&&%«*** JEWETTS INTENT ARTIFICIAL LEG GOMPANY', t-HiM Gr Street, Corner of* Fifth, WASHINGTON, D. 0. This Company are authorized fcy the Surgeon General, V. S. A., to furnish this Limb to all Soldiers who have lost a Leg in the United States Serviee. SURGICAL APPLIANCES OF EVERY DESCRIPTION FOR Resections of the Shpulder, Arm, Elbow Joint, and Fore-Arm; also for Ununited Fractures, Arms, Hands, and Feet. BRATtfSH RIAUffirrACroaiES : 33 TiEtfoNT Street, Boston..........................GEO. B. FOSTER, Agent. Mac* y, Ga........................................ Rica »iond, Va..... New Orleans, La r/l igh, N. C...... Sir. Ifouis, Mo....... £vO:_i;-U '">> \ n--f WASHINGTON, D. C.: McGILL & WITHER0W, PRINTERS AND STEREOTYPERS. 1865. DESCEIPTIOH JEWETT'S PATENT ARTIFICIAL LEG. Figure 1. Figure ft. Figure 1 illustrates the mechanism of the leg. A, the thigh piece is secured to the stump in amputations above the knee. The spring E, by its mechanical arrangement, acting on the cross bars in the leg as one fixed point, and the back part of the thigh piece as the other, serves to extend the leg when partially flexed, and when flexed at nearly right angles acts in front of the knee joint and retains its flexed position. C is a knee cord attached to fixed points above and below the knee, whose office is to prevent extending the leg too far upon the thigh. The cord F at- tached to the cross bar in I tho leg, with a spiral spring in its lower end, serves to raise the foot in walking, as soon as the weight of the person is removed there-. from. The toes are ex- tended on the foot by the action of a spiral spring G inserted on the upper side of the foot. This not only restores the toes to their proper position, but aids in raising the foot when it is about to be thrown forward. D is the Tendo Achilles, secured at its up- per end to the thigh piece, and at its lower end to the heel, whose office is to elevate the heel and thus depress the toes, till the weight of the person passes over and off the leg, which then begins to flex. Figure 2 represents the leg finished and ready for use. In amputations below ( the knee the natural mo- tion of the joint is retained; the artificial limb is secured to the thigh by a buckskin lacing, and strengthened at the joint by cast-steel hinge joints of a very superior manufacture, having a much greater bearing surface than any before used. All bolts and bars used in the manufacture of these limbs pass through and are accurately fitted and ground into cylinders of the same metal, the wearing surfaces of which are highly polished and hardened, thus preventing the possi- bility of wear or noise. It can be easily taken apart, oiled whea necessary, and put together again, by the patients themselves, its extreme simplicity and great strength make it a matter of impossibility for it to get out of order by ordinary use. JEWETT'S PATENT LEG. This Iiimb has been selected by the United States Government to be furnished to all Soldiors who have lost a leg in the service. By a special act of Congress, passed in 1862, every soldier wljo has lost a limb in the service of the United States is entitled to an Artificial one, to replace the loss, as far as it can be replaced by a substitute; this limb to be paid for by the United States Govern- ment ; the soldier to have the privilege of selecting whichever limb he may prefer from among those makers who have been approved by the Army Medical Board appointed for that special purpose by the Surgeon General U. S. A. But one limb will be supplied by the Government to each cripple, and that must be kept in repair by the owner, and when worn out replaced at his own expense. It therefore becomes the duty, as well as interest of the soldier, to select that limb which will be of the greatest service to him, and in making that selection, he should be guided by the following considerations : 1st. Strength of Limb. 2d. Simplicity of Structure, and hence non-liability to get out of repair. 3d. Lightness. 4:th. Shape and Finish. Strength.—-This is an essential requirement for any artificial leg. Without it, the limb will be useless to the wearer ; indeed, worse than useless—dangerous ; for he may fall at any time, and not only injure himself generally, but so seriously hurt his stump, as to pre- vent his again wearing an artificial limb. For a leg to be useful, it must be capable of bearing the full weight of the. man in motion, with the strain to which the natural limb is liable. He must know, when he starts on a journey, that his leg will not give out before he returns; and, when he brings his full weight upon it, have no 3 fears that it will break under him like an egg-shell. Very few of the limbs manufactured possess this requisite; and there is one in particular that has been palmed upon the soldiers to a great extent, by means of false representations, which is so delicate and unrelia- ble, that to use the language of one of the victimized, "If I wear that thing, I must lay in a stock of them, and have the maker travel with me to keep them in repair.'' The Jewett Patent Leg Company (B. W. Jewett, patentee) claim for their limb a priority over all others in the one particular feature of strength. The joints are of peculiar construction, manufactured from the hardest steel, and are indestructible. They never break or get out of order. For a minute description, see Illustration at front of pamphlet. All parts of the limb, where naturally the greatest strain would be, are specially strengthened, and by ordi- nary wear and tear will not break down. Simplicity of Structure is an all-important feature. However strong a limb may be made, it is liable to accidental injury. Some limbs are so intricate in their structure, that no one but the manu- facturer can repair them; and if broken or out of repair, they must be sent to the manufactory, oftentimes at a great expense and incon- venience. By reference to the description accompanying, it will be seen that Jewett's Limb is so beautifully simple, that any ordinary mechanic can take it apart, and repair any portion which might be injured. The wearer can take it apart, oil those portions which require it, and put it together again with the most perfect ease. And if any of the springs should be broken, he can replace them with new ones in a few minutes at the cost of a few cents—extra springs being furnished by the Company. Lightness.—There are some manufacturers who make this one feature the main inducement they hold out to the soldier to select their limbs; and it is well they do so, so far as they are concerned, for they have nothing else to recommend them. A stout man, say one weighing one hundred and sixty to two hundred pounds, re- quires a stout limb; and any one who persuades him to take a leg where every requisite has been sacrificed to extreme lightness, does him a great injustice. And we are daily seeing instances of this kind. Men who have had their limbs but a short time come, in to try and get them repaired, mostly with the foot or ankle-joint broken away from a sudden step on some uneven ground, which 4 would not have injured a strong limb. But these extremely light legs are hollowed out to a mere shell, and when the weight of the body is brought upon them, frequently break down. A limb should be strong enough to share in the duty done by the sound leg. We are particular in expatiating upon this point, because it is one, the merits and demerits of which are generally so little understood. Jewett's Leg can be made as light as any that can be manufac- tured ; but we always advise the cripple to have his limb made in proportion to his weight. If he weighs, say one hundred and ten pounds, his leg should not be below four pounds in weight; if he weighs two hundred pounds, it is not safe for him to wear a limb below five-and a half pounds; and so on in like proportion. The object of Government in providing the soldier with an arti. ficial leg, is to enable him the better to earn his living, by render- ing his means of locomotion secure and comfortable. But if these mere shells are palmed upon the soldier, which at the best are but expensive toys, the beneficent intention of the Government is thwart- ed, and a double fraud perpetrated. Shape, Finish, and Natural Motion.—We always make our limbs the shape of the corresponding leg, which is the only true system, and finish them as perfectly as possible. As to natural motion, so closely does our limb imitate nature in this respect, that in a large number of cases it is impossible to tell which of the man's limbs is the natural and which the artificial one. One of our Agents, in passing through a United States General Hospital recently, had occasion to explain the mechanism of our leg to a soldier, and was endeavoring to illustrate the perfect motion at the ankle and knee-joints ; but the man was somewhat dull of com- prehension. Our Agent thought a practical illustration might be more successful. Now, said he to the man, I will show what I mean. I wear one of these legs. My leg is off four-and-a-half inches below the knee. I will walk, run, and jump, and none of you (for by this time a group had gathered around him) can tell which of my legs is the artificial one. He marched down the ward in the cadense- step, then double-quick, and finally took a run, and jumped six feet in the clear. No difference could be observed, and the men would not believe he had an artificial leg on, until he took it.off and satisfied them. It is unnecessary to say, no further explana- tions were needed in that ward. Lateral Motion at the Ankle-Joint.—If it is desired, we will make 5 the limb with the side or lateral motion at the ankle-joints. The increased cost will be $25. But, although this motion is very pretty in theory, in practice it is worse than useless, and for this reason: In the natural ankle the side motion is under the control of the will. In the artificial one the wearer has no control over it, and he is precisely in the condition of a man in whom the muscles con- trolling the ankle-joints are completely paralyzed. The foot will turn in or out without his knowledge, and every step he takes is liable to throw him from the centre of gravity. In a word, the lateral motion is humbug; pretty in theory, but worse than useless in practice. The following are a few of the many testimonials which are in our possession, and as they are from men high in position, with whom the soldier is acquainted, will undoubtedly be read with interest: Headquarters 4th Div'n, Dept. of Cumberland, Knoxyille, East Tenn., March 17, 1865. B. W. Jewett, Esq., Washington, D. C. Dear Sir: Your letter of the 8th instant is at hand. I take sin- cere pleasure in bearing testimony to the great value and usefulness of the artificial leg you manufactured for me. I have worn artificial legs for the past fifteen years; have used several kinds, including Palmer's. My unfortunate condition has naturally led me to ex- amine with great care all the different artificial legs manufactured. My experience and observations have fully satisfied me of the supe- riority of your artificial leg. While it is equally as light, beauti- fully finished, and well-adapted for use as any other, it surpasses them all in its greater strength, durability, simplicity of construction, and ease with which those parts, liable in all artificial limbs to become worn or deranged, are adjusted, without the trouble, expense, and incon- venience of sending the limb back to the manufactory for repair. In illustration of this fact I may state, that I have worn the artificial leg you manufactured for me constantly for the past seven years ; that, with the exception of the toe-springs, which I have myself re- placed a few times without difficulty, the remaining original springs and joints are still in use, in perfect repair, very little worn, and bid fair to last many years to come. The points I have mentioned, in which your artificial leg has a decided superiority over all others, are of the utmost importance, as will certainly be demonstrated by 6 the experience of all those who are so unfortunate as to be compelled to wear artificial legs. I unhesitatingly recommend all officers, soldiers, and others who may need them, to procure your artificial leg in preference to any other. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, DAVIS TILLSON, Brig. Gm. Vols. Judiciary Square Hospital, Washington, D. C, March 25, 1865. I take great pleasure in bearing testimony to the value of the B. W. Jewett Patent Leg. Since I have had charge of this Hospital (which was selected by the Surgeon General as a Depot for Maimed Soldiers) I have had unusual opportunities for testing the relative merits of the different artificial legs furnished to the soldiers, and my opinion is, that the B. W. Jewett Leg is much superior to any other manufactured. This opinion is based upon personal observation, every limb supplied being examined by myself, and the men wearing them kept under observation for at least two weeks. Several patients now here who are wearing this leg can dance, jump, and run with the greatest ease. In some cases I find it im- possible, by the man's walk, to discover which is the sound and which the artificial leg. For all the practical purposes of life I be- lieve it to be the best substitute for the natural leg which has been supplied. E. GKISWOLD, Surgeon U. S. A., in Charge. Judiciary Square Hospital, Washington, D. C, March 25, 1865. We, the undersigned, Surgeons in charge of the various wards of this Hospital, most .cordially endorse the accompanying certificate of Dr.Griswold, Surgeon in Charge, relative to the merit of B. W. Jewett's Patent Leg, as in our opinion it is vastly superior to any other with which the soldier is supplied; and as'the Hospital has been specially assigned for the reception of men requiring artificial 7 limbs, we have had abundant opportunity of testing the relative merit of this patent in all its bearings. F. H. HILL, M. D., F. H. COLTON,. M. D , R. AHREN, M. D., Z. P. DENNLER, M. D. Washington, D. C, September 4, 1865. I have carefully examined the mechanism and practical adapta- bility of the Jewett Artificial Leg, and do not hesitate to say, that it combines all the requisites to make it one of the most durable, useful, and desirable artificial limbs now manufactured. The sim- ple and perfect combination of forces in the mechanism of the joints renders this limb superior to any artificial limb with which I am acquainted for ease and comfort to the patient. D. W. BLISS, Brevt. Colonel and Surgeon, U. S. A. *_____ Washington, July 20,1864. B. W. Jewett, Esq. Dear Sir : The artificial leg which ^you manufactured for me having been subject to a thorough trial for six months, proves entirely satisfactory. Very truly yours, HURLBERT E. PAINE, Brigadier General Volunteers. 8 SURGICAL APPLIANCES OF EVERY DESCRIPTION FOE Resections of the Shoulder, Arm or Pore-arm, and Elbow Joint. We have no special apparatus for any particular case of resection, but manufacture them to suit the different cases as they present themselves. In the majority of cases where the resection has been well performed, there is but little difficulty in adjusting an appa- ratus so perfectly that the limb is as useful, for all the ordin- ary purposes of life, as the souud one. In all instances it is necessary |br the patient to come to the manufactory nearest to his residence, and remain till he is fitted, and sufficiently long afterwards to be satisfied that no alteration is needed. Diagrams for measurement and blank forms of application for discharged soldiers will be forwarded upon application by post. The United States Sanitary Commission have made arrangements to furnish all discharged soldiers, who may come to Washington to be fitted with this limb, with board and lodging during their necessary stay here, free of any cost to the soldier. All applications should be addressed to rVi Sin Jn^m. Ftj aeastuy uf Mil Ouuy^. C&lifrJU*^ » ^ •• I