The Pattern cook-book

easy shoes with " spring heels," cried with the pain resulting from corns that came no one knew how. They simply appeared and no change of shoe or method of treatment would remove the trouble. The writer has in mind a boy of three or four and a girl of ten years, both of whom from their infancy almost, have suffered greatly from this trouble, though their shoes could in no apparent way have caused it. The diversity of opinion as to the cause of corns is wide, and in view of the many contradictory examples offered to prove that each presents the true foundation for this trouble, the wiser course for the writer to pursue will be to suggest possibilities both in the way of cause and cure. He who claims that corns come from shoes which are too loose has some grounds for his argument since the friction of a shoe that is too large may cause the trouble. Certain it is he will have more advocates of his theory among womankind than the man who affirms that corns result from shoes that are too tight, and in a way he is entitled to the majority; for if a shoe is very tight there is no chance for friction, and the latter is generally conceded to be the chief foundation for corns. Besides, who ever knew a woman who wore her shoes too tight ! And, when Crispins disagree and each brings forward the proof of his theory, who shall decide the cause ? Let him who can ; and in the mean time let the sufferers look about them for a good Samaritan who shall bring them relief. In the advice as to the proper shape of a shoe is included our theory of the prevention and possible cure of corns. The tight shoe, which really does pro- mote soft corns, and the very loose one which creates the friction likely to produce the hard variety, are both depre- PROFESSIONAL REMEDIES. 467 cated ; and the shape that fits the foot after the manner described as best, is advised as lessening the tendency to corns and increasing the probabilities of curing them. In addition to the advice a few remedies of more or less merit and reliability are offered. If the sufferers from corns reside where they can secure the services of a reliable chiropodist, we recom- mend them to seek him at once, for two reasons : First, if he is at all skillful he will immediately relieve the diffi- culty, temporarily, and the patient may go forth with a firm and comfortable step instead of the halting, careful one with which she arrived. Besides, she will have gained an insight into the methods employed which will enable her to '* treat '^ her corns herself and thus secure partial immunity from their tortures even though she be remotely situated. The procedure is painless and is what may be called bloodless surgery. A liquid is brushed over the corn which deadens it for the time being, and then with sharp instruments of shapes adapted to the requirements of the difficulty, each corn is skillfully pared and softened ; then it is " dressed " with a shield cut from chamois, buckskin or felt, and fastened on with strips of adhesive plaster, after which a medicated un- guent is applied. The shield is shaped to the space it is to overlay and has a hole at the center so that the corn itself will not be covered ; and its main object is to keep the pressure of the shoe from the corn, thus giving the latter an opportunity of healing.