Omaha daily bee., 1883-03-14
FALSE LEGS AND ARMS.
Wonderful Perfection Reached in
Making Artificial Limbs.
What They are Made Of and
How Operated
Writing With Indian Rubber
Hs nds and Skating on
Wooden Legs.

FEWER DereOns arc INC o'Eoo's
In New York with empty sleeves and
using crutches than ia any Earopean
city wi h an equal population. The
improvement now made In the manu-
facture of artificial limbs Is most
marked, and the articles that are sup
piled to-day are 80 perfect, both IN
their construction and action, rs to al
most defy detection, and many men,
women and children now go about the
streets with artificial legs and arms
whom nobody would ever suspect OF
being MANNED.
The records Of the American Patent
Off, 80 show $50 patents, or more than
double of all European patents for
similar inventions. The civil war, In
which 30 many soldiers and sailors
were mutilated, no doub. lent great
impetus to inventors and makers. The
annual number Ct artificial limbs now
manuf ,stured in America Is estimated
at 100 LOCO. The surgical operations
in the form of amputation are com.
puted at 100, 600.
HOW THEY Ahb MADE
To supply the loss Of any n limb,
OK of oil limbs, the manufacture oil
artificial members has been brought to
such perfection that they can be used
by their wearers with almost as much
facility as the natural limbs.
Artificial limbs are now almost
univers ally made OF willow wood, ss
affording greater strength, llghtnesi
and utility than could be obtained
with other materials. The materials
formerly used were IS varied as their
mode of construction. Some were of
| tin, solid wood, and even of iron,
while the different ,ints were worked
with all sorts of complicated machin
cry In the shape of cogged wheels,
steel springs, etc., which were not
|, only cumbersome aud noisy In theii
operation, but were constantly getting
out of order.
The articles of to-day obviato al
this. Over the willow foundation iG
stretched a covering Of leather which
is ensmeled to represent the natural
flesh, while the joints are ar~ticulated
by means of light springs of steel,
rubber and cord, according to the
! formula of each particular maker.
FALSE LEGS.
Mr.. A. A. Marks, of No, 100 Broad.
way, is one of the largest manufao'
turers In this country. He now has
in his employment a man aud q boy
who are fitted each with two false legs
Both q run and walk almost as well
as those possessing their natural
limbs. The maker attributes his sue
cess to the use of rubber for the feet
of his legs and ignores what he terms
as having been SO long the bupbesr Of
all makers, the artificial ankle joint.
Certainly his legs are entirely noise
lees, while the action Of the knoe joint
10 a. perfect ss possible.
FALSE ARMS.
Hi arms are 30 constructed tina
they can be fitted to aestump ct thu
shoulder that is no longer than two ol
three inches, and yet be made to ac
almost as we'll an the natural limb
These arms are &c constructed as t.
enable the wearer to take off his hal
or put II on, raise a cigar, or to take
hold Of and lift anything Of moderate
weight. This end Ia obtained BY
means Of cords and spiiogs, the former
passing across the shoulders and being
fastened under the opposite arm
nit. Ry meana Of n sliph
downward pressure Of the STUMP
into the socket of the limb the spring
are set In action and the desired mo
tion 10 given. The hands are made o
soft rubber, with annealed wire run
ming through the fingers, which allow
them to be put into any desired posi-
tion. Others are made like the feet
Of solid rubber sponge, which affords
good grasp II anything Is placed BIZ
tween the thumb and fingers. Pa
tents thus supplied can even writ
with their hands, In proof of which h
exhibits many specimens of their cal
!, ersphy. In the palm of the hand
fitted q screw socket Into which can b
fitted q knife and fork for the purpos,
of eating at table. The most usef,
and strongest appliance, howeve
Ia q hook which screws on to tn
wrist In place of a hand, for with 1
immense weights can be lifted, psrce
carried and many other things dor
which the hand would not be oapab
of.