Artificial Limbs

Artificial limbs of a primitive kind have been in use from very early times; but, as the material of which they were made was perishable, few specimens have been preserved. In the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons in London there is a good specimen of a Roman artificial leg which is believed to date back to the third century B.C. This leg is made of wood, covered with thin bronze; it has an iron sole-plate, and was fastened on by means of a waist-belt. In Irish legend we are told of Nuada, who led the tribe of the Dananns back to Ireland, having an artificial hand made of silver; from this he received the name of Argetlam or Silver-handed. In med iæval times Goetz von Berlichingen, who lost his right hand at the siege of Land shut (1505), had a hand made of iron to supply its place. Great improvements have been made in the manufacture of artificial limbs during the last 267 fifty years. After the Franco-Pru ian war the French Government adopted an artificial arm and hand known as the 'Beaufort' and i ued it to the soldiers who required it. This hand had a movable thumb controlled by a cord pa ing up the arm and fastened to a loop band over the opposite shoulder. An English man named Heather Bigg invented a hand with a movable thumb which was worked by a piston and controlled by a rubber ball fastened under the arm-pit. These designs have been improved upon from time to time, and an artificial hand can now be made which is capable of opening and closing at will, and of lifting and holding light articles. Artificial legs vary in design, from the simple pin leg to ingenious contrivances such as the 'Anglesey' leg, which is made of seasoned willow wood with steel ankles and knee-joints. This 'Anglesey' leg is the standard best-quality limb in Great Britain. The German artificial-limb makers use leather instead of wood. These leather legs fit comfortably, but are too heavy, as they have to be supported by steel bands.