Arena magazine - Volume 04 . muscles, applyalso to the vital organs. Pressure that impedes circulation ofblood through them must suppress their functions the lungs, heart, and digestive organs impaired by externaldevices, which force them into abnormal relations, health isimpossible. Every other part of the body—nay, life itself —depends upon the perfection of these organs. The ancientsfittingly called them the tripod of life. Consumption, heart disease, dyspepsia, and the multiformphases of uterine and ovarian diseases are among the naturaland frequent consequences of comp
Arena magazine - Volume 04 . muscles, applyalso to the vital organs. Pressure that impedes circulation ofblood through them must suppress their functions the lungs, heart, and digestive organs impaired by externaldevices, which force them into abnormal relations, health isimpossible. Every other part of the body—nay, life itself —depends upon the perfection of these organs. The ancientsfittingly called them the tripod of life. Consumption, heart disease, dyspepsia, and the multiformphases of uterine and ovarian diseases are among the naturaland frequent consequences of compressing the internal could not endure such physical indignities as women inflictupon themselves. Should they attempt to do so, they would notlong hold the proud position of bread winners, which is nowtheirs by virtue of their more robust qualities. It is difficult to imagine a slavery more senseless, cruel, orfar-reaching in its injurious consequences than that imposed Digitized by VjOOQIC fashions slaves. 415. by fashion on civilized womanhoodduring the past generation. Herhealth has been sacrificed, and incountless instances her life has paidthe penalty; while posterity hasbeen dwarfed, maimed, and ener-vated, and in body, mind, and souldeformed at its behests. In turnevery part of her body has beentortured. On her head at fashionscaprice the hair of the dead hasbeen piled. Hats and bonnets,wraps and gowns laden with heavybeads and jet have as seriously im-paired her health as they haverendered her miserable; the tightlacing required by the wasp waistshas produced generations of invalidsand be- Street costume. Spring, 1884. queathed toposterity suf-fering thatwill not vanishfor many decades. By it, as hasbeen pointed out by the authoritiescited, every vital organ in the bodyhas been seriously affected. Theheart and lungs, by nature protect-ed by a cage of bone, have beenabnormally crushed in a space socontracted as to absolutely prohibitthe free action upon whi
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