Elementary Course in Practipedics, by the American School of Practipedics, Chicago (small HC, 1946, $3, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
Oh my, do I love this blogging job! I learn the most amazing stuff!
Back in my high school days my strict parents forbid me to wear boots or sandals. I got around the boot issue when my grandfather died, and I needed boots to wear in the snowy cemetary. I got around the sandle ban when I had a toe surgery and couldn't fit the massive bandage in a shoe. Dr Scholl's Exercise Sandals were the answer to my prayers, in more ways that one.
William Scholl was the son of a cobbler. He began work in a shoe store, and saw the pain some customers experienced. A man with a mission, he graduated from Illinois Medical College in 1904. In 1906 he started his company and proved to be quite an innovator, both with his patented foot care inventions, and with his marketing skills. (His motto was, "Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell, and advertise!) Prior to opening his own retail store in 1928, he sold to shoe stores. In 1912 he opened his own medical podiatrists college. Even now, 1/3 of all podiatrist graduate from here.
Scholl was a remarkable social activist. Even in 1912 he allowed blacks to enroll in his college. He started the first Free Foot Clinics. During WWII he also ran clinics at USO events, and taught the military about foot problems and treatments. He died in 1968, but in 1988 his company was still trying to help society, this time by gathering shoes to give to the homeless.
Dr. Scholl wanted his salespeople to be knowledgable about feet. He would even pay them more if they finished a podiatry correspondence course. This 1946 training book teaches about foot anatomy, especially arches. (You have got to check out those "arch fitter" machines pictured in chapter 5.) You learn how to apply his patented devices and pads, how to "Handle a Customer", and how to fit someone for shoes.
An interesting piece of trivia- Dr. Scholl personally sold arch supports to Kaiser Wilhelm II. Look for this book on the new non-fiction table, avail. 3/14. (later- fin. comp.)
