| People who live under primitive conditions need | | | | foot are controlled, the com will return promptly |
| shoes only to keep the feet warm and to protect | | | | after treatment. The pressure can be modified by |
| them against the roughness of the ground when | | | | wearing suitably-prepared pads in the shoes, and |
| walking. Soft leather moccasins were therefore | | | | otherwise protecting the area. |
| worn by Indians and Eskimos. In modem cities | | | | Most so-called com cures contain salicylic acid, |
| people walk on cement, wood, and brick surfaces, | | | | which softens the hardened material so that it can |
| against which the feet must be protected. | | | | be scraped away. Corns can also be removed by |
| Because of changes in weather and other | | | | use of the X-ray or radium, but such treatments |
| environmental conditions, feet must also be | | | | are safe only when applied by experienced |
| protected against heat, cold, moisture, and | | | | specialists. |
| infection. Modem conditions of work demand that | | | | Soft corns will not disappear unless the area is |
| some people stand for long hours, whereas | | | | carefully and thoroughly cleaned. The ringworm |
| others may sit three or four hours at a time. | | | | must be eliminated by suitable treatment. Pads |
| The shoes of babies and growing children and the | | | | are worn between the toes to get rid of the |
| shoes of women are constructed quite differently | | | | pressure and the rubbing. Such deformities may |
| from those of grown men, because the needs | | | | be removed by the orthopedic surgeon. |
| and desires are different. Children run and jump in | | | | Calluses on the bottom of the feet are seen |
| their shoes. As the feet grow, the muscles and | | | | often on golf players who pivot on the sole of |
| the ligaments need room to move. Little babies | | | | the foot and on women who wear shoes that |
| really do not need any foot coverings, but | | | | are high-heeled and too short. The calluses get |
| custom demands little stockings and bootees. | | | | thick and hard and are therefore painful. They |
| Later, the infant has to have a shoe with a stiff | | | | may be pared away with a sharp knife or razor |
| sole, but with plenty of freedom above so that | | | | blade, but they return unless the conditions that |
| the foot can be moved without any difficulty. | | | | produced them are controlled. |
| Experts recommend that the shoe for a growing | | | | Warts On The Sole Of The Foot |
| child have a straight inner margin, with plenty of | | | | Among the most painful of all warts are those |
| space for the toes. The heel should be low. The | | | | that occur on the sole of the foot, commonly |
| sole should be of thick leather, flexible, and with a | | | | called plantar warts. These are probably caused |
| toe above it thick and hard enough to prevent | | | | by infection of the rubbed skin with a specific |
| damage from bumping the toe. If the foot of the | | | | virus. A part on the sole of the foot becomes so |
| child is distorted out of the normal position, so | | | | painful as to interfere with walking. |
| that it turns too much to one side or the other, | | | | Plantar warts are treated in a variety of ways. |
| or if the child walks too much on the toe or walks | | | | The hard skin on the bottom of the foot must be |
| flat-footed the mother will do well to have the | | | | softened, and the wart removed. The damaged |
| foot studied by an orthopedic specialist, who can | | | | tissue is protected by proper bandages and |
| often modify the shoes so as to overcome the | | | | antiseptics during the process of healing. Such |
| condition. The foot of the small child seems often | | | | warts may be removed by surgery, by electro- |
| to the mother to be distorted even when it may | | | | coagulation, sometimes by radium or X-ray. |
| still be quite normal. Disorders of walking in any | | | | Ingrown Toenails |
| child over five years of age should certainly have | | | | When stockings are too long or too short |
| study by a competent specialist. | | | | pressures occur on the sides of the toenails, with |
| Blisters, Corns, And Calluses | | | | overgrowth of the tissue around the comers of |
| Blisters, corns, and calluses on the feet come to | | | | the nail. Eventually the nail grows into the tissue, |
| remind us that perhaps the shoes do not fit, the | | | | forming an ingrown toenail. The nail on the large |
| stockings wrinkle, or we walk in such a manner as | | | | toe is the one usually involved. Usually the person |
| to put most of the burden of the weight of the | | | | who suffers with ingrown toenail tries all sorts of |
| body on some single spot on the foot. A burning | | | | poultices, antiseptics, and ointments on his toe, in |
| pain on the inner side of the ball of the foot, | | | | addition to a little home surgery, before he limps |
| itching between the toes, or pain anywhere in the | | | | into the doctor's office. The doctor finds the toe |
| feet may indicate that something is wrong. The | | | | red and swollen and, often, with pus oozing from |
| feet become hardened to work by more use, but | | | | under the nail onto the stocking or the cotton the |
| hastening of the hardening can be helped by | | | | patient is using for protection. People seldom |
| alcohol rubs. Massaging the feet at night is | | | | sterilize the scissors or even the razor blades |
| conducive to restful sleep. The foot powders are | | | | they use at home for first, aid to afflicted feet. |
| helpful because they help to reduce the friction | | | | This slows the growth at the side of the nail and |
| between the feet and the stockings and shoes. | | | | takes the pressure off the comers. If the foot is |
| Most foot powders are chiefly boric acid and | | | | kept scrupulously clean, if stockings are worn |
| talcum. A little salicylic acid or menthol may be | | | | thick enough to afford protection, if the shoes are |
| added to relieve itching. Physical therapists have | | | | loose enough to prevent pressure but not so |
| found that alternate bathing of the feet in hot and | | | | loose as to cause rubbing, and if the toenail is |
| cold water, about two to five minutes in each | | | | kept properly trimmed during the process of |
| kind, is helpful to the circulation of blood in the | | | | healing, the nail will gradually become normal. |
| feet. | | | | Proper foot hygiene will keep the nail in normal |
| Blisters are painful. The pain comes from pressure. | | | | condition. |
| If a blister is punctured with a germfree needle, | | | | Foot Strain |
| one that has been passed through a flame, the | | | | Long hours of work under conditions of stress |
| fluid will be released and the pain will stop. | | | | put an extra burden on the feet. The ligaments |
| Preferably, the area where the blister is to be | | | | that connect the muscles with the bones become |
| punctured should be wiped with alcohol before the | | | | overstretched, tender, and swollen. When your |
| puncture is made. | | | | feet get painful you concentrate on them instead |
| A com is an inflammatory response to irritation. A | | | | of the work. |
| callus is a similar hardening of the tissue, usually | | | | Work at a bench or a machine usually involves |
| occurring on the sole of the foot, wherever the | | | | standing in such a way that the weight is carried |
| bones press particularly against the shoe. | | | | not by the heel but by the front of the foot. A |
| Few people have both feet of the same size, yet | | | | bar attached to the shoes will shift the weight, or |
| shoes are usually made with the right and left | | | | an inclined platform may be built on which the |
| shoe similar except for the curve. People with | | | | worker stands. |
| great differences between the feet need to have | | | | When feet become strained and painful they |
| their shoes made especially for them. | | | | should be studied by an orthopedic surgeon. The |
| A "soft com" is an area between the toes which | | | | examination may include X-ray study to rule out |
| has become rubbed and, usually, secondarily | | | | inflammation or infection of the bone. Then the |
| infected with ringworm. If the area around a com | | | | feet are put at rest. When the inflammation and |
| becomes infected the tissues become red, | | | | pain have disappeared, routine alternate hot and |
| swollen, and painful. Under such circumstances the | | | | cold bathing, massage and manipulation of the |
| foot may be kept elevated and treatment | | | | feet will help to restore the tissues to normal. In |
| applied, such as wet packs soaked with boric acid | | | | some instances it becomes necessary to put the |
| or some similar mildantiseptic, until the condition | | | | feet in plaster casts, so as to eliminate the |
| improves. | | | | disturbance for a period long enough to permit |
| A hard com can be removed by cutting it away, | | | | complete recovery. |
| but such surgery is not for amateurs. People have | | | | Hammer toes may require a surgical operation. |
| died from secondary infections resulting from | | | | Control of flat feet may involve a wide variety of |
| careless and even unsanitary cutting of corns. | | | | procedures, including the necessary muscle training |
| Unless the persistent pressure and rubbing on the | | | | to build the strength of the relaxed tissues. |