The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-06
REPAIRING THE VETERANS.
The Man Who Deals Out Wooden Legs and
Arms to the MANNED Soldiers.

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The Man VIII Deals Out Wooden Legs and
Arms to the MANNED Soldiers.
Washington Star.
W have the names Of about Is, 900 veterans
who have applied for repairs, said Mr.. Ramsey,
who has charge Of the artificial limb department
of the Surgeon-generaIs Office, to a Star repor-
ter. you know we fit them out with new sets
Of legs, arms or other apparatus every FIVE
years. 1t is now getting toward the close of one
of those periods, and we have repaired 1900
veterans
aren't the one-legged men dying OFF, asked
the Star man.
Now that's an interesting question. 1 guess
they are. l presume many of those whose names
we have have since died, but | can't tell certain
ly. Now, as I've said every five years we re-
construct the manned veterans of the army, but
they have their choice to take the repairs or the
money. The allowance for a leg is $40; for any
thing less than a leg is $50. From one period to
another many old veterans drop out. Some of
them make one or two applications. and then we
never hear from them again. Naturally, we
conclude when they don't send for their money
OF legs they must be dead and have no
more use for them. But we don't limit
ourselves TO men who have actually lost
their limbs. A man who has simply
lost the use of his limbs is entitled to a wooden
leg or arm, as the case may be, though he can't
wear them. So you see we can't keep a record
of all the one legged men, but | guess there
aren't as many as there used to be. Yet there
are lObS OI JHeIl, anu many WHO maven Y any icSS
at all, and some with neither legs nor arms.
Then there are many who have not lost their
limbs, but who have no power to move. There
is one man who gets two arms and two legs al
lowance who cannot move any part of his body
except the little finger on the left hand, which
he can bend the least little bit. There is an
other, a New England soldier, whose arms and
legs are dead, and who is blind in both eyes.
Not long ago a man came in here with no arms,
and sat down at one of the desks and
wrote with his teeth. 1t was not particularly
fine writing, but you could read it. know Of
another mamie was in the sharp-shooters' serv-
ice-who can't be stood on his feet because he is
bent in the back, so that his head would strike
the floor first. Think how many years these
men have suffered, and many of them are still
living! Why, there's hardly enough left of some
of them to hold together.
But you asked if they were dying off. Now,
here's a roll we are just completing" and he
laid several immense tally sheets out on his
desk. you can see how they run This is
the fourth period, and here's u man who has
got four legs, quite a number for one man,
if he used them all at once. And here's another
who has got four legs and four arms.
No, we don't furnish heads, but we supply
parts of heads, jaws and sections of skull and
eyes. Now, here's a man who got one leg in the
first period and has never got any since; he is
probably dead. But mere Is another, who came
in for repairs Just after the close of the war and
was never heard from again until now, when he
comes up again. He didn't wear out very fast.
Some men wear well and don't bother about get
ting repaired SO often Here's another man, - he
added, pointing to another name on the list;
heres q man who comes up now for the first
time, having done without his limb all these
years. 1t runs this way, you see, all the way
through. These men who have not applied for
their fourth leg, or whatever it is they want, we
conclude must be dead. Some, | presume,
will have to get five or six legs or as many
arms"
what arc the legs made off, asked the scribe.
''Willow wood generally, aud there are a va
riety Of styles. They can take their choice.
| Some take the straight stick and stump it
through life. Some legs have rubber feet and
rubber joints. There is one made with very fine
ball and socket joints at the foot. There are
men with wooden legs whom you never suspect.
We furnish limbs to some brave and distin-
guished men. There are several officers of high
rank who come here for arms and legs. There
is a young lieutenant we recently supplied with
one arm, who is, l believe, the only survivor OF
the Custer massacre"