to the male. Theshocking prevalence of prolapsus uteri, commonly termed falling ofthe womb, is greatly owing to the pernicious practice of tightlacing. The greatest mystery to me is that women lace at all. A majorityof them who do are members of Christian chu

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