Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 92.djvu/921

 Beware of the Perils of the High Heel

Listen to the warnings of Pro- fessor Quenu and Doctor Menard

AT one of the recent sessions of the £-^ Academy of Medicine of Paris an interesting communication upon the subject of high heels was submitted by Prof. Quenu and Dr. Menard, closing with the ominous warning : " Ladies, if you value your health, give up the high heels of your shoes!"

Several years ago Dr. Dagron, a noted French physician, called atten- tion to the injurious effects of wearing high heels, but his warning made but little impression. Since then, however, the subject has been more thoroughly studied with the aid of X-Rays and iTio\'ing pictures by Quenu and Menard. These two investigators have found that an unnatural strain is placed upon the muscles and tendons of the foot, as well as upon leg muscles forced to accommodate themselves to the task of maintaining the equilibrium of a body unnaturally raised by the heels. The strain caused by this effort is so great that fatigue is experienced even after a short walk. The effects of wearing high heels are even farther reaching than was suspected heretofore. The change of the position of the foot disturbs the equihbrium of the whole body. As there is a tendency to bend the knees the upper part of the body, the head and chest, is thrown back, while the abdomen is forced forward beyond its normal position. The physicians state that the disturbances caused by the wearing of high heels, the disarrange- ment of the articulated bones of the foot and the throwing out of their nor- mal position of the different parts of the body are serious enough, but that in walking these effects are so aggra- vated, that they produce the most serious internal disorders.

��the left poise of

��The skeleton on

shows the graceful

the normally supported body

The skeleton on the right shows how high heels change normal position of the bones

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