Health, or, How to Live

TAKE CARE OF THE FEET

“Of all parts of the body,” says Dr. Robertson, “there is not one which ought to be so carefully attended to as the feet.” Every person knows from experience that colds, and many other diseases which proceed from colds, are attributable to cold feet. The feet are at such a distance from “the wheel at the cistern” of the system, that the circulation of the blood may be very easily checked there. Yet, for all this, and although every person of common sense should be aware of the truth of what we have stated, there is no part of the human body so much trifled with as the feet. The young and would-be genteel-footed cramp their toes and feet into thin-soled, bone-pinching boots and shoes, in order to display neat feet, in the fashionable sense of the term. There is one great evil, against which every one should be on their guard, and it is one which is not often guarded against — we mean the changing of warm for cold shoes or boots. A change is often made from thick to thin-soled shoes, without reflecting upon the consequences which might ensue. In cold weather, boots and shoes of good thick leather, both in soles and uppers, should be worn by all. Water-tights are not good if they are air-tights also; India rubber over-shoes should never be worn except in wet splashy weather, and then not very long at once. It is hurtful to wear any covering that is air-tight over them, and for this reason India rubber should be worn as seldom as possible. No part of the body should be allowed to have a covering that entirely obstructs the passage of carbonic-acid gas from the pores of the skin outward, and the moderate passage of air inward to the skin. Life can be destroyed in a very short time by entirely closing up the pores of the skin. Good warm stockings and thick-soled boots and shoes are conservators of health, and consequently of human happiness. HHTL 310.1