Jay, I see your point(s). I don't have the reference readily available, but in my scant research on the footbinding practice (because of the missionary work), I understand that the pain was lifelong -- now I don't know if that was true for all or just for some. I'm sure it was akin to arthritis. Are there any Chinese cultural experts out there who might weigh in? One question, though; I knew you'd come back with your comment on the demands of society on 19th century women, and I do agree, however, isn't it a little different from being 2(or whatever age it was) and having your feet bound? Candace ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).