index
Ladis' Guide in Health and Disease (1905), page 257
Natural sv. Artificial Breathing.

Within the last fifteen years, we have had the opportunity of making many thousands of observations on the respiratory movement in woman of all classes and several distinct races, civilized and uncivilized, recording our observations by means of an ingenious instrument known as Pneumograph.   The result of our studies has been the demonstration of the fact, which we are glad to say is now recognized by many leading physiologist, that women whose respiratory organs have not been deformed by tight lacing, breathe exactly as do men.   The accompaying graphic illustrations of the breathing movements show the grounds for our conclusion.   The first half of each tracing shows the movement of the upper part of the chest; the second half, that of the lower part of the chest.   It will be noted that of the tracings of all except the corset-wearing woman and the man in a corset, are practically identical, as are also those obtained from the man and woman in like conditions of corset compression.

Up to present time, all standard authorites in physiology have been agreed that there are two distinct types of respiation in human beimgs, characteristic of the two sexes; namely, abdominal and costal, it being declared that adult males breathe chiefly with the lower portion of the chest, using the diaphragm and abdominal muscles freely, while women breathe chiefly with the upper part of the chest.   In arriving at this conclusion, physiologists seem to have confined their studies of respiration in woman wholly to civilized woman, in whom the mode of dress is evidenty well calculated to produce serious interference with the respiratory function.   Many years ago (1879), referring to this alleged natural difference in the respaition of man and woman, the author wrote:--

"It is undoubtedly true that most woman do breahe almost exclusively with the upper part of the chest; but whether this is a natural peculiarity, or an acquired, unnatural, and depraved one, is a question which we are decidedly inclined to answer in harmony with the latter supposition, basing our conclusion upon the following undeniable facts:--

  1. "In childhood, and until about the age of puberty, respiration in the boy and the girl is exactly the same.
  2. "Although there is a change in the mode of respiration in most females, usually soon after the period of puberty, marked by increased costal respiration and diminished abdominal or deep respiration, this change can be accounted for on other than physiological grounds.
  3. "We believe the cause of this modification of respiration is the change in dress which is usually made about the time of puberty.   The, young girl is now becoming a woman, and must acquire the art of lacing, wearing corsets, 'stays,' and sundry other contrivances which will aid in producing a 'fine form.'
  4. "We have met a number of ladies whose good fortune and good sense had delivered them from the distorting influence of corset-wearing and tight lacing, and have invariably observed that they are capable of as deep respiration as men, and practice it naturally.
  5. "We are thoroughly convinced that this socalled physiological difference between man and woman is really a pathological rather than a physiological difference.   In short we believe that the only reason why women do not, under ordinary circumstances, breathe as do men, is simply that they cannot breathe naturally."

Since writing the above we have made many observations which confirm the views expressed.   We long ago determined, however, to make a more exact study of the subject, should opportunity ever be afforded us to observe respiration in the women of Indian tribes or other races who have not adopted the habits of civilization as regards dress.

The following brief description of some of the results of the studies above referred to, will enable the reader to appreciate the nature and value of the evidence thus obtained:
Costal. Abdominal.
Man

Fig. 1 is a tracing obtained from a man of vigorous habits, when breathing without voluntary effort.

Young Woman in Corset
Costal. Abdominal.
Young Woman in Corset

Fig. 2 shows the curves produced by a young woman wearing a corset.   There is almost no movement of the lower part of the chest, although she evidently made an effort to use that part.

Man in Corset
Costal. Abdominal.
Man in Corset

Fig. 3 is a tracing showing the respiratory movements of a man with a corset on. This tracing is exactly the reverse of that obtained from a man with ordinary clothing.

Chinese Woman
Costal. Abdominal.
Chinese Woman

Fig. 4 is a fair average of the tracings obtained from -the Chinese women.

Chippeway Indian Woman
Costal. Abdominal.
Chippeway Indian Woman

Fig. 5 is a tracing obtained from a Chippeway Indian woman, who wore a loose dress, and had never bad a corset on.

A Scotch Woman who had never worn a Corset
Costal. Abdominal.
A Scotch Woman who had never worn a Corset

Fig. 6 is of interest in this connection, as it represents the respiratory movements of a civilized woman of Scotch birth, who, at the age of forty-five years (at the time this tracing was taken), bad never in her life worn a corset or other means of constricting the waist, and bad been wholly free from the pelvic disorders to which a large share of the members of her sex in civilized lands are subject.

Costal. Abdominal.
A Reformed Corset-wearer

Fig. 7 represents the breathing of a reformed corset-wearer, who bad, by her change of dress, recovered from a condition of useless invalidism.

The lesson to be learned from these graphic representations of the breathing of women who have never acquired an artificial mode of respiration, as compared with the breathing of corset-choked women, is too obvious to require special emphasis. We only wish to add upon this point that our observations have been confirmed by other scientific investigators, and we believe we may confidently expect that the teaching of the next generation of text-books in physi-ology will be modified to agree with the plain teach ing of nature upon this important question.

We beg our fair readers to consider for a moment the shape and structure of the chest, and the natural act of breathing.   The upper part of the chest is completely inclosed by walls of bone and cartilage. The lower part of the chest is not thus confined, the lower ribs being connected to the breast-bone by long, flexible cartilages, so as to give them great latitude of movement.   The chest may be compared, in its action, to a pair of bellows.   The larynx is the nozzle, the upper chest the body, and the lower parts of the chest, the points of the ribs, the handles of the breathing bellows.   Is it not apparent that to place a constriction about the waist, thus confining the lower part of the chest, is equivalent to tying together the handles of a pair of bellows, and then endeavoring to make use of them by vainly seeking to expand the body of the instrument?   It is precisely in this awkward and inefficient fashion that the waist-constricted woman undertakes to breathe!
Two woman, who breathe. The first is a normal woman and the second is a corseted woman.   But all normal woman at that time used corset, at the heavy in the chest suggested as she have used corset, and train the breathing in chest.