Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/400

 Noyxmbxr 5,  1859.]  DRESS  AND  ITS  VICTIMS. 389

vessels, and  its  importance  os  connecting  the whole body  with  the  brain,  is  now  subject  to  so little  pressure  that  we  have  only  to  hope  that  the relaxation will  go  on  till  there  is  none  at  alL Twenty years  ago,  people  said,  you  might  know  a philanthropist  in  America  by  his  turn-down  collar, os an  evangelical  lady  was  supposed  to  be  known in England  by  a poke-bonnet; but  the  turn-down collars, with  a mere  block  ribbon  or  light  scrap  of coloured  silk,  long  ago  won  their  way  far  beyond the ranks  of  the  professional  friends  of  mankind. Those who  have  the  sense  and  courage  to  wear the natural  “comforter,  ” which  gives  warmth without pressure — the  beard  — improve  their chances for  a sound  throat,  a clear  head,  and  o- long  life. The hat  is  now,  apparently,  the  only irrational part  of  the  Englishman’s  dress; and  so many  strange  devices  ore  upon  trial  as  a substi- tute for it,  that  we  may  safely  leave  it  to  the wearers to  select  some  head-covering  which  shall defend the  eyes  and  brain,  be  light  and  easy  to carry,  and  admit  air  freely.

A new danger,  however,  has  arisen  with  the invention of  waterproof  clothing. My readers may have  found  themselves  tortured,  or  have  seen some friend  in  agony,  with  an  unaccountable tooth-ache or  face-ache,  coming  on  at  the counting-house or  office,  day  after  day,  and may have  traced  it  to  wearing  goloshes, which people  wear  now  as  if  they  were  meant  to serve  instead  of  shoes,  whereas  they  ore  fit  only for passing  from  place  to  place  in  wet  weather. Take off  the  goloshes  or  (winch  is  nearly  the  same thing)  the  patent-leather  shoes  of  the  children  in a school  or  a family,  and  you  will  find  their stockings all  damp. Keep on  your  waterproof  cloak at a lecture,  and  you  will  find  everything  you wear moist  and  steaming  before  you  go  out  into the air  again. This wear  of  impervious  clothing, otherwise than  in  walking  in  the  rain,  is  the cause of  much  ailment  in  these  early  times  of  the use of  gutta-percha. Men who  wear  pervious clothing at  all  times,  except  when  in  the  rain,  have really little  to  do  in  the  way  of  dress  reform.

It is  much  otherwise  with  women. Their clothing does  not  protect  them  from  cold,  heat, damp, or  glare. Some few  uncover  the  chest  and arms under  trying  circumstances  of  heat  and draught: but they  are  few; and  they  must  have heard all  that  can  be  said  to  them  in  the  way  of warning. The great  body  of  Englishwomen — those of  the  middle  and  lower  classes — have usually some  sort  of  covering  from  the  throat  to the  hands  and  feet,  but  it  is  too  seldom  judicious in degree  or*  quality. The modern  linsey  petti- coats are excellent  as  for  as  they  go; but  it  is certain  that  the  working- women  of  our  country ore too  thoroughly  weaned  from  the  woollen clothing of  their  ancestors. At present,  too,  no woman  who  adopts  the  fashion  of  the  hoop  in  any form is  properly  guarded  against  the  climate. Any medical  man  in  good  practice  can  tell  of  the spread of  rheumatism  since  women  ceased  to  wear their clothing  about  their  limbs,  and  stuck  it  off with frames  and  hoops,  admitting  damp  and draught, with  as  little  rationality  os  if  they  tried to make  an  umbrella  serve  the  purpose  of  a bonnet.

Then, observe  the  head  and  the  feet. The eyes are unsheltered  from  sun  and  wind,  and  the  most important region  of  the  head  is  exposed  by  the bonnets which  Englishwomen  are  so  weak  as  to wear  in  imitation  of  the  French. Again, the doctors have  their  painful  tale  to  tell  of  neuralgic pains in  the  face  and  head,  which  abound  beyond all prior  experience,  of  complaints  in  the  eyes,  and all the  consequences  that  might  be  anticipated from the  practice  of  lodging  the  bonnet  on  the nape of  the  neck,  and  leaving  all  the  fore  part  of the  skull  exposed. Why the  bonnet  is  worn  at  all  is the  mystery. A veil, white  or  black,  would  be considered  on  absurdity  os  a substitute  for  the bonnet in  a climate  like  ours; but  it  would  be actually  more  serviceable  than  the  handful  of flimsy  decorations  now  usurping  the  place  of  the useful, cheap,  and  pretty  straw  bonnet,  which suits all  ages  in  its  large  variety. There are  the hats, to  be  sure,  winch  young  ladies  wear  so becomingly. They are  hardly  simple  enough  in form  for  a permanence,  but  they  are  substantially unexceptionable for  youthful  wearers. Their advantages unfortunately  tempt  elderly  ladies  to put  them  on; but  the  class  of  mistaken  wearers of hats  is  not  a very  large  one,  and  we  may  let them pass. In praising  the  hat,  however,  I am thinking  of  the  Bort  that  has  a brim. The new and brimless  invention  is  nearly  as  bad  as  the bonnet for  use,  while  more  fantastic. A chimney- pot hat with  a toll  upright  plume  may  possibly suit a volunteer  rifle  corps  or  a regiment  of Amazons  rehearsing  for  the  opera,  but  it  is  not very English  in  taste.

The fearful  spread  of  throat  and  chest  diseases is ascribed,  by  those  who  should  know  best, mainly to  the  modem  notion  of  muffling  up  the throat in  furs  and  other  heating  substances. Before the  boa  came  in,  we  heard  little  of  any one of  the  tribe  of  throat  diseases  which  we  now meet at  every  turn. Some ladies  carry  a boa  all through the  summer,  and  many  tie  up  their throats with  a silk  handkerchief  whenever  they  go abroad,  in  all  seasons; suffering  their  retribution in hoarsenesses,  bronchitis,  sorethroat,  and  other ailments never  endured  by  those  who  cultivate more hardy  habits,  and  reserve  such  wraps  for very special  occasions. People who  use  cold water in  some  form  of  bath  every  day  of  the year, and  who  give  their  faces  and  throats  to the  bracing  air,  under  the  safeguard  of  vigo- rous personal exercise,  forget  what  colds  and coughs ore.

As for  the  other  "point — the  feet — it  is  to  be feared  that  some  are  still  sent  to  the  grave  by thin  shoes.  The  danger  of  gutta-percha  and patent-leather  shoes  has  been  referred  to.  The Balmoral  boots  of  the  day  would  be  admirable but  for  the  military  heels.  Those  heels  throw the  foot  into  an  unnatural  posture,  by  which  a great  strain  is  produced.  If  my  readers  happen to  be  acquainted  with  a respectable  chiropodist, let  them  inquire  the  recent  news  of  bunions — that severest  of  small  maladies.  They  will  learn  that there  has  been  an  unheard-of  increase  and  aggra- vation of  bunions  since  the  high-heeled  boots  came in.  The  danger  of  falls  is  also  considerable: and those  who  have  a dread  of  a long  tumble  down  the