The West-End System; A Scientific and Practical Method of Cutting All Kinds of Garments, by E. Giles [And Others]. - Metropolitan Foremen Society

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1875 Excerpt: ...must next enquire how the increase of flesh is distributed. We find, on consulting physiological authorities, that the greater part of the excess goes to the front, a small portion to the sides, gradually impairing the contour of the waist, and a still smaller portion to the back, and, as obesity further increases, a yet larger relative proportion protrudes forward; the hollow of the waist disappears, and the back receives but a slight addition of the accumulation. With these well authenticated facts before us, it becomes necessary to divide this abnormality into two classes; the first, beginning from the proportionate waist, and ranging up to where breast and waist are equalised, this we will call minor corpulence; the second begins where the first stops, and covers all cases in which the waist exceeds the breast measure, this is major corpulence. Making use again of the 18 breast measure, we may remark that 15 would be the lowest degree of minor corpulence and 18 the highest; and 18-would commence the major corpulence, and proceed ad infinitum to the last degree in this class. In the stage of minor corpulency the greater part of the disproportion is allowed on at the side seam; and this process is adhered to until the waist equals the breast in size, then any further increase must be treated as major corpulency, when we shall find the front receives the larger quantity of the accumulated increase. We do not think that the least experienced of our readers will understand us as implying that in all cases of corpulency the excess assumes the same immutable development. The process of transition may vary in degree and in locality, and therefore require special treatment. In some figures the increment will show itself in the precise manner we have pointe..."