Description of a new artificial leg invented by Dr. Bly, of America : addressed to the medical profession / by H. Heather Bigg.

  • Bigg, Henry Heather, 1826-1881.
Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Description of a new artificial leg invented by Dr. Bly, of America : addressed to the medical profession / by H. Heather Bigg. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    motion. These joints are joined together by steel bolts passing through their centre^ and the joints themselves are brought into action by a long piece of catgut fixed at the back of the heel and terminating at the knee, which serves as a representative of the flexor muscles of the knee and extensors of the foot, whilst an india-rubber band fixed in front of the ankle, and attached to a piece of wood in the centre of the calf, effects the purpose of counteracting the catgut cord already mentioned, and flexing the foot upon the leg. An india-rubber band is also fixed in front of the upper part of the leg, to aid in impelling its lower portion forward whilst walking. The upper portion of the wooden frame is likewise hollow, for the purpose of receiving the stump of the patient, and giving attachment between the artificial leg and the body. The original idea of this contrivance was that of representing the action of the muscles of the human limb; for as the catgut cord is fixed to the back of the knee and terminates in the heel, it serves to extend the foot when the limb is straightened, as in standing, whilst the india-rubber front band, becoming tense, tends to uplift the toes from the ground when the leg is flexed in walking. This idea, though at first sight appearing to be very ingenious, loses all claim to positive merit when the entire absence of all lateral motion in the ankle- joint is found to comprise part of its arrangement. Yet not- withstanding a defect so palpable as the one just named, it has been almost the only leg hitherto adopted in England. To render this description intelligible, two drawings are given, representing an Anglesea leg for amputation above and below the knee: In these the action of the knee- and ankle-joints is seen to be purely ginglymoid or hinged, so that, if the wearer were to tread on any slanting or irregular surface, only a slight edge could possibly rest upon tlie ground, whilst the stump of the patient would be submitted to considerable strain and pressure. In the former instance great instability is oceasioned, and in the latter abrasion of the skin generally results. Tliis highly reprehensible condition is entirely attributable to a want of lateral motion in the ankle-joint, as will be proved when the new invention about to be advocated is explained. In addition to other disadvantages is the fact that, owing to