The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-12
LIKE A NATURAL HAND,
Warmed by Electricity to
Resemble the Living
Member.
A New York Inventors Scheme to
Add to the Value of Artificial
Limbs.

There IS genius on Canal street who
thinks he is going to make his fortune. He
is an inventor, and occupies an attic room
in an old gambreEroofed house, from the
windows of which he can see the Georgian
spire of st. Johns Church. At present he
| is living on the proceeds of the sale of a
patented waistband buckle, and times are
rather hard with him, but he is confident
| that both fame and fortune are in his path
| and grasp. The two terms are used adj
visedly, because his Inversion is that OF
patent caloritied and vibrant artificial
hands and feet.
"You see," said the inventor, taking a
beautifully modelled and articulated arm
of kid, papier mache and aluminium from
a drawer, "ny brother has an artificial
hand and forearm, the real articles having
been shot off at Gettysburg. / happened
to touch this artificial hand of his one day
during the February cold snap, and it felt
so awful freezing and death-like that it
sent the shivers all over me. One OF those
shivers reached my brain, l guess, for the
thought came to me in flash, What a
failure thing like that is any way
you see had right to think bad things
about that hand if 1 wanted to, because
twas mine. 1t was my brothers, Of
course, but | made it. So | borrowed it of
him then and there. He grumbled some
about being without it, said he'd need of
it to carry his satchel-he's a collector for
the gas company-but told him it was a
case of must, that he'd thank me as long
as he lived, and so on, and here it is. Now
then, just take hold of that hand"
With that the inventor lifted the arm
from the work bench and held it out in
such way that the hand lay in position
for grasping.
''Grab it as you would natural hand -
said the inventor, "press it gently, and let
your hand rest for moment. You'll find
it tingler."
That was Just what the hand seemed to
be-in a tingler. The hand was covered
with kid glove, and underneath the glove
there was felt gentle throbbing motion
which seemed to be communicated to the
living hand, while an equally gentle and
pleasant warmth was plainly perceptible.
1t seemed hard indeed to realize that the
hand was not one of living flesh and blood
instead OF piece OF mechanism.
'How is it done2" said the inventor
"Oh, easy enough. It's just electricity.
Right here, where the stump fits in, you'll
observe is a small dry battery. From it q
current is sent down to the fingers where
it passes through minute tubes, or veins If
you will, of asbestos; that is the heating
SySttm. ~ stCOuu ScIS LII IQOUlOn
a number of small diaphragms which lie
along the palm, and it is that part of the
arrangement which gives the throbbing
motion to the hand.
you see, continued the inventor, grow
ing little enthusiastic over his arrange
ment, ''calorified and vibrant artificial
| hands and feet make very much possible
that which was not so before; in fact they
open up new possibilities of life to manned
men and women. With this electrical
v1vitication young man who has lost his
left arm in a sawmill can pass such an arti-
fetal arm as this around his sweetheart s
waist and she will not only feel It's gentle
warmth against her throbbing heart, but
the young man has only got to give the
battery an extra charge before he leaves
home to go sparkling and the girl would
swear that his hand is glowing and culver
ing with an emotion he cannot control,
when really it is nothing but question OF
electrified particles of asbestos and tin
1.-The benefits of my invention even 60
further than that" continued the genius.
81 know man who lost both feet in a
powder explosion. Now this mans wife
suffers terribly from cold back, and moth
ing seems to relieve her. Now here's my
chance. I'm going to fit that mans arti-
fetal feet with the patent calorihcation at
tachment, and then there will be no more
trouble. You see, it will revolutionize the
old antagonism of feet and back, and a
man with artificial limbs will positively be
at premium-provided he has the patent
caloritication and vibratory attachment
| on, New York Sun