Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-10-04
Making ARTIFICIAL LImbs.

Artificial limbs are made OF willow,
which is the best wood for the purpose
known, on account Of its lightness and
strength and because it does not warp
and finishes nicely. The shaping OF
the leg is done entirely by the eye,
aided by anatomical knowledge and
the few measurements that are taken.
The foot of the artificial 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 alternately. This
spring is connected with spring OF
sleeps gut which passes back to the
foot, over a small half pulley-block in
the heel, and is attached to an adjust
able bar in the calf of the leg by
steel wire with hook at the end. The
other end of the small bar is connected
with the heel by two strings of cat-gut
of larger size, which are so stout that
they can sustain the weight of q ton.
1t used to be the method to pass the
cat-gut through two holes in the bot
tom of the foot and then tie q simple
knot But it was found that friction
even of 1000 of an inch would cause
the cat-gut to break in time, so Mr..
Douglas now passes the cords into q
small hole in front of the heel and
there fastens them by steel ferrule.
In the centre of the half-pulley block
in the heel is small steel axle and
the block is firmly fixed against small
piece of hickory. The axle, with the
elasticity and the adjustable bar in the
calf of the leg, allow the foot to turn
with the pliance of the real article. Ii
the amputation is below the knee the
adjustment to the stump is made by a
socket of soft leather lined with the
finest buck-skin, and is fastened to the
stump by lacings. This socket is at
tached to the artificial legs with strong
steel bars of the finest quality running
perpendicularly.
If the amputation is above the knee
the socket is of wood instead of buck.
skin and is fastened to the body by
elastic straps running over the shoul
ders. The knee-joint is the finest piec'
of workmanship in the leg. The con
nection of the artificial leg and thigl
is sometimes made by cords of threaC
d. running up the leg and fastened to th'
thigh by straps; but the objection t.
this method was that the threads woult
soon wear out. 50 Mr.. Douglas hit oil
an ingenious method of his own. Thi
consists of pliable strip of steel run
ming to bar in the lower end of tn
artificial thigh, and so the weight O
the body is thrown almost equally OF
the bar and bolt. Very great care ha
to be used in the manufacture OF al
the bars, bolts, and steel work in tn
leg. The bolts are made as hard a
possible, but the other steel parts ar
made little softer, so as to preven
friction The bolts are also inter
changeable, so when after five years
slight wear is noticed in them, frt
quently so slight that the roughnes
can only be perceived by running tn
finger across the bolts, by turnin
them a quarter round fresh side ca
be exposed to the rubbing. The les
after being shaped and fitted, is COY
cred with raw calf-skin, slightly damp
and is then hung up to dry oyer fiji
: for three or four days. The calf-ski
is then sand-papered to the smoothne'
of q watch crystal and the limb is CO.
cred with fifty coatings Of ename
which give it cold life-likeness. Thel
is, of course, every variety of size. fl
persons weighing from forty to thr,
hundred pounds.-M y COnamerci
Advertiser.