Hints for the improvement of trusses; intended to render their use less inconvenient, and to prevent the necessity of an understrap. With the description of a truss of easy construction and slight expence [sic], for the use of labouring poor / [James Parkinson].

  • Parkinson, James, 1755-1824
Date:
1802
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hints for the improvement of trusses; intended to render their use less inconvenient, and to prevent the necessity of an understrap. With the description of a truss of easy construction and slight expence [sic], for the use of labouring poor / [James Parkinson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    TRUSSES. To obtain this necessary degree of pressure, many ingenious instruments have been contrived; but which, unfortunately, have constantly pos- sessed this one fault, of being beyond the reach of a poor man’s purse. Shocking reflection! that the honest labourer should suffer under a calamity, produced, not by indulgence in indo- lence, nor by the gratification of vice ; but by those meritorious exertions of industry, on which, perhaps, the very existence of civil society de- pends, should have to expect a death of inex- pressible torture from the want of an instrument, the cost only of a few shillings.* After various experiments in search of some instrument which might answer the purpose as well as former Trusses; but which might be of considerably less expence, the following contri- vance appeared to be preferable; since, from the simplicity of the proposed construction, hardly any one would find difficulty, in forming such a * That instances warranting the above reflection are not of rare occurrence will, I believe, be generally admitted. To mention, therefore, that there are. charities which kindly sup- ply the poor with these necessary instruments must be sufficient to procure contributions for their support. Such are the So- ciety for the Relief of the Ruptured Poor; and the Samaritan Society, established as a Supplementary Charity to the London Hospital. truss