Scouting, Volume 8, Number 1, January 1, 1920 Page: 9
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SCOUTING, JANUARY 1, 1920
muscles at the ankle will often practically
equal a duplication of the person's weight.
The object of this discussion is to help
scoutmasters teach how to prevent and
cure flat feet, or broken arch, weak foot,
or whatever the. disability may locally be
called. Comparison of Fig. 5 with Fig. 6
shows how. Grip with the muscle of the
sole which runs from the heel to the inner
side of the base of the great toe. The
foot will be pulled inward, bending on
Chopart's Joint as it had previously bent
outward. At the same time roll the ankle
out pulling the tilted arch up straight
again or rather tipping it slightly against
the outer arch.
Carefully examine Fig. 3. It will be seen
that toes one, two and three with their asso-
ciated ankle group bones make with the heel
bone an arch of five bones in series, while the
4th and '5th toes form an arch of three bones
in series. This outer sub arch or portion of
the longitudinal arch braces under the in-
terior portion when the ankle is held in
proper position over the middle of the foot.
The foot then becomes a triangular
pyramid of support, its base being the
heel, the ball of the great toe, and the ball
of the little toe. The shin bone rests at
the ankle on the apex of the triangle.
When held in this position the foot is not
flat. The main muscle which pulls the
arch up is the shin muscle, the guy rope
of the arch (Tibialis Anticus). To see
this muscle act, stand on the heel, raising
the front foot. A tendon will be promi-
nent, crossing the front of the ankle
diagonally from above, outside, down-
ward, and inward to the inner side of the
arch. One of the reasons for standing
with feet turned parallel or even slightly
pigeon toed is that tension is thereby put
on this muscle, taking out slack in its ten-
don and permitting it to hold up the arch
and ankle.
It will take about two weeks for the
average boy to form the habit of keeping
his feet in proper and normal or natural
position, but it must be done; otherwise
more or less disability is inevitable.
Many exercises are desirable for
strengthening the feet, but any or all of
them may be useless for even harmful un-
less the proper position of the arch is
maintained during exercises and at all
other times. This is the important thing,
for muscles which uphold the body in the
position of strain will when recovered
from chronic fatigue be able to uphold
the foot and body in the position of bal-
ance. One muscle, however, usually needs
development.
That foot muscle noted above is weak
from non-use. So, sitting and standing,
grip repeatedly with this muscle many
times a day. This extra gripping helps to
maintain the restored arch at the same
time that it strengthens the muscle. It is
important to do this sitting because when
it is done standing the muscles of the hips
which rotate the ankles and knees out-
ward take an involuntary part. Such ac-
tion is desirable in maintaining the posi-
tion of balance and strength, but the ob-
ject of the exercise is to build up the foot
muscle (Abductor Hallucis). Learn to
keep the toes relaxed during this exer-
cise ; their work is different. Remember
it is the tilted and bent (the splay) foot
which is the harmful condition, a low
arch held erect is just as strong as the
high arch even if not as pretty, and the
high arch tilted makes an even worse
"• flat foot" than the originally low arch.
The Cause of Flat Foot
First, standing in the common flunky
or dancing position which, as shown,
twists the foot out from underthe ankle.
(Pay no attention to army drill instruc-
tion of position of attention. This
is actually the position of muscular
rest and disadvantage, as has been
shown, and is harmful. Because the
army does a thing wrong is no reason for
us to do so. It is a medieval military
hold over. Second, slumping down or
being foot lazy. Third, sleeping on the
back, toes turned out under tucked in bed
clothes. Fourth, illness with too early use
of the feet thereafter when weak muscles
permit tilting; also lack of attention and
drooped feet during illness of any length.
Tight stockings and shoes, especially
those which are cut away on the inner
line forcing the great toe over against the
others and causing the foot to bend at
Chopart's Joint and move the point of
weight (the ankle) from the center of the
foot triangle to the inner edge. 'light
stockings do the same thing even if the
very best shoes be worn.
The test of a proper shoe which fits
otherwise is that a ruler on the side of the
shoe across the heel and the ball shall
touch the shoe as far forward as the be-
ginning of the tip curve and that there
shall be room for the great toe under the
leather at the inner edge.
It will be noticed that when the foot
is returned to the normal or natural posi-
tion the instep will be higher and the foot
shorter, by about the same amount. The
results are increased height and shorter
foot. See Fig. 7. A shoe which fits the
foot in normal position will be too short,
and too narrow as well, when the foot is
let down to flat foot—splay position.
Occasionally a scout will have pain in
the ball of the foot. Its usual cause is
this: When the foot is relaxed the mus-
cles " let go." There is a small but strong
muscle across the foot from the ball of
the great toe to that of the little toe, and
this pulling them together holds up the
anterior arch. In this position the tips
of the bones hold the proper relation to
each other, and their little joint surfaces
rub evenly. Paste a strip of paper across
the front of your fingers, held together
and extended; cut it into four pieces with
scissors, and " splay " the fingers by push-
ing against the side of the first finger. The
pieces will show a " saw tooth" effect
which is part of what happens to the ends
of the bones in the foot. Also imagine
the cut spaces filled with fine threads
straight across. The displacement of
splaying would pull all . of them to a
diagonal position, and cause them to pull
harder on the papers. This is what hap-
pens to the ligaments holding the toe
bones. Then three things happen to make
foot trouble. (1) The anterior arch has
fallen, the second and third bones, usual-
ly lifted, are now taking weight and
pressing on the sole. The skin of the
sole, both deep and surface part, is not
made to sustain pressure. Pain in these
tissues, and callus in the outer skin de-
velops. (2) The joints are out of true
position. (3) The bones are pulled too
tightly together, pressing the joints and
squeezing the nerves, muscles, etc., and
frequently another pain results. This
condition is cured by returning the foot
to the normal position. Advanced flat
foot and painful foot in much older per-
sons may need medical attention.
How to Walk
Standing with feet parallel, as the foot
swings forward to step, the body should
twist at the waist so that the hip of that
side moves also slightly forward. This
results in a smooth, powerful stride, the
body gliding along, the feet planted, with
the least hammering, and pointing
straight or even a trifle pigeon-toed be-
cause of the swing or twist at the waist.
The person who waddles twists at the
waist also, but backward, so that if the
step be with the left foot, the left hip
goes definitely back and down. The leg
being thus shortened in action the pivot
or neutral point may be four or five
inches below the real hip joint, instead of
above it as in the proper stride. More-
over, the waddler shortens the foot by
planting it turned out. To prove this
have a boy toe a crack in the floor, then
turn the toes out and the mechanical
shortening to the forward direction will
be quite obvious. Worse even if possible
than the shortened leg and foot is the fact
that the waddler drops his body at each,
step and has to raise it again, one or even
two inches more than the walker. If he
takes 120 steps to the minute the result
will be the lifting of the body ten feet
each minute on the assumption that the
amount of lift is one inch. With these
three handicaps plus the inevitably weak-
ened foot from the out-toeing, it is no
wonder the waddler gets tired before any
hike is really started.
Seascout Good Turns
Seascouts, as well as their land broth-
ers, thoroughly believe in the good turn
daily; and examples in work peculiar to
the water are not uncommon. Last sum-
mer, when breaking camp at Larchmont,
N. Y., the "Curlew" expedition wanted to
show their appreciation of the courtesy of
the Larchmont Yacht Club, but no way
seemed to suggest itself until some sea-
scout said: " Let's wash down their
main deck!" (the big verandas facing
the bay.) So next morning all hands
tumbled up unusually early and getting
a hose from the caretaker and using their
own deck scrubbers and squeegees, they
gave the broad piazzas a cleaning that
made the old caretaker say: "Wall, now,
I ain't seen that done so well fer years! "
Wilkinsburg, Pa., seascouts of the
schooner " Pennsylvania " are planning to
maintain a " beach patrol " of the summer
resort beaches during the coming sum-'
mer. Seascouts will constantly be on pa-
trol to see that no drownings occur off
their strip of beach and to act as instruc-
tors in swimming and watermanship.
(This, bv the way. is a form of Red
Cross Lifesaving Corps activity which
Seascouts are peculiarly fitted for.)
The B. S. A. sloop "Essex" of South
Orange, N. T., sent details of Seascouts
to New York City to help the National
Marine League in its exhibit at the
Grand Central Palace, and will also have
men at the Motor Boat Show at Madison
Square Garden.
Seascouts of Philadelohia, Pa., noticed
the soldiers playing indoor quoits with
rope ringrs joined together with wooden
bands. " We can do better than that,"
quoth the Seascouts, and promptly made
up a large number of smooth rope grom-
mets, which made a much better ring
than the purchased article.
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 8, Number 1, January 1, 1920, periodical, January 1, 1920; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth283125/m1/9/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.