MY ARTIFICIAL LIMBS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 284, 20 August 1918, Page 9

MY ARTIFICIAL LIMBS

THE CHEERFUL MAJOR'S SET.

Now that, so many men aro wearing tiicso uncanny but ujeiiil tmngs, u lew words concerning tiicni may not bo out of placo. I lost. bocn my iegs "above tho knoo" at Ipres labt July, to may claim to know something about the matter.

A firm in tho West End was recommended to mc, so tnitin;!' ! was wheeled in my dinar one aUernoon. 'J'iio inananger met mo and tooK me down a long room wita one end curtained oil'.

.Behind tho ourtain were a i umber of men, 'uutii othcew and other ranks, in various slates of uiidross. Somo had their new legs on ior tho lirst t'imo and were iinding it dihicult to do anything out stand. Others, who had had them lor a few days, were walking about with the aid of sticks, and some even dispensed with this aid altogether. I was taken into a small room where plaster eases wero taken of what little ieg the lioche had left me; I his was to ensure a perfect fit, and I was then told to come Iwck again in a month's time. In duo course I returned and "tried them on." The feeling of being once moro in ail upright position aiter so long in bed or oh a chair was most curious and inclined to make one feel giddy, but it soon passed away. At first 1, could do nothing but hang on the necks of two strong men, who tried to march me up and down tho room; I got most frightfully hot am! tired, and i'eit that 1 should never be able to stand, but eventually I managed to walk a t'ew steps with the aid ol crutch sticks, and can now do my 100 yards with tho best of them.

There are three sorts of amputations that affect the ordinary man—above tho knee, below the kneo, and what is known as "Symes." This last is an amputation through the ankle bone. The patient retains his own heel and has an artificial toot—it hardly ranks as an artificial limb.

If a. man can keep his kneo-joint lie is all right and will walk with scarcely a limji; I know one man who has lost both his legs Mow tho kneo who cna walk ten miles a day every, day, ride a bicycle, dance, and rouer skate. With one above and one below there aro few things that a man cannot do, though 1 think ho will always require the help of it stick. Botli legs off above tho knee make things rather harder, especially steps and 6tnirs, though with the aid of rails even this difficulty < can bo overcome. After four months I find that I can get about anywhere, provided there are no steps, and can drive a motor enr without any difficulty.

Necossity is the mother' of invention, and no doubt someone* will invent artificial sinews which will rei'nce steps from the bugbears they undoubtedly aro to mere inconveniences; in the meantime I hope I have been able to show that a man may, with artificial :iml.w, well outlive his legs, and get oil excellently without lining exactly as nature* intended.—J.B.C. (Major), in. the "Daily Mail."