After
several turns the bandage is reversed so as to compress the foot
longitudinally. The young girl is then left for a month, and when
the bandage is removed the foot is often found gangrenous and
ulcerated, one or two toes not infrequently being lost. If the
foot is thus bound for two years it becomes virtually dead and
painless. By this time the calf disappears from lack of exercise,
the bones are attenuated, and all the parts are dry and
shrivelled. In after-life the leg frequently regains its muscles
and adipose tissue, but the foot always remains small. The
binding process is said to exert a markedly depressing influence
upon the emotional character of the subject, which lasts through
life, and is very characteristic.
To show how minute some of the feet of the Chinese women are,
Figure I of the accompanying plate, taken from a paper by
Kenthughes on the "Feet of Chinese Ladies" is from a photograph
of a shoe that measured only 3 1/4 inches anteroposteriorly. The
foot which it was intended to fill must have been smaller still,
for the bandage would take up a certain amount of space. Figure
II is a reproduction of a photograph of a foot measuring 5 1/2
inches anteroposteriorly, the wrinkled appearance of the skin
being due to prolonged immersion in spirit.
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