foot, thus doing away with the benefits that come from the arching of the instep. The effect on the gait is very apparent in any one who walks in high-heeled shoes. The foot itself does not appear to be greatly harmed by the wearing of high heels provided the shoes are otherwise well fitting. Whether the heels are high or low, the fit of the shoe is of utmost importance to the preservation of the feet. Crowding the feet into shoes that are too small in any direction is a fruitful means of bringing on foot trouble. Wearing shoes that are loose enough to allow the foot to turn over inside the shoe is nearly as bad. If the shoes are properly fitted in the beginning and then the heels are kept squared up, so that the feet will always stand straight on the ground, there will usually be little trouble with fallen arches or other foot disturbances. [Illustration: BONES OF THE LEG _a_, thigh; _b_, shin; _c_, foot; _d_, knee cap (From Martin’s “Human Body”)] The bones are fastened together at the movable joints by stout sheets or bands of connective tissue known as ligaments. These hold them in place very securely and as additional support the muscles which surround every joint help to prevent the bones from slipping out of place. At nearly all the joints of the body the combined action of ligaments and muscles is sufficient to guarantee the joint against dislocation; the shoulder joint, and to a less extent the hip joint, is more likely to suffer this accident. The reason is that in obtaining flexibility of movement security of attachment is somewhat lessened. If the ligaments at the shoulder were tight enough to prevent the joint from ever becoming dislocated they would bind it to a serious degree. Most of the ligaments are of inelastic connective tissue, but those that fasten the separate vertebræ of the spinal column together are elastic, allowing of the bending in every direction which makes our backs as flexible as they are. The only movable joints which are bound by other means than ligaments are the connections of the ribs with the breastbone. These are of cartilage, but the movement here is so slight that the cartilage yields enough to permit it.