Dear Sir, - With great interest I read in your number of January 4 the letter of a lady dealing with the question of disability boots, wherein she mentioned that she is often followed by men who take an apparent interest in her high boots. I agree with the lady that this is certainly due to the fact that nowadays high boots are not often to be seen. But in my opinion, that is only one part of the explanation. The writer says that she has to wear leg-irons owing to the weakness of her ankle. Now I believe that this attracts her followers as much, or even more, than the high boots. I think it would be interesting if you put to discussion this point of view.
The lady hopes that she recovers so far, that she may leave her home without leg-irons. For this I wish her soon fulfillment, but it would be quite interesting to hear from her, whether she attracts attention in the same way as when having her poor little foot bandaged by the leg-irons.
May I add an experience of my own in this respect? Some years ago a young lady of my acquaintance, aged 21, met with a very bad motor accident. Besides other more harmless injuries, both her knees were broken. She recovered comparatively soon, but there remained a considerable weakness in the knees, so that she could not walk without crutches.
After having tried cure after curer a well-known Berlin orthopaedist made her strong irons for both legs. With these she could stand and walk without difficulty; she needed not even a walking-stick.
When I met her, I sympathised with her foe her mishap, but she laughed at me.
"You know," she said, "when I was sound no one cared for me, the ugly girl." (Here I most interpolate that though being a well-built girl, she was very much disfigured by a big red birthmark on her left cheek.) "That has changed very much since I have to wear these leg-irons. Surely, many people stare at me only for curiosity. But there are many others who show a keen interest in my orthopaedic machines. I have now a friend who has much pleasure in seeing my poor iron-strapped legs. His greatest delight is when I allow him to help me to put on the leg-irons. So, notwithstanding the heavy troubles such disability has in consequence for me, I feel quite happy."
Not long afterwards they were married - much deplored by me, for I myself liked to see those iron-strapped machines. They left Berlin, but I know from occasional letters that they are really happy.
Perhaps a short description of the leg irons used by the lady would interest. The irons consist of three steel rods for each leg, sometimes more than 1 inch broad and artificially moulded to the form of the leg. They reach from the ankle up to the thigh.
With broad leather straps the irons are fastened to the leg, one behind, the two others on the side. Over the knee there is a special leatherwork. The result is that both legs are absolutely stiff, whereas the ankles can be moved.
As the rods are absolutely flat and the straps not as thick as usual with such orthopaedic machines, there is no difficulty in wearing high boots. Nevertheless, it is well to be seen that beneath the leather the leg-irons are worn. Following a wish of her husband, the lady wears short shirts.
Now, dear sir, I fear the letter has become a very long one, but the question interested me very much and Miss "Big Boot" asking for experiences I would not fail to answer her. I would be very glad if you could put to discussion the problem from this point of view, and I am sure it will interest those ladies who have the misfortune to wear their foot or leg iron strapped or those readers who are fond of seeing such garments besides or in connection with nice high boots.
All these will certainly give their commentaries too.
May I, dear sir, at the end apologise that I address you in surely not spotless English but that are about 20 years ago that I came home from Africa and I had since only seldom the opportunity to have a talk with an Englishman.
Yours truly,
Leg-Iron. Berlin.