Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-11-08
THERE ARE NO CORK LEGS.
An Expert Tells Of the Wonders d Artificial
Limbs.

1.-The term cork leg is misnomer. -
said man who knows all about them
having at one time assisted in their man
ufacture. There never was any such a
thing. and a leg actually made of cork
would be as unwieldy as a sawlog. The
up-to-date artificial limb is a very thin
shell of weeping willow, covered with
rawhde, and some of them that come
clear up to the hip have been built os
light as three pounds.
1T is a singular fact that a first class
leg. which is supposed to have a life of
about five years. will be more than paid
for in the saving of shoes. OF course, the
false foot wears shoe just the same as
the real one, but for some reason that
has never been fully explained, it isn't as
hard on leather. A flesh and blood leg
will wear out four shoes while its me
chanical mate is wearing out one, due
perhaps to the foot gear never being re
moved at night and the lack of elasticity
in the tread. The best customer of the
makers is the government, which pays for
new artificial limb once every five
years for pensioners MANNED in war The
price fixed by law is SIS, but scores of
old soldiers simply draw the money and
make the same leg do for as long as fif
teen years at a stretch. Artificial arms
are made very successfully nowadays,
and certain amount Of action is secured
in the hand, even when the stump
reaches only few inches from the
shoulder. With one of the styles, for ex
ample. a man can lift his hat and replace
it on his head with surprisingly natural
movement. The mechanism by which the
false hand is made to open and close Is
controlled by strap, which reaches to
the opposite shoulder. A slight shrug
does the work. and a little practice rem.
ders it imperceptible.
There has been a wonderful improve.
ment in limb making during the last ten
years, and properly constructed arti-
fetal leg cannot be detected by the casual
observer. The chief difficulty with the
old style was its tendency to swing out
ward in an are of circle at every step.
That has been entirely overcome. Some
years ago. l was in a store where they
fitted out a man who had lost both legs
and both arms in DAKOTA blizzard.
When l first saw him he was simply a
helpless trunk lying on a cot in the hos
pital, and his deplorable condition had re.
duced him to state of despair border
ing on insanity. The manufacturer took
a great deal Of interest in the case and
did a good job. When he got through
with the cripple he was able to get up
without assistance, walk about, feed him g.
self. and do hundred and one little
things that changed life from mere
blank TO something really endurable
When he found himself emancipated from
total helplessness he improved mentally
and now l dare say he wants to live as
long as anybody.
Zone of the great obstacles to success.
full limb fitting is the carelessness Of sur.
geons in performing amputations. An op.
Grafton may be entirely successful from a
surgical standpoint, yet leave a stump
upon which false leg can never be worn
with comfort. l know of a number Of
cases in which a reamputation has been
submitted to for the express purpose of
correcting such difficulties. Every medi-
cal college course ought to include at
least one lecture with practical demon
STATIONS by thoroughly scientific maker
of artificial limbs. 1t would be Of ines.
Unable value to the students in after
practice"