nently out, presenting a very unsightly appearance. The shoulder-straps, which in our corsets are totally unnecessary, fall over the arm, pinioning it to the side; the head pokes forward; the body is bent; and the upper and lower extremities of the busk protrude, being visible even underneath the dress. The elastic at the back prevents any support being afforded to that important region, and the spine is still inclined to bend as before.
The first thing that occurred to us in the construction of our corset was, that, to secure the full and healthy development of the bosom, the prominent parts of the body should support the weaker, and the vital organs be subjected to no more pressure than was consistent with their free and healthy action. The muscles of the back require an increase of strength, so as to draw back the shoulders, and thus enlarge the capacity of the chest. How to do this without the use of shoulder-straps became the problem to solve, and by a careful study of the origin and insertion of the muscles of the back and loins, together with the mode in which their fibres contracted, we at length found the precise point where traction could be made, so as to keep the body erect and the shoulders down, without in any way interfering with the natural action of the chest
