Instead  of  the  avoidamo  of  such  dangers,
however,  what  course  do  the  silly  votaries  and
dupes  of  that  most  senseless  and  remorseless
of  all  tyrants — Fashion — pursue?  One  the  very
reverse;  and  which  is  opposed,  nut  only  to
personal  comfort  and  common  sense,  but,
sinie  it  mars  nature's  outlines,  to  symmetry
and  our  proper  canons  of  the  grace  of  the
female  figure.  By  means  of  ciirfet.«,  tight
stays,  and  other  implements  of  torture  the
ribs  are  pressed  inwards  to  such  an  extent  that
all  the  conditions  we  have  insisted  on  as  essen-
tial to  health  are  imperilled,  and  even-
tually become  overthrown.  Now,  this  mis-
chievous and  unnatural  pressure  exerted  on
the  stomach  pushes  that  organ  out  of  its
proper  position,  and  in  doin^r  so  forces  the
diaphragm  also  out  of  its  place ;  a  disturbance
which  so  curtails  the  space  in  which  the  move-
ments of  the  lungs  and  the  heart  are  performed,
that  if  the  pernicious  custom  be  persevered  in
these  latter  organs  become  seriously  and  incur-
ably diseased.  The  liver  also  shares  in  the
damage  inflicted,  and  frequently  becomes
incapable  of  discharging  its  office.  The  very
much  larger  number  of  young  women  than
of  young  men  who  die  of  consumption  is
undoubtedly  referable  to  the  fact  that  a  large
proportion  of  the  majority  are  the  victims  of
tightlacing.  Nor  is  it  difficult  to  understand
why  this  should  be,  since  we  know  that  if  the
lungs  are  prevented  exercising  their  full
powers  of  expansion,  unnaturally  diminished
function  will  set  up  disease  in  them,  which,  if
there  be  a  predisposition,  will  probably  be
consumption.  This  cause  also,  by  preventing
the  blood  becoming  properly  oxygenated,  gives


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DISTOETIONS


rise  to  a  large  class  of  disorders  due  to
impurity  of  the  vital  fluid.  Organic  disease
of  the  heart  is  by  no  means  an  uncommon
contingency  if  tightlacing  be  persevered  in ;
for  tliat  organ  is  not  allowed  room  to  beat,
uor  the  blood  to  eirculnte.  One  effect  of  this
is  seen  in  frequent  fainting  fits.
