Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-07-28
ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.
How Tbcy Are Made I" Duplicate tn
Originals.

| old, gray-harcd man. surrounding
him on all sides are legs Of many shapes
| and .'lcs Some are short and stout,
with rather too much calf for strictly
classical brauiye others are long and
slim, with II dcplornblc lack Of calf,
while Others vie in shapclincss with the
neither limbs of u Greek slave or a
Venus de Milo.
The old man when visited recently
was hard ut work, but consented to
give the writer a few particulars in re-
gard to his business.
"Now that" he said, pointing to a
shapcly leg hanging over the fire. "bc-
longs to Ncwburyport Young lady. "
That" continued the old man. "is
what's known as n knec-bcaring leg |
made ii for her three years ago. when
she was about II years old. She lost
her leg little below the knce-so short
that she couldn't wear sockct-bcaring
leg, and so she was obliged to have a
knee bearing, to walk on the knee. She
has grown little since, and so | was
obliged to lungthcn it out. | cut the
leg in two at the calf and put in piece,
dovctailing it and fastening it with glue
I've histcd II child's leg least at four
inches before it was given up, when its
parents were poor and couldn't afford a
new one.
'llow did the young lady lose her
ieg?'
II don't know: didn't ask her. I
never ask anybody. for some are very
sensitive about i, especially men. You
see great many men lose their legs by
being run over when they are drunk.
do not believe I've asked man that
question for ten years. Now here,n
picking up leg IN process Of construc-
ton, legs don't weigh as much rs
you'd think. Including all the IRON
work, the leg wouldn wcigL,morc than
five pounds. have just made one for
| II full-grown woman that weighed, cv-
crything complete, including the upper
socket, exactly three pounds. | made
it particularly light on account of her
being sickly. | want to show you now
whcsc we get the durability. The steel
| anklc-joints are, you see, set in the
wood, and slightly broader at the ankle
than further up tn" leg, which makes
them sortcr dovctailcd. The bearing
down strain is borne in part by them
and partly by an endless and very
powerful cord some make it Of silk,
but always use linen cn-cxtcndng from
the heel of the foot over bar in the
| calf of the leg. which is hollow The
cord relieves principally what is called
the nosing, where the shin plays into
the foot.
"lhc anklc-joints are, you see, con-
nected by steel bolt. which makes the
leg particularly strong about the ankle,
where the most strain comes. The toe
joint Is located at the same place as in
The natural foot, and works with a
spring that brings the toe into place
after each step. The wood? | use
willow altogether, and have never used
any other. have shown you one used
where the leg has been lost below the
knee.
Now this producing another leg,
''is for one lost above the knee. 1t Is
the same in every particular as the
other, with the addition of wooden
socket to secure the stump. 1t works
at the knee in very natural manner
on simple bolt with spring extend
ing from the thin piece to the lower
part Of the top socket. This spring
throws the foot forward, in walking,
the minute the toe leaves the floor.
You will observe that if the ampu-
| tation is above the knee the leg must
Dc held in place by suspendcrs made of
stout wclt-part elastic and part nom
elastIc-cXtending over the shoulder.
ii with n long stump below the knee,
the leather socket, laced above the
knee, is usually sufficient.
'lt, however, there is but short
stump below the knee strap is re-
quired. Every weak point in leg is
specially guarded, in some way or
other; and when the steel and wood
work are complete the leg is covered
with caliSkln similar to Il drlm-head,
1t is put on wet and dries to the leg,
very closely, adding a great deal to its
strength. Then that is sand-papcrcd
down to Il surface. and the holes in the
| calf opened ont. They are for ventia-
ton, but doubt if they do any good.
| always put them in, because good
many are of the notion they are. Then
the leg is painted. use alcoholic
paint, made of gum and dry lead. The
minute it strikes water it is set, and YOU
can't wash it off with anything except
alcohol.
"ill show you Log producing a
particularly lifelikc one, the foot of
which bore shoe and stocking, "that
has been painted seventeen years, and
Is. you see, in pretty good condition.
What do YOU consider your most
singular casc?'
That of Il little boy that lives near
the old reservoir lie was brought to
me in his fathers arms when he was
lG or II months old, and had never
walked a step. didn't dare to touch
him, he was SO young and tender, and
his father took him to DR.. Shaw. The
doctor advised him to get limb right
off, so rs to prevent hip disease on the
other side. That had never occurred
to me. The doctors opinion took all
the responsibility away from me; and
so went to work at once, and made a
leg for the boy. lie learned to walk
with it, and walks and runs with it
now SO well that you'd hardly know
he'd lost a leg. l have customers all
over the country-one in Saginaw,
Mich, and another in Lcavenworth,
Kan, and at least a dozen in Nova
Scotia. In the Boston custom-house
have quite number
"How long will a leg wcar?"
at is Il question often asked me, and
n very hard one to answer. | have a
customer that has worn leg for twcn-
ty-onc years, and | know men that
would not wear a leg two years. 1t is
just us it is with everything else. Some
take care of them, and others stave
them out very quickly.
"Thc government you know, allows
soldiers a new leg every five years, or
$40 That looks rs il they thought five
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