File:TheFamilyDoctorJuly6 1889page296.png

Summary edit

TIGHT LACING.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FAMILY DOCTOR.

SIR,--Seeing you have not published any letters upon tight lacing since March 16, I thought I would send you a tabular summary of the correspondence upon the subject.

I may say that I have the whole correspondence, except, perhaps, three or four letters; but I do not think that these would materially affect the results of the table.

Number of letters from March 27, 1886, to February 23, 1889 ... 165

Number of writers
in favour of      Ladies Gents. 
tight lacing       45 	  49 
     Against       32    25
     Neutral        5     9

For Corsets Against I,r---.A..---"" ~

L. G. L. G. 
Number of writers who have
given tight lacing a full test.. 45 ... 20 	7 ... 1 
Numner of cases quoted or described where the size is given
Average size to which laced ... 
Average size to which the anti-corset writers who gave personal experience had been laced to 
68 ... 14 	34 
14in 19in! 14½in 
--- 15 3/4in 

The average size of the cases quoted by the tight lacers up to January 12, 1889. was 16 inches for ladies: but the subsequent letters described very extreme cases, and thus the average size was made smaller. It may. therefore, be fairly said that a size below 16 inches indicates either a very unusual degree of compression or great natural slimness: and this is borne out by the statistics of the corsets sold in six months. as puhlishped in the number for January 28, 1887, which gave 17½ as the average size of all the corsets sold under 20 inches waist measure.

The cases quoted by the anti-corset party include those mentioned by" Hygeia" in her letter of September 3, 1887, upon the training in English and Parisian schools.

In making out the table I was at once struck by the great discrepancy in the apparent practical knowledge of the actual feelings, &c., caused by well-fitting corsets, between the two parties. all the lady writers in favour of tight lacing having written from their own personal experience, while, on the other side, only seven out of the thirty-two lady writers had worn tight stays, and in every case they appear to have been laced below the average size.

It may he interesting to add that the relative proportions of the two parties, their mode of argument, and the percentage of serious injury to the health of the whole of the cases quoted are almost identical with the corresponding items in the controversy on the same subject in the public papers between 1860-70.--1 remain. yours truly,

Leeds, May 10,1889. A MODERATE LACER.

from A. Moderate Lacer.

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