Foot binDing
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The most common problem with bound feet was infection
Despite the amount of care taken in regularly trimming the toenails, they would often in-grow and become infected
Sometimes the toenails would be peeled back and removed entirely
The tightness of the binding meant that the circulation in the feet was bad
The circulation to the toes was almost cut off
Any injuries to the toes were unlikely to heal
Likely to slowely worsen and lead to infected toes and rotting flesh
The closeness of the flesh would also initially give off a bad smell
the smell may come from various microorganisms that colonized the folds of skin
If the infection in the feet and toes entered the bones, it could cause them to soften
Could result in toes dropping off
This was seen as a benefit because the feet could then be bound even more tightly
Girls whose toes were fatter would sometimes have shards of glass or pieces of broken tiles put in the binding next to her feet and between her toes
This causes injury and introduce infection on purpose
Disease followed infection
Death from septic shock could result from foot-binding
A surviving girl was more at risk for medical problems as she grew older
As many as 10% of girls may die from gangrene and other infections
At the beginning of the binding, many of the foot bones would remain broken, usually for years
As the girl grew older the bones would begin to heal
Even after the foot bones had healed, they tended to break again, especially when the girl was in her teenage years and her feet were still soft
Bones in the feet would often be broken again on purpose to improve the size or the shape of the feet
This was especially the case with the toes, as small toes were especially wanted
Older women were more likely to break hips and other bones in falls
They could not balance securely on their feet
Were less able to rise to their feet from a sitting position
Other issues that might arise from foot binding are
paralysis
muscular atrophy
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