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CHAP. XIV.] those feet are crammed into tight and ill-shaped coverings. To extract ingrowing toe-nails the patient is deeply anaesthetized owing to the extreme sensitiveness of the matrix of the nail, the nail is then seized with a forceps and literally dragged out by main force, leaving a sore and tender surface, which renders the foot useless for long after the operation. In private practice Mr. Benham tells me he never extracts the nail, but treats it by cutting the margins with a knife specially made for the purpose, and the application of lunar caustic; but as this line of treatment takes time it cannot be practised in hospitals, where the beds are always crowded with more serious cases.

This little description of one of the evils of ill-shaped shoes should prove a deterrent from using them, but if I were to describe all the harm they do I should have to devote a whole book to the subject.

In-door and dancing-shoes should be made on the same principles as out-door foot-gear, and they can be prettily trimmed or embroidered, as there is no reason that because they are comfortable they should be ugly, as may be seen from Fig. 27.

Very many girls suffer from cold feet, and this trouble is frequently traceable to wearing thin low-cut shoes or slippers in the house. It is very important, especially in the case of young girls, that the feet should be kept warm and dry. Hence thin shoes should not