The National tribune., 1904-07-14
ARTIFICIAL LINES AND APPLIANCES.
7ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.

ARTIFICIAL LINES. AND APPLIANCES.
7ARTIF ICIAL LIMBS.
Section >41SI, Revised Statutes, Us
amended BY, the, act of February u, 1871,
il as follows
Sec. 45S7. Every officer. soldier, sea-
man, and marine VINO was disabled during
the war for the suppression of the rebel
lion in the military or naval service, aud
in the line of duty, or in consequence OF
wounds received or disease contracted
therein. and who was furnished by the
War Department, since the 18th day of
June, 1910, with an artificial limb or ap-
paratus for reSectiOn, who was entitled to
receive such limb or apparatus since said
date, shall be entitled TO receive a new limb
or apparatus at the expiration of every five
years thereafter. under such regulations as
have been or may be prescribed by the
Surgeon- n-General of the Army.
1.-The provisions Of this section shall ap-
ply to all officers. oncommissioned officers.
enlisted and hired men of the land and
naval forces of the United States. who,
in the line of their duty as such shall have
lost limbs or sustained bodily injuries de-
priving them of the use Of any of their
limbs. to be determined by the Surgeon
General of the Army: and the term of five
years herein specified shall be held to COM
mencc in each case with the filing of TIE
application for the benefits Of this section"
The substantial addition by the act of
February p. 1877. to already existing law
was simply the provision for hired" men
fcuartermasters employees, etc. in the
military or naval service in the war Of the
rebellion or otherwise, who were not in
cluded in former laws.
COMMUTATION.
Section 47ss, Revised Statutes, pro-
vides:
Sec. 47SS Every person entitled to the
tenents of the preceding section may, if he
so elects, receive, instead OF such limb or
apparatus, the money value thereof, at the
following rates, namely: For artificial legs.
$15; for arms, S.O; tor feet, $50; tor APP
paratus for resection, $40"
sEReiCE NOT IN WAR OF REBELLION.
1t was not until the act of August IL,
1916, that the provisions of the law ex-
tended to the loss on disability OF limbs,
etc, incurred otherwise than during the
war OF the rebellion.
lhis act provides:
That every officer, soldier, seaman and
marine who, in the line OF duty, III the mill
tary or naval service Of the United States,
shall have lost limb, or sustained bodily
injuries, depriving him Of the use of any
OF his limbs, shall receive once every five
years an artificial limb or appliance, or
communication therefor, as provided and
limited by existing laws, under such regu-
lations as the Surgeon-Generai Of the Army
may prescribe; and the period Of five years
shall be held to commence with the filing
of the first application after the 18th day
of June in the year 1870"
INABILITY TO USE ARTIFICIAL LIMB.
Section 400, Revised Statutes, as
amended by the act of February ~, 1877,
il as follows:
Sec. 1880. Every person in the military
or naval service who lost limb during the
war of the rebellion, or is entitled to the
benefits of section 47S7, but from the
nature Of his injury is not able to use an
artificial limb, shall be entitled to the
benefits of section 47SS, and shall receive
money communication as therein provided"
TRANSPORTATION TO BE FITTED.
Section 4791, Revised Statutes. as
amended by the act of February -, 1877,
is as follows:
Sec. 4791. The Secretary of War is au-
thorized and directed to furnish to the per-
sons embraced by the provisions of section
i'o| transportation to and from their
homes and the place where they may be re-
quIred to go to obtain artificial limbs pro-
vided for them under authority of law.
Ihe transportation allowed for having
artificial limbs fitted shall be furnished ~
the QdartermasterGeneral of the Army.
the cost of which shall be refunded from
the appropriations for invalid pensions"
INTERVALS OF ALLOWANCE.
The act of March 3, 1891. amending
section 41S7, Revised Statutes, provides:
THAT section 47s7 of the Revised Stat
utes of the United States be amended by
striking out the word five" where it &C.
ours therein. and inserting in lieu thereof
the word three SO that when amended
will e.
onccr, soldier, seaman, and marine who
was disabled during the war for the SUD-
preston of the rebellion, in the military
or naval service. and in the line of duty,
or in consequence of wounds received or
disease contracted therein. and who was
furnished by the War Department since
the 18th day of June. 1870, with an arti-
hclal limb or apparatus for resection, who
was entitled to receive such limb or appa-
ratus since said date, shall be entitled to
receive a new limb or apparatus at the ex-
piratiOn of every three years thereafter.
under such regulations as have been or
may be prescribed by the Surgeon General
of the army"
Though the above appears to relate only
to cases arising out of the war of the rebel,
lion, it is construed rs applying to All
eases. The payments begin only from date
of first application. No arrears are al
lowed.
The act Of May %, 1879 (now sections
1176, 1177, 117S, Revised Statutes), pro-
vides:
THAT every soldier of the Union army
who was ruptured while in the line OF
duty, during the late war for the suppress
sion of the rebellion. shall be entitled to
receive a single or double truss Of such
style as may be designated by the Sur
geon- General of the United States army
as the best suited for such disability.
"Sec. 2. That application for such truss
shall be made by the ruptured soldier to
an examining surgeon for pensions, whose
duty it shall be to examine such applicant.
and for every such applicant, found TO
have rupture or hernia, shall prepare
and forward to the Surgeon-G General an ap-
plication for such truss, without charge 10
the soldier7 "a fee of So is paid by the
War Department.
"Sec. 3. That the Surgeon-General of
the United States army is hereby author
lied and directed to purchase and procure
the number of .trnsses which may be re-
quired for distribution to such disabled
soldiers, at a price not greater than the
same are sold to the trade at wholesale:
and the cost of the same shall be paid,
upon the requisiton of the Surgeon Gen
eral, out of amy moneys in the Treasury
not otherwise appropriated"