File:TheFamilyDoctorDec21 1889page255.png

Summary[edit]

Image:TheFamilyDoctorDec21_1889page255cut.png

THE

FAMILY DOCTOR

AND PEOPLE'S MEDICAL ADVISER.

No. 251. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1889 PRICE ONE PENNY

THE CORSET QUESTION.

SIR,--I now send you my promised sketches of the pernicious and proper shapes for corsets, what I may call the hygienic shape for tight stays. This may seem to many of your readers a contradiction in terms, but when one sees the vast quantity of badly - shaped corsets that are the cause of half the ills ascribed to tight-lacing. The properly-shaped are distinctly hygienic compared with the badlyshaped. The shape, besides varying according to the natural form of the wearer, should be formed on certain common sense lines, thus :--

The waist should be in ita natural place.

There should be plenty of room for the chest.

The curve at the waist should not be too sharp.

The corset should go well down over the hips.

The busk should be flexible at the top and firm at the bottom.

The front should support the bust.

We will see how far the requirements are adhered to in the sketches of types annexed.

What I have called the "Flat Chest" is too often found among cheap stays, particularly in the country, and with the old fashioned non-front fastening. It cannot be too strongly condemned.

The " High Curve" is a slight exaggeration upon another common form, and, of course, cruelly contracts the ribs and all vitals therein, and would cause a host of troubles to liver, stomach, kidneys, &c., not to mention the lungs and heart.

The " Long V" was the form very common in Hogarth's time, but it contracts the ribs a great deal too much for tight lacing or even ordinary wear, though it has a nice appearance, and is much to be preferred in the matter of health to the other two. It is not a form of cheap stay.

The two "Hour-glass" forms, long and short, are again still better, particularly the short. They have both the objection of being too sharply curved at the waist, and not spreading out sharply enough over the hips, thus pressing the waist up a little. They also, particularly the long form, are not eased to the shape of the ribs. They unduly squeeze the lower ribs without any corresponding advantage of form.

This is of course less marked with the short "Hour-glass" --that is one of the easiest shapes to wear. The "Hygienic Curve" is nicely eased to the ribs and hips, and only small where the body can easiest stand pressure without harm. It is shown with shoulder-straps, which I think ought to be put to all stays to draw the shoulders back and prevent the pernicious hahit that so many women have of leaning the body forward on the busk when tired. This is the most fruitful source of indigestion and a stooping habit. To all the advantages of this style of form may be added last, but certainly not least, a most graceful form, full of Hogarth's line of beauty viewed from every direction.

Hoping that you may be able to find use for the above remarks and for the drawings.

I am, yours faithfully,

SCIENCE AND ART,

VOL. X.

from Science and Art.

Licensing[edit]

This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain for the following reason: Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer. You must also include a United States public domain tag to indicate why this work is in the public domain in the United States. Note that a few countries have copyright terms longer than 70 years: Mexico has 100 years, Jamaica has 95 years, Colombia has 80 years, and Guatemala and Samoa have 75 years. This image may not be in the public domain in these countries, which moreover do not implement the rule of the shorter term. Honduras has a general copyright term of 75 years, but it does implement the rule of the shorter term. Copyright may extend on works created by French who died for France in World War II (more information), Russians who served in the Eastern Front of World War II (known as the Great Patriotic War in Russia) and posthumously rehabilitated victims of Soviet repressions (more information). This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights. https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/PDMCreative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0falsefalse The official position taken by the Wikimedia Foundation is that "faithful reproductions of two-dimensional public domain works of art are public domain". This photographic reproduction is therefore also considered to be in the public domain in the United States. In other jurisdictions, re-use of this content may be restricted; see Reuse of PD-Art photographs for details. {{PD-Art}} template without license parameter: please specify why the underlying work is public domain in both the source country and the United States (Usage: {{PD-Art|1=|deathyear=''year of author's death''|country=''source country''}}, where parameter #1 can be PD-old-auto, PD-old-auto-expired, PD-old-auto-1996, PD-old-100 or similar. See Commons:Multi-license copyright tags for more information.)