From squashed ribs to displaced spleens vintage X-Rays reveal the shocking impact corsets had on women's bodies

From squashed ribs and hearts to displaced spleens, X-Rays of Victorian women wearing waist-clinching corsets show the discomfort they endured in the name of 'beauty'.



Included in Le Corset , a tome written by Paris-based Dr Ludovis O’Followell at the turn of the Twentieth century, the images were an attempt to illustrate the impact of fashion on health.



Normal chest X-Rays show ribs running parallel with organs in the correct position, while 'after' shots of volunteers wearing metal-ribbed undergarments feature sucked in stomachs, bent ribs and crushed organs.

Before and after: Normal chest X-Rays show ribs running parallel with organs in the correct position (left) while shots of corset-wearers feature bent ribs and crushed organs (right)



Commenting on the X-Rays , Dr Natalie Azar, of New York University's Langone Medical Center, told MailOnline: 'The corsets are compressing the contents of the rib cage; specifically, the heart and the lungs.

'The lung compression is the major issue. You can see where the corset narrows especially at the lower ribs affecting how the lung can fully expand.



'Longstanding lung dysfunction can lead to heart problems, among other things.'

Before and after: The dotted lines illustrate how the ribs are pushed in by the corset

Tight squeeze: Here the metal ribbing in the corset can be seen

According to Valeire Steele, author of The Corset: A Cultural History , Dr O’Followell did not want the corset to be abolished, but was trying to encourage a less severe design.

At the time those who tried to trim their waists down to miniscule proportions complained of feeling faint and breathless.

Physicians also suggested that placing pressure on internal organs could lead to ailments including tuberculosis, cancer and curvature of the spine.

Impact of fashion on health: Dr O'Followell's diagram shows how the corset (right) causes organs to move

Ms Steele says that to some degree Dr O’Followell's efforts worked, and manufacturers started experimenting with more flexible materials.



She writes: 'Some doctors responded to the controversy by inventing ‘improved’, ‘hygienic’ versions of the corset.'

Corsets have been used for centuries to shape the body into a fashionable silhouette.

For women this most frequently emphasizes an hourglass figure, by reducing the waist to exaggerate the bust and hips.



In the name of beauty: Corsets have been used for centuries to shape the body into a fashionable silhouette



The hit TV series Mad Men is thought to have reignited the trend for corsets and shapewear over recent years.



Rowan Pelling, former editor of Erotic Review, said: ‘Mad Men has led to a stampede for corsets. It hasn’t been a fashionable look, but now the women with waists and busts are striking back.’