The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-02-09
Aar,e,o,AL LlMss.

How They Are Made and the Way to on
and Adjust Thom.
d. De Forest Douglass IL the artisan
who has made Springfield f9mous for
the manufacture Of fine artificial
limbs. About thirty wears ago Mr..
Douglass was wood.carver and cab
met maker, but he found that this
business was SO monopollzed by large
firms using machinery that there was
little opportunity for the hand-carves
to make decent living. Looking
about for some business in which there
was more chance for the skilled work.
man, he finally decided to apply him
self to the manufacture of artificial
limbs, and after much thought and ex-
pertinent he took out a patent in 1860.
Before Mr.. ID D,uglass' time artificial
limbs were ex remelv complicated, but
Mr.. Douglass has greatly simplified
their construction. SO that now
the patient himsek can oil
and adjust them; and he has at
the same time SO closely counter
feited nature that it is difficult to dis
tinguish the artificial member from
genuine flesh and blood. When an
artificial leg is to be made the stump
is tightly bandagcd from a fortnight
to six weeks to reduce the flesh. Dur
ing This time at least dozen measure
ments are taken of the other leg and
Of the stump, and by these measures
ments a rough leg is worked out,
which is fitted and thoroughly tested.
This done. the leg is taken back to the
factory and finished. The shaping Of
the leg depends entirely on the eye Of
the workman, assisted by his anatom.
ical knowledge and the measurements.
The wood generally used is willow,
because 1t does not warp. and because
1t is light. strong. and capable Of being
nicely finished. The patient is always
visited, If possible. but If not the same
measurements are taken, and the work.
man rarely fails to reproduce exactly
the size, shape and appearance Of the
remaining limb. The foot of the arti-
fetal leg is hollow. and even the toes
are carved with great exactness. They
are hinged to the rest of the foot and
are connected with double spring.
which acts on the toes and foot al
ternately. This spring is connected
with string of sleeps gut which
passes back of the foot over small
half-pulley block in the heel and is
attached to an adjustable bar in the
calf Of the leg by a steel wire with a
hook at the end. The other end Of the
small bar is connected with the heel
by two strings of catgut of larger size,
which are SO stout that they can sus-
tain the weight of a ton. 1t used to
be the method to pass this catgut
through two holes in the bottom of the
foot and then tie a simple knot But
it was found that friction even of l.
/. OO0th of an inch would cause the cali
gut to broak in time, so Mr. Douglass
now passes the cords into small hole
in front of the heel and there fastens
them by asteel ferule. In the center Of
the half-pulley block in the heel is a
small steel axle. and the block is
firmly fixed against a small piece Of
hickory. The axle, with the elasticity
and the adjustable bar in the calf OF
the leg. allows the foot to turn with
the pliancy of the real article. II the
amputation is made below the knee,
the adjustment to the stumpis made
by socket of soft leather lined with
the finest buckskin. and is fastened to
the stump by lacings. The socket is
attached to the sartificial legs with
strong steel bars running perpendicu'
larly. II the ampntation is above the
knee the socket is of wood instead oi
buckskin, and is fastened to the body
by elastic straps running over the
shoulders. The knee joint is the finest
| piece of workmanship in the leg. The
connection of the artificial leg and
thigh is sometimes made by cords
of thread running up the log
and fastened to the thigh by straps.
but Mr. Douglass has an ingenious
method of his own. A pliable STRAP
of steel is run to bar in the lower
end of the artificial thigh, throwing
the weight Of the body almost equally
on the bar and the bolt The greatest
care is exercised in the manufacture oi
the bars, belts and steel work of the
leg. In order 10 prevent friction the
bolts are made as hard as possible. and
the remaining steel work is made 9
little softer. As the bolts are inter.
changeable whenever slight wear II
noticed, new surface can be exposed
to wear by turning them a quarter
ronnd. The leg being shaped and
fitted is covered with raw calfskin,
slightly damped. and dried over fire
for three Or four. days The skin IL
then sandpapered to perfect smooth
ness and covered with fifty coats o.
enamel, which gives to the leg cold,