Personal hygiene and physical training for women

by Anna M. Galbraith

The corset atrophies the articulations of the vertebral column, produces a round back, an inequality in the height of the hips and shoulders, with the resulting familiar awkward, waddling gait.

When the healthy skeleton offers to the muscles of the body a solid base of support, the action of the muscles of the back are not interfered with, there is nothing to prevent their contraction, and the body is held erect. With a perfect muscular development, the shoulders are effaced, the back is admirably straight, and the carriage is erect and graceful.

The strong compression of the muscles of the abdomen not only destroys the normal contour of the body, but, by the atrophy of the abdominal muscles, a partial paralysis is caused, and so the support which should be afforded the viscera by these muscles is weakened, and a prolapsus of the abdominal contents follows.

It will be seen that the two bony cavities of the body are connected in the back by means of the vertebral column and are not immovably fixed in relation to each other, but by reason of the flexibility of the spinal column, they can be approximated or the distance extended. The suppleness which results from this mobility corresponds to the physiologic needs, and constitutes one of the most essential conditions for gracefulness of carriage.

The movements of extension of the chest are rendered possible by the action of the muscles of the back, which hold the trunk erect and extend the vertebral column.

When the corset is applied, the compression and constriction fix all those portions of the muscles at and below the waist; the action of the muscles between the chest and pelvis is diminished at least one-half, so that these muscles become atrophied from disuse, and when the corseted woman wishes to straighten up the movement must be executed by the entire trunk.

Fig. 17.—Skeleton of head and trunk (O’Followell).

Without the corset, the pelvis remains fixed and furnishes the normal base of support for the thorax, which gains the erect position through the action of the muscles of the back acting on the vertebral column. Whereas, with the corset on, the pelvis is immobilized, and it follows the movements of the thorax. The movement of extension of the thorax, instead of taking place in the region between the false ribs and pelvis, takes place at the hip-joints—the vertebral column remains rigid, it takes no part in these movements.