The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-03-30
ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.
How They Are Made to Duplicate the
Original.


Court street store in which works an old.
lgray-haired man. Surrounding him on
all sides are legs of many shapes and
sizes. Some are short and stout, with
rather too much calf for strictly classical
|, bea,lty. others are long and slim, with a
deplorable lack Of calf. while others vie
in shapeliness with the neither limbs Of .
Greek slave or Venus de Milo.
The old man when visited recently
was herd at work, but consented to give
the writer q few particulars in regard to
his business.
"Now, that" he said, pointing 10
. shapely leg hanging over the fire, ''be-
longs to . Newbaryport young lady"
THAT" continued the old man. SIS
what's kaown IS knee bearing leg. I
made it for her three years ago, when
she was about fourteen years old. She
lost her leg little below the kuee-so
short she couldn't wear socket bear
ing-leg, 20 she was obi nd to have q
kneer-bearing. TO walk On H. zee. She
has grown q little since, and SO was
obliged to lengtheRed it out. cut the
Leo in TIVE ut the calf and put ia piece,
dovetailing il and fastening it with glue.
I've histed . child's leg lesst at four
inches before i was given up, when its
parents were poor and couldn't afford
new one"
'.How did the young lady lose herlegr
Il don't know; didn't ask her. /
never ask anybody, for some are very
sensitive about it, especially men. You
see great many men lose their legs by
! being run over when they are drunk. /
do not believe I've asked y man that
question for ten years. Now here"
picking up leg in process of construc-
ton. "legs don't weigh as much as
you'd think. Including all the IRON
work, that leg wouldn't weigh more
than five pounds. / have just made
one for q fun-grown woman that
weighed, everything complete, including
the upper socket, exactly three pounds.
made it particularly light on account
of her being sickly. / want to show
you now whether we get the durability.
The steel ankle-joints are. you see, set
in the wood, and slightly broader at the
ankle than further up the leg, which
makes them sorter dovetailed. The
bearing down strain is borne in part by
them and partly by an endless aud very
powerful cord-s0me make it of silk,
but always use Misunderstanding from
the heel of the foot over bar in the
calf of the leg. which is hollow. The
cord relieves principally what IL called
the nosing.' where the shin plays into
\ the foot.
The ankle joints are, you see, con-
nected by a 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 q
spring that brings the toe into place
after each step. The woodp I use will
low altogether, and have never used any
other. 1 have shown you one used
where the leg has been lost below the knee
'+Now this, producing another leg.
sis for one lost above the knee. 1t is
the same in every particular as the other,
with the addition of q wooden socket
to secure the stump. 1t works 1T the
knee in . very natural manner on .
simple bolt, with q spring extending
! the top socket. This spring throws the
foot forward. in walking, the minute the
toe leaves the floor.
sYoa will observe that If the amputa-
ton il above the knee the leg must be
held 10 place by suspenders made of
stout. welt-part elastic and part non
elastic-extending over the shoulder.
If with long stump below the knee,
the leather socket, laced above the
knee, is usually sufficient.
"If, however, there is but short
stump below the knee strap is required.
Every weak point ia leg is specially
guarded, in some way or other; and
when the steel and woodwork is COM
plete the leg is covered with calfskin
similar to q drum-head. 1t is put on
wet and dries to the leg, very closely,
adding 8 great deal to its strength.
Then that is sand-papered down to q
surface, and the holes in the calf opened
out. They are for ventilation, but I
p doubt IL 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.
"rll show you Leg" producing .
particularly hfelike one, the foot Of
which bore shoe and stocking, ''that
has been painted seventeen years and IL,
you ZEE. in pretty good condition"
What do you consider your most
singular caset" =
THAT Of little boy that lives near
The old reservoir. He was brought TO
me in his fathers arms when he was six
teen or seventeen months old, and had
never walked step. didn't dare 10
touch hin, hs uas 30 young and tender,
and his father took him 10 DR.. Shaw.
The doctor advised him to get . limb
I right of 50 a. 70 prevent hip disease. on
The other side. That had never occurred
20 me. The doctors opinion took all
the responsibility Away from nae; and 30
Invent 70 work ct once, and N ssde Lex