“Everything was very specific and very fitted. I can't tell you what we went through for this job in regards to full body scans and the prosthetic process that you go through and all that kind of stuff, but everything was done very specifically to fit you perfectly.”---Julian McMahon (Australian actor, former fashion model) Many of the prostheses developed during the 1600s were merely refinements of earlier armour type devices. They were bulky and heavy but gradually gained more function. A number of pieces are housed in the Stibbert Museum in Florence, Italy. Some of these devices show contributions of other artisans such as watchmakers and woodworkers. They exhibit more functionalism and sacrifice aesthetics, indicating more common use. In 1696, Pieter Andriannszoon Verduyn (Verduuin), a Dutch Surgeon, introduced the first non-locking, below knee prosthesis. It bears a striking similarity to today's joint and corset prosthesis. Like the joint and corset, it was made of external hinges and a leather cuff that bore weight. The leg cuff socket was lined with leather and had a copper shell and a wooden foot. James Potts of London designed a prosthesis in 1800 that consisted of a wooden shank and socket, a steel knee joint, and an articulated foot that was controlled by catgut tendons from the knee to the ankle. It was used by the Marquis of Anglesey after he lost his leg in the Battle of Waterloo (fought on in 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, where Emperor Napoleon was defeated by combined armies of the Seventh Coalition, an Anglo-Allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington combined with a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard von Blücher) and became known as the ‘Anglesey Leg'. Flexion of the knee caused dorsiflexion of the foot, and extension of the knee caused plantar flexion of the foot. It has also been referred to as the ‘Clapper Leg' because of the noise it made with wooden foot stops, or the ‘Cork Leg' since it was widely used in County Cork, Ireland. William Selpho then brought the Anglesey Leg to the US in 1839. In 1846, Dr Benjamin F. Palmer, a patient of Selpho, obtained a patent for his leg that improved on the Selpho leg by adding an anterior spring, smooth appearance, and concealed tendons. It was honored in 1851 at the London World's Fair: "It imparted a life-like elasticity and firmness to the step." Dr. Douglas Bly of Rochester, New York, invented and patented Doctor Bly's anatomical leg, in 1858. He called it "...the most complete and successful invention ever attained in artificial limbs". He is said to have first introduced the curved knee joint. The prosthesis also allowed for inversion and eversion through the use of an articulated ankle: a polished ivory ball in a socket of vulcanised rubber. However, Doctor Bly does admit that his invention has limitations. Dear Egyptian Mail readers, Your comments and/or contributions are welcome. We promise to publish whatever is deemed publishable at the end of each series of articles. [email protected]
