0 deg.-110 deg. with the seat. The feet
should rest on a sloping stool, and when the child is reading or
writing, a desk sloping at an angle of 45 deg. should be used. In weakly
girls approaching the period of puberty, special care should be taken
to avoid compression of the trunk by tight corsets. Adenoids or other
sources of respiratory obstruction must be removed; and if the patient
is myopic she should be provided with suitable glasses. Standing
should be avoided, as there is a great tendency to throw the weight on
to one leg; but walking, running, and other exercises which bring both
sides of the body into action equally are permitted under supervision.
Horse-riding is a suitable form of exercise, but girls must ride
astride; cycling is not to be recommended.

In mild cases--that is, those in which the curvature is obliterated
when the patient is suspended--the prophylactic measures above
mentioned must be rigidly enforced, and gymnastic exercises should be
prescribed. The exercises should not be commenced, however, until,
after a period of rest in bed, all pain and feeling of tiredness in
the back have disappeared.

In cases in which the curvature is not affected by suspension, the
deformity is usually permanent, but by suitable exercises it may be
prevented from becoming worse, and the patient may be educated to
disguise it to a considerable extent. Training is also directed
towards _regaining the muscular sense_; with the eyes shut before a
mirror, the child should endeavour to assume the correct posture; on
opening the eyes, the faulty attitude is seen and corrected. Forcible
correction by means of successive plaster jackets, applied in _the
flexed position_, somewhat on the lines employed by Calot in Pott's
disease, has yielded results which may be described as encouraging.
Only in very advanced cases should the patient be allowed to wear a
supporting jacket; such appliances have no curative effect, and can
only be expected to relieve symptoms.

* * * * *

_Exercises for Lateral Curvature._--The particular exercises given
must be carefully selected to meet the indications present in each
case, the movements prescribed being designed to strengthen the weak
muscles and ligaments, to increase the mobility of the spine as a
whole, and to correct the deviation that exists. The exercises should
be taken twice daily, preferably in the morning and afternoon, and
after each spell the