The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-01-09

their prime whom the war ended, Il
years ago. As for cripples becoming
rare, that is true a. far - their oeasinl
to be conspicuous objects, but En-
here among us oil ~ s.V .,
'efsn as that the perfection 10 whicl
the making II artificial limbs hss bse,
carried, especially in legs, prevents th
matilation 81 their wearers being no
ticed. Many med wander about Will
artificial legs whom nobody would sv,e
suspect Of being maimcd."
In q practical demonstration Of VII.
he said he called upon three Of his EN-
ployees--ay young woman, . boy and
middls-aged man=and let them walk
ing h and fro in his large Office. Their,
was nothing peculiarly observable in tn,
gait Of either-no heavy, wooden tramp
no stiffness in The motions Of the feet
and no hating in the alternating steps
yet tho young woman wof6 One artifi
cial leg, and each 1t the others were SUP
ported on two wooden limbs.
There, . he continued, with in air Of
triumph, aais the climax Of scientific
invention in this direction. Nobody
would imagine seeing them in tho street
that they have been crippled. And the
young woman will dance all night with
That substitute leg without her partner
suspecting its existence, the man will
skate, and the boy run . race. This i.
all attained by the use Of solid rubber
foot that Is elastic under the heel tread
and bends at the toes like Q natural
foot. I could point out to you in the
street scores of mon that wear these rub.
Der feet, not only old soldiers, but vic.
Tins Of railway and other accidents, and
you would not recognize in their e,.sy
springy and noiseless walk that they
were not in possession Of all their nat
ural members. And that il the great
reason why cripples are disappearing.
1t is . common error that more men
were MANNED in battle during the war
than during any other time Of equal
duration in the history Of the country,
but the fact is that there are as MANY
cripples made by the railroads in each
year now Is were made by the war in
any year Of the war. That affirm from
intimate knowledge Of more than 6,OOt
cases. According to tho war records
there were only about 1000 cripples
made on both sides, North and Sonth.
by the war. Of course the exact mum.
Der has not been, and cannot be sscer.
tanned, for not only were many cases
never reported, but in not a iev in.
stances injuries received in battle led
to amputation q number Of years after.
wards, 80 long that thew could mot have
been included in the Official records a,
kept an exact account Of. There wm
Henry La Rue. Of Pennsvlvsnia. for IN.
stance, who had a Leo amputsted IN
1877, in consequence Of q fracture re-.
ceived in 1865. when he Wa 4 membe,
Of the 18th Pa. Cav.
II have made thousands of legs and
arms for soldiers, who are supplied with
them free of cost bv the rovernment
They are allowed a naw limb avarv f,vs
years. A rood Leo Of willow. we'll made,
With GOOD steel Joints and anrinos. And
. rubber foot, will last Is years. with
proper care. and an arm ia oood
for a lifetime. The elasticitv ~
the rubber foot incressea the dnr.
ability a. we'll a. the servicea.
bility of the Leo. Afirst. class lao cost,
500. I have heard Of artificisl iaos
being made to order in France With
gold.plated joints and ell sorts Of fancy
business, costing several bundled dol.
lars, but have never been called upon
to get mn ANYTHING of The kind and r
I had to wear en- ARTIFICIAL Leo I Am
sure I would prefer 8 plain one With
that great American invention, the rub.
Der feet, rather than sny gold plated
or ieweled one without e. I Am called
upon TO furnish from 5000 arms and
legs, comparatively few of tho former.
every year, and Won may say. on nv
authority. that the railroad system 81
this country, ~ atpresent conducted.
and the machinery used in 20 many
branches OF manufacture, NAV be relied
upon to make three cripples for every
one that would be likely 70 be made by
another war"
A dealer in surgical appliances said :
II do not deal in artificial limbs anv
more, for the reason that the things /
have to keep are multifarious enough "a
set mans head whirline. and TO prose.
cute the artificial limb business proper.
ly requires exclusive attention to it.
But I know all about it, and I often
have to repair arms and legs, 20 that ]
meet many persons who wear such
things, and I give You my word that /
have been surprised more than once BY
men who came into nv store and dis.
closed that they had artificial legs. /
had not observed any indication Of il
in their walk. I know . girl en-