Chinese foot binding
I thought had a good idea what happened when Chinese girls went through when their parents bound their feet to make them look "pretty" but I had no idea what the reality was.
A friend of GrrlScientist sent her some photos and she posted them at her blog:
Living the Scientific Life
A Podiatrist's Nightmare
A friend sent these images depicting foot-binding in China. To say the least, I knew this practice was painful and caused permanent malformations, but seeing the damage makes my own feet scream in agony. How did such a strange and harmful behavior like this ever become a cultural fashion/fad/fetish?
An elderly Chinese woman who was one of the countless victims of foot-binding. She can barely stand or walk, even with assistance. Gee, I wonder why?
Scroll down for the photos -- the bones are not just bent, they are broken and the foot is entirely rearticulated. Not for the squeamish -- the last couple images are going to be with me for a long long time...
Posted by DaveH at May 14, 2008 11:44 AM