The Portland daily press., 1890-12-06
RENEWING HIS LEGS.
A Manned Soldier eeta a New Limb
every Five Years.


A law passed by congress in 1870 de-
clared that every soldier or sailor who
had lost limb, or the use of it, in the
service Of this country should be sup
piled with an artificial one to replace it
once every five years, at the governments
expense. Or, it was provided that If the
beneficiary did not wish to take the limb
he should be paid its cash value instead.
Now, an artificial limb is pretty costly
thing, and many an old soldier prefers
to stump around on wooden peg and
put his $75 in his pocket. That is the
amount given as Communication" SC
called, for a leg, $50 being the amount
paid for an arm.
1t must be remembered that the law
covers not merely limbs lost but also
limbs rendered useless. A man whose
hand has been disabled by contraction
of the fingers, resulting from disease or
injury incidental to service, is entitled
to an artificial arm; if his foot has been
amputated above the ankle he is entitled
to whole artificial leg. OF course there
are many more old soldiers who have
disabled limbs than have lost them, and
they necessarily draw the money.
VETERANS PREFER MONEY.
Thus you will find that out of $4,000
veterans who receive this bounty from
the government every five years only
about 800 call for actual arms and legs,
the rest accepting cash instead. Per-
haps as many as 600 more prefer to go
without the artificial legs they need as
a measure Of economy, using stumps or
crutches instead The one armed men
take their checks nearly every time.
When the law was first passed nearly as
many arms were called for as legs, but
the cripples soon discovered by expert
ment that, while an artificial leg is a
most useful piece of mechanism and
fair substitute for the real article, the
best false arm is hardly more than a
thing for ornamental purposes. So it
came about that there have been few ap-
plications for arms since, ninety-nine
legs being made at government expense
for every arm.
The average leg of the best quality
lasts about eight years, and those of the
NNbNA oAo WIN ucO tllC1lA ttlC lAOotly ttC-
custolned to make them do for ten years
though they may get somewhat dilapi-
dated and shaky in the joints toward
the end-being thus enabled to draw
their $40 every other five years. The
government has list of about forty
artificial limb factories in all parts of
the United States from which the vet
Grams may make their own selection, SO
that any one may have his leg or arm
turned out by any of these establish
ments that he prefers All of the man.
ufacturers on the list are under bonds
Of $4,000 each to supply old soldiers
with satisfactory goods.
1t is provided incidentally by the law
that the person needing the limb and
being provided with a certificate for it
shall be given free transportation from
his home to any city he desires where
factory is situated, with sleeping car
accommodations, and return. Thus a
veteran in New York may desire to be
measured for leg in San Francisco,
and If so is entitled to trip across the
continent and back once in five years in
a Pullman palace car free of expense.
He must pay for his meals en- route,
however.
HOW LEGS ARE MADE.
Since the war, which necessarily Gre
ated an enlarged demand for artificial
limbs, there has been vast improvement
in their manufacture. Legs are made
so admirably now that one can walk
with artificial limbs SO well as to exhibit
very little difficulty in the gait. Willow
or Eastwood is the material used. The
lumber is most carefully selected, and
cut into blocks eight inches square and
four feet long. Holes are drilled through
these blocks lengthwise with an anger,
and they are allowed to season for three
years. Then they are ready for use.
The block is carved and sandpapered
into shape as exactly like real leg as
possible. Next it is followed out to the
desired thickness, after which it is COW
cred with kid and the surface rendered
waterproof by coating Of a peculiar
varnish. The lower part of the limb is
connected with the upper by an ingeni-
Gus knee joint. and the whole interior Of
the leg is filled with mechanism in
which spiral spring plays an important
part.
A veteran is entitled by law to one
limb or its equivalent in money for each
amputation suffered, so that some old
soldiers who have no limbs left that are
of any use get four new ones every five
years, or $3.50 if they prefer. Out of all
legs lost by men 3S per cent. are ampu-
tated because of war, and only IS per
cent. on account of disease, 81 per cent.
OF the cases being due to railways, which
are thus seen to occasion the loss Of al
most as many as battle.
1t should not be forgotten to mention
that not merely the veterans of the war,
but all soldiers and sailors, and civilians
as well, who lose a limb or the use of it
in the service of the United States are
entitled to the bounty described once in
five years. 49, '>-'>~- 49,