The impression that flat foot is a very rare condition is almost universal, even among medical men. This, however, is erroneous; on the contrary, it is a very common affection, just how common it is impossible to tell, because the patients in only a relatively small proportion of all cases ever come to the physician for treatment, and of this small number probably only a small percentage are correctly diagnosed.
Absolutely conclusive statistics on this point either do not exist, or I have been unable to find them. In Munson's1 work we find the statement that of 9,901 members of the Illinois National Guard who offered themselves for the United States service in 1898, 33, or 3.3 per thousand, were rejected because of excessive or painful flat foot. All of these had previously passed the physical examination required to enter the State Militia. How many were rejected during this