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122 CORRESPONDENCE. -:0:CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. TO THE EDITOR OF THE FAMILY DOCTOR. SIR, - Your correspond en t " Welshman" can get the letters in the Times, with the leading articles, &c., on this subject, by ordering a shilling pamphlet, called "Juvenile Discipline," of Hatchard's, Piccadilly, who has published it for Lord Meath, I believe. If "Nichola~ Nickleby" were to study Russian constitutional history she would find, unless I am much mistaken, that Nihilism, outrage, and so on have made their appearance in that empire since the abolition of the lash and the birch-rod by the late Emperor, who was blown up by the Nihilists. A parallel case to this is the reign of lawlessness in Ireland which followed Mr. Gladstone's Disestablishment Act. Not that I approve of flogging in the Army, though it answered with a certain class of men, for it differs widely from the sort of discipline that I and many others among your readers recommend. One would not expect a soldier to speak with gratitude of the cat-o'·nine tails; but many women have expressed their obligations to the birch as j l1diciously applied to them in their girlhood. Only the other day I was shown a letter from a young lady, who said, "lam now nineteen. and engaged to be married to the best man in the world, who, I am sure, could never have loved me if my governess had not cured my bad temper by the hirch-rod." I agree, however, with "Nicholas Nickleby,t that a woman who has no control over children but by brute force is quite unfit to he entrusted with their care. " Anti-cruelty" objects to a whipping on the ground that it " causes a feeling of shame." But this is the case more or less with all punishments that meet the end in view-viz .• reformation. Her objections to the mode of its infliction are theoretical rather than practical. The culprit should be laid, according to age, across the lap, or on a bed, sofa, or ottoman. There is, no doubt, some cruelty in first spoiling children at home, and afterwards sending them to a strict boarding school. A whipping should not be represented as degrading, as it is by some mothers anxious to save the trouble of administering it. The operator should never show a ruffled temper, and have strict regard to justice. I congratulate the friend of "Governess No. 2," and her adopted daughter also, on the firmness and common sense shown by the former, and its happy result. The daughb>r as she grows up will like and respect her new mother. and the two will not lead a life of sparring a:cd jarring as do a mother of my acquaint- ance and her daughter. . A friend of mine is anxious to communicate with Miss Yates if the latter will kind Iv give an address. September 23, 1889. WELSH GOVERNESS.

CORSET DISCIPLINE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FAMILY DOCTOR.

SIR--le Carl's" letter in your issue of the 28th inst. on the subject of figure training is so practical that it cannot fail to be of interest to many of your readers who are closely following the discussion now going on in your columns. I do not find from" Carl's " letter that any of the appliances used by his graceful daughters are directed towards training the feet to the use of high heels, which ornaments are, no doubt, worn by those young ladies. Noticing this omission, I am led to mentioning it through your columns, thinking that it may interest "Carl" and other of your readers that I know of a method which I can recommend as being most effective in training the feet for this purpose. It consists partly of a kind of " stocks" and partly of an appliance fixed upon the wearer's chaussure. Considerable judgmentis required in the proper adaptation of these appliances, and a description could be easily misunderstood; but if "Carl" would like to send me a pair of the highest-heeled house boots or shoes worn by one of his daughters (or by bis wife, if she feels the need of such training), I should be glad to have them fitted up and to give directions for the stocks. I may say that when the appliances are in use the feet are kept in constant training, whether on or off the ground, and, moreover, they can be worn in bed so as to hasten the education. A pair of boots or shoes too much worn for company wear will answer the purpose, and would, of course, when fitted, be reserved for training purposes, and they would, according to my experience, be found to afford sensations of much comfort and satisfaction. The feet are made to constantly tend to assume to a greater and greater extent the tilted position which is so much sought after by devotees of extraordinarily high heels. If" Carl " would like to try my suggestion, perhaps he will send me a few lines to your care, to be forwarded to the address which I enclose, and I will then give directions for sending the boots.

I know also a simple method for securing the lacing eyelets in corsets of ordinary make so effectually that the tightest lacing cannot pull them out of the stuff. --Yours faithfully, J. G.

Manchester, September 26, 1889.

their faces protected from the sun and wind. At sixteen or seventeen tight lacing may be begun, and stays worn night and day, if the waist is to be reduced extremely small; shoulder-straps should by this time have become unnecessary. Gloves should be frequently worn indoors as well as out, and narrow, very pointed-fingered gloves slept In habitually. Pointed. high-heeled shoes should always be worn so as to get thoroughly accustomed to them. The complexion should be carefully preserved from the sun, and kept white and smooth. I have heard of fingernail corsets, also of girls sleeping in thimbles to make the fingers pointed and pretty, but have always found that sleeping in strong. narrow-fingered gloves keeps the hands small and the fingers taper. Extremely white, soft hands are acquired by constantly wearing gloves and rubbing with almond paste at night.

In conclusion, I should be glad to send my photograph to any address that would find "Carl," and should like to see one of his eldest girl (both to be returned), and I think he would find that my figure is as upright, well developed, and slender as his daughter's though I never had time to wear backboards or any appliance than strong, very tightly-laced stays, and my waist is under 16 inches. We could both obliterate the faces of our photos.-- Yours truly, WELL TRAINED.

Brighton, September 27, 1889.

EARRINGS FOR MALES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FAMILY DOCTOR.

SIR -I have been much intprested in the remarks of yo~r correspondent Peter Kant in a recent issue of your paper. The fact that the artistic portion of the inhabitants of fair Italy wear earrings without distinction of sex is of considerable importance, as likely to influence those members of the community to whom example commends itself more than precept. Even members of the Sacred College wore earrings when on diplomatic service as nuncios, legates, &c. The following Cardinals I have noted as adopting the custom of wearing earring~: - Vincent Justiniani (1570), FranQois Tolet (1593), John Lugo (1643), Oragio Gustiniani (1645), and Joseph Gaspard Mezzofanti (1838). To my mind, there is nothing in the least degree novel or uncommon in the notion that earrings act as counter-irritants, or are curative in certain cases of inflammation of the membrane covering the lining of the eyelid. I hope that the discussion on this interesting subject now taking place in your columns may be the.means of inducing some of your masculine readers to adopt this sensible custom, especially where weakness or inflammation of the eyes exists.-I am, Sir, yours, &c. P. SCHNADHORST. Putney, S.W.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FAMILY DOCTOR.

SIR,-It appears to me that the subjects of ear perforation and ear-piercing instruments have now been thrashed out in your columns. Your correspondent "Mary" desires to see a translation of the German treatises on ear-piercing to which I have referred in the FAMILY DOCTOR. Those treatises are, of course, too long and of too abstruse a nature for insertion in these columns. But perhaps I may be allowed to suggest to "Mary" the fact that the difficulty of acquiring the German language is much exa~gerated, and is worth learning by such as· your corresponden t. I may mention that when nlY own ears were pierced, gold ear-wires of ] 8-carat gold were simply pressed through the lobes, causing but a slight irritation, which disappeared in a short time. Sometimes, however, fatal consequences have ensued from having the ears" bored."-I am, Sir, yours, &c., GOLD EAR-SLEEPERS.

-:0:- Thi3 coZumn i3 3pecit.dZy detJoteci '0 3ub,crib~r3 .,,1&0 are de8irou8 of obtaining information on any practicaZ Bubject, tDhether Domestic, Medtcal, Sanitary, or otherwi8e. The Editor 8uggests that Oorrespondents shoultJ e~pre81 'heir tDt8he8 in as brief a manner as possible. .All letter8 should have the 'Wo'ril3 uN OTB8 A.lfD QUlIlBIlII" OR 'lie envelope. 1. to Carl; from J. G.

2. to Carl; from Well Trained.

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