ABSTRACT
Women compress their waists in order to look attractive in the eyes of men, may be taken for what it is worth. Egyptian, Assyrian, and Greek women are represented in statues with various sorts of bandages or girdles round their waists. In the twelfth century both sexes wore very light stays; and although the obvious laws of health forbid close lacing, Professor Roy was of opinion that the corset added to the support as well as the symmetry of the female figure. The fact of this question being placed on a physiological basis, and, for the first time, probably, introduced as worthy of the consideration of science-mongers, made the warm discussion which followed very interesting. The paper was declared dangerous, and Professor Roy’s contention that the flow of arterial blood was increased by pressure on the trunk was declared to be directly contrary to fact.
