GILLINGHAM'S DERMATOPERCHA LEG,

Grey River Argus, Volume VII, Issue 513, 1 May 1869, Page 4

GILLINGHAM'S DERMATOPERCHA LEG,

One of the wonders of tRe age is most certainly the artificial limb invented by Mr J. Gillingham, of Chard, in Somerset. ''Seeing is believing," and we (^Eruflish Meclianic) have seen and believe. The other day Mr Gillingham called at our office, acpompanied by a strapping-looking youth, who djd not s.sem at much loss in moving about our rooms. His story was an interesting one. By an "accident" both legs were, crushed, and both had to ,be amputated^— one just below, the other above, the knee joint. By many it was considered impossible the boy would ever bg able to walk without crutches. Travelling into Lincolnshire, to where the boy livgd, tailing with him a pair of legs, with knee, ankle, and toe action, he set to work, and in a very short time the boy was able to trot about without the use of a stick — he never used a crutch ! The boy has been brought to London, that the surgeons of all the hospitals, Chemical Society, ifec., may see for themselves what has been done hi the cause of humanity by the very ingenious inventor. After he had climbed up our tortuous staircase to our second-floor rooms, the youth trotted about quite unconcernedly, evidently enjoying the exercise. The various actions of the legs seemed well done — the exactness of the imitation being simply wonderful. A letter has been received by Mr Gillingham from Sir W. Fergusson, in which it is stated that there is no case on record where a patient has been enabled to walk, with knee, ankle, and toe action, where both amputations are equivalent to " above the knee." Thus this great success is the first.

An unfortunate old bachelor gives it as his opinion that the trails of ladies' dresses are infernal machines, from the fact that a blowup took place directly after he put his foot on one. - ■