The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-12
From the Scientific American.

rfOn the Sclentlnc AmerlCan.
 @ OETZ vON BERLICHINGEN S was a gallant German knight Of
 the sixteenth century who es- poused the cause of the oppressed peas ants because of his personal quarrels with their oppressors. and thereby won undv- ing fame as champion of liberty Goetho made him the hero of a drama, which !, based upon his autobiography. He was known as Goetz of the Iron Hand because he had lost his right hand in battle and wore an iron hand so skillfully contrived that he could guide his horse with it. Two iron right hands made for Goetz are still in existence and in the possession of two branches of his family. One of them. the Rossach hand, is comparatively sim pie and crude. It can be opened and closed by moving button at the back. but the four fingers move as a unit. The little finger IS now broken, but the mechanism is intact.
 The Jagsthausen hand is more elaborate Indeed, it is one of the most remarkable pieces of mechanism of it's period. Each joint of the fingers can be moved inde-
 
 desired position by spring catch. When the large button at the wrist Is pressed all the fingers spring back to the extended position shown in the illustration The thumb has d single joint which is gov erneD by the small button near its base, and the entire hand can be rotated around the axis of the arm after it has been re- leased by pressing button at the back The mechanism is still in perfect order with the exception of the little finger which has been paralyzed by the mala- droitness of a modern investigator. The iron hand was fastened with leather thongs to the wearer's arm, the stump of which was inserted In the hollow upper part. It was used by bending the fingers, with the aid of the left hand, into posi- tions suitable for holding reins, etc, and by releasing them on occasion by press ing the buttons.
 A warrior thus handicapped would ap- pear to be of doubtful value. but the case of General von Lane affords parallel 10 that of Goetz von Berlchingen, except that in the modern instance it was the left hand that was replaced by an artl- fcial member In a letter to the writer the general says:
 My left hand was carried away by shell splinter in 1S66 Phster of Berlin made me an artificial hand which could easily be closed so as to hold the rens the only purpose for which wanted it. served a staff officer through the war of 1s7O-1s71. Since then have taken part in hunts and remained on the active list of the army until 1892"
 The generals artificial hand, which also can be turned about the wrist, has now been in use for 40 years.
 Berlichingen was not the first man to wear an iron hand. A hand and arm con- structed in the fifteenth century is now preserved in the government educational collection in Berlin. The arm portion is of open work construction, and has been mended in several places, so that 1t has evidently seen much service. The thumb is connected with the fingers in such a manner that it automatically approaches them when they are made to close, and the fingers straighten when d button at the back is pressed.
 
 in 1SS6 near the long bridge at Altruppin the dredge brought up an iron hand which is preserved in local museum. It prob ably belonged to a warrior who was killed in some battle on the bridge. The upper part is made hollow to receive the stump of the arm, to which it was fastened by straps, and it's weight is lessened by large perforations. As the illustration shows, the fingers are rgidly bent and are nov able only in pairs about their attach ments to the palm, while the thumb moves Independently. The fingers are held in the desired positions by the two but tons shown at the wrist. Although this iron hand is badly rusted the mechanism of the thumb is still in good condition. The curvature of the fingers indicates