Dress and care of the feet /

by John Lord Peck

The great toe certainly plays an important part in walking, and is therefore entitled to all necessary freedom. The position taken may be further strengthened by bringing forward the fact that all natural feet are slightly wider at the ball than at the instep, an inch and a half farther back; that is, wider at the forward than at the back or upward ends of the metatarsal bones. This is readily seen in the cut of a healthy foot, Fig. 2, and still more plainly in that of the foot-skeleton, Fig. 3.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.

In each of these figures the difference in the width at the points a and b is what we wish to be noticed. It is argued above, with good reason, that the bone of the great toe should lie directly forward of its metatarsal bone, on the same line, which line, when carried back, passes under the centre of the heel. And it is equally fair to infer that the smaller toes should lie directly forward of their metatarsal bones, on the same lines. This would allow all the toes to be spread a very little, as is apparent in Fig. 2, and as the bones are spread in Fig. 3. There is thus a slight, but distinct, gradual widening of the foot, from the middle region to the ends of the toes, an idea which will be confirmed in every child’s foot that may be observed.

The correspondence between the bones of the foot and leg and those of the hand and arm also give countenance to this notion. The metacarpal bones of the hand are those which answer to the metatarsal bones of the foot; and that they are wider apart at their forward ends than at their base or origin, is observable from the skeleton hand Fig. 4, and from the hand having the thumb turned under, Fig. 5.

Fig. 4.