The broad ax., 1897-03-13

cldlTS nave bCCA
fashioned from It. while for long time
past all sorts Of surgical instruments
and appliances have been made OF it,
says the New York Recorder. With
out glass Sir Joseph Listers princi-
pies OF antiseptics and the present sys-
tenn Of asteptic surgery would be we'll
nigh impossible. Nothing can be so
easily kept clean as glass. and as
cleanliness is the keynote OF the
marvelously successful surgery OF
today the modern operating room
is a veritable crystal palace. The
operating tables, the instrument cases
and often even the ceiling and
walls OF these rooms are all of purest
polished plate glass.
Glass eyes have long replaced the
lost organs of vision and can be made
so cleverly as to almost defy detection.
Glass noses are even made. and IL we
go far back in history, even to the his
tory OF fairyland, We would probably
discover that the existing impetus to
the glass industry dates back to Gin
derella's clippers OF tabled fame.
But these are fin de steele days, and
the most recent and at the same time
most marvellous use glass has been put
to is in the making OF artificial limbs.
There is a man in New York today.
a prominent downtown business man
at that-who, so far as his friends, or,
at least. all but his most intimate and
confidential friends, know, has two
arms as good and as serviceable as any
ones else. whose left arm is made OF
| glass.
The only thing, so far as appearances
are concerned. that would indicate that
| anything is the matter with his arm
| is the fact that he inyaria bly, carries
| his left hand in his pocket. When
| questioned about II he settles all dOUb;
/ by simply answering: rheumatism.
| I'm subject to il. II don't keep my
hand warm it gets chilled and l suffer
in consequence. so keep 1t my peck
| et-that's all" And the questiOner
usually goes away perfectly satisfied.
But the story of this wonderful glass
arm-the only one in existence-is well
worth being told. Some years ago
Mr.. By. the gentleman in question.
was out shooting. Somehow or other
the muzZle of the weapon became clog
ged up with sand and exploded when
discharged, decorating Mr.. B-y's left
arm in the most frightful manner. He
was taken to his uptown home and the
most skillful surgeons summoned, but
to no avail; the arm had to amputated
to save the mans life. for symptoms
OF bloOd-poisoning speedily developed
To be MANNED and an object OF pity
for the rest of ones life is anything but
pleasant, and so soon as he was able
TO be about Mr.. By set sail for Eu.
rope. "for his health" ii was said, but
in reality 1t was in search of an arm
A huge ulster and bandages innumer
able concealed the fact of his los:
from his fellow-passengers until h,
had once reached his state-room anC
there he remained until the end Of tn,
voyage.
The only persons who accompanies
him were his young daughter. beau
tiful girl then II years old, but nov
one OF the pets of the exclusive societ.
set of Murray Hill. and one man. Thi
man is an inventor of national reputa
ton and, so far as the public was con
: cerned, went to Europe simply for
! holiday. His name is as familiar {
, the public as that OF Edison and hi
7 marvellous laboratories are in the hear
OF New York.
He had little to do with either MI
l or Miss By during the course q
: the voyage, but a week after the al
rival Of the French liner at Havre tn
D trio met at Venice and the most skill
, full glassblower in that Italian city wa
{ taken into their confidence.
The result was that some thre
: months later Mr.. By returned
: New York, hale and hearty, with tw
/ arms. The hand Of his left arm
q never gloved unless it's mate is al:
o gloyed. and the closest scrutiny fai
v TO reveal any difference between it an
a the natural hand, and yet II Is nothiI
: hut glass to within five inches of u
q elbow.
a Some time ago 1t was discovered tn
v II a small quantity of oil were pour'
r into molten glass It would great
d lessen it's friability and make 1t We
a elastic, and of this peculiar elast
: glass is the arm made. 1t has d.
finish, giving an exact appearance
natural skin, and the coloring is 4
a work Of an artist and burned in. T.
y nails are OF separate pieces Of tran
4 parent glass, fused into place, al
It have to be kept clean like ordina
n finger nails. The arm itself Is hollC
+ and the hidden parts, above the wri
d are c6lorless, transparent glass. 1t
n made IN three pieces-the one reachi
q. to the elbow, the center piece to {
. *rist, and the third the hand