Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-08-03
HIS PHANTOM LEG
Amputated Long Ago, Gives It's Owner
Painful Sensations

Painful Sensations,
nave been requested by many friends
70 note for publication some of the
nerve phenomena characterizine the
sensations have suffered from nv am
putated limb.
for years past | have heard and read
oi similar sufferings of soldiers and
others who have lost a leg, foot or hand
| and have known Of the superstition in
respect to these sensations being due to
the burial of the lost member in a
cramped condition, and of the sensa-
uons ceaslng upon the limb being relaid
IN natural position, so that | was not
wholly unprepared for what | have to
relate. But no previous warming or in
1ormatlon can give to one any anticipa-
ton of the strange ghostly, but terribly
substantial pains which are SO freouent-
~ the sequel to amputations.
There is little heed to be paid to
aught but the pain Of what are called
surgical and nervous shocks following a
thigh amputation. All one can do is to
hold on to life with all the grit he pos
sesses while passing through this Sc
we're ordeal. l think it was the fourth
day after the operation that | became
strangely conscious of my leg having
not been discovered at all. 1t was living
there in bed by the side Of it's compan-
ION, perfect IN knee, calf, ankle, heel,
instep and hollow Of foot and toes, and
as natural as it's fellow. The pain in
nearly all It's members would have suf-
iced to make it realize itself to me, but
found l could raise it from the bed,
work It's foot, articulate it's toes and
gently move it from one place to another.
1t began to be intensely painful
and soon commanded nv whole
attention. From that time to
this, about three weeks, it has
caused the only suffering l have en-
dured. The wound itself has been
free from pain, and the rest of my body
appetite has been fair and my spirits
comparatively cheerful. But let no one
make the mistake, by my saying that
these nervous emotions have been my
"only,' sufferings, or supposing that
they have consequently been slight.
On the contrary, had l been stretched
night and day on the storied rack of
the inquisition my fortunes could not
have been greater. Had Dante suffered
a similar amputation he could have
added pictures SURPRISING. anything to
be found in his Inferno" And vet,
as | have said to myself, and sometimes
|
solutely nothing there, and all these
tortures occur where nothing exists.
The reader will be curious to know
the kind and method Of these tortures.
They partake of every kind which the
spirit of cruelty could devise. At times
stream of fire courses down the calf
with a violence that tears the flesh
open; then it wreathes its flames about
the ankle and heel and makes it's escape
by deep grooves along the foot to the
toes. This changes to the limb being
as torturous clamps are put on the
ankle and heel until they seem crushed
out of all form. Small balls of fire are
pressed against the hollow of the foot,
and appear to be burning themselves
through. The toes are twisted as by a
sharp wrench and to vary the pain q
keen knife Sits open the ball of each
toe One of the most excruciating tor
lures consists in binding foot, ankle and
leg with innumerable cords and strings
attached to the toes, and then drawing
tension on them that threatens to dis
| Joint every member. AS | sit writing
these cords are on, and my foot seems
drawn nearly to the seat.
have lain in bed for hours watching
these various tortures, and wondered
what devilish appliances would come
next. These sensations are not so Vlo-
lently severe as the surgical and nervous
| shock, but the latter are OF mOmentary
endurance and one has the satisfaction
of knowing what they mean, while the
other sensations are constant and Velled
in mystery.
Surgical science calls these sensations
the effect of "nerve habit" but tell
DIR. Little he would find some other
definition if he once had them. have
wondered at times if this phantom leg,
so aflame with feeling, might not be
part of the spirit body which Sweden,
borg taught existed within the physical
| frame. :,
IF there be such a body of course it
could not be dismembered, and would
remain intact in spite of any physical
amputat1on. Being connected with Its
discovered physical limb, 1t would PROB
ABLY be subject to pain, and all the
greater and more acute because OF lts
finer material. When the wound had
completely healed the spirit llmb would
feel no painful sensations, which agrees
with what the doctor tells me, ana after
such healines these sensations will dis
+ asked the doctor what under the
snn they meant and he sharply an
swered that | had no business TO De SO
nervous. and I have to confess that
there are grounds for his lnslnualon'
but the answer is not satisfactory,
As walk on my crutches l 1eei the
amputated knee bending under me ana
the foot extending out behind. r,>
/ could dispense with my a S iiiiio
with infinite Zest.-Musc0ttne Ne"s'
pEp0RTERS