Hints on the use of an artificial limb.

  • Great Britain. Ministry of Pensions
Date:
[1949]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hints on the use of an artificial limb. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    to the strength of the muscles, the weight of the shoe and the speed of walking, the properly fitted limb, in the case of a mid- thigh amputation, will enable a man with practice to walk very nearly naturally. On boarding buses, or going upstairs, the sound foot goes first: on stepping off a bus or going down stairs, the artificial precedes the sound foot. When using escalators it is best to step both on and off with the sound foot first. Arms. Owing to the numerous functions which the natural arm and hand are called upon to perform, it has always been more difficult to supply an artificial arm which will meet with as much general satisfaction as an artificial leg. Consequently, in the past, those who have lost arms have been too ready to regard an artificial arm merely as something “to fill the sleeve,’’ and too often have they tended to concentrate on doing everything with their ‘ good ’’ arm. The provision of artificial limbs is being speeded up to prevent patients from becoming too one-arm minded while they are waiting, and finality has by no means been reached in providing them with the most useful arms, hands and appliances that inventive genius can devise. Patients with both below and above-elbow amputations can be taught to write well with the modern writing hand. When preliminary instruction in general uses and possibilities has been given at Ministry of Pensions arm training schools, there are more specialised courses at Ministry of Labour training centres where particular trades may be learned. In fact, thanks to the greatly increased interest which the public and employers of labour are showing in the capabilities of wearers of artificial limbs, there is no need to-day for those who have been so fitted to fear that they will not be able to play an effective part in the modern world. DRESSING AND CLOTHING Dressing. The first difficulties are soon overcome where there is an amputation of only one limb. Patients suffering from double amputations have more difficulty and although they are in most cases able to dress and undress, the time taken to do
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