own profession; for it is evident to us that the Doctor knows no more about stay-making than we do of Sanscrit.
We are quite agreed upon the point, that "the use of stays and their present mode of construction require some consideration;" but our consideration should be how to improve them. Improve them, the Doctor seems to say; why do away with them altogether. Pray do not hasten to your conclusion too rapidly, Sir. Supposing we adopted the same reasoning in reference to physic? We could say, and say truly, that it is nauseous to the palate, and upon the highest medical authority we might affirm that it is uncertain in its operation; but, more than this, whatever Dr. A. prescribes Dr. B. will condemn, and Drs. C. and D. will differ from both of them. Shall we then "throw physic to the dogs," knowing well, at the same time, that they will not take it? Nay, we know the profession too well; know that their skill, science, and experience will ever be invaluable to mankind; and know also that their only hope of maintaining their present honourable position before the public is by adapting their system to the wants of humanity. We cheerfully give all this to the faculty, and only ask in return to be measured by the same standard.
It never seems to have occurred to the Doctor that ladies must and will wear stays, in spite of all the medical men of Europe. The strong and perfect feel the benefit of using them, and to the weak and delicate or imperfect, they are absolutely indispensable; but when we say this, we mean corsets properly constructed; for if the construction be imperfect, the mistake will be equally as bad as the administration of a cathartic instead of a diaphoretic. Yes, says the practitioner, but then none but a quack would do such a thing. Precisely so; and no one who knew how to adapt a pair of corsets to the human figure would ever injure the body by trying to improve it. Only suppose that corset making has fallen into the hands of quacks—that is, of people who
