Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1893 — LIMBS FOR CRIPPLED VETERANS. [ARTICLE]

LIMBS FOR CRIPPLED VETERANS.

The Men May Take Them or the Cash;, as They Please. Some of the Grand Army veterans who. recently visited Washington had their traveling expenses paid by the Government, relates the Washington Star. They were crippled old soldiers who wanted to be measured for new artificial limbs there. The law allows them car fare from any part of the Union to whatever city they choose to have their legs and arms made in, and return. There are factories engaged in that sort of manufacture for the Government in various places all over the United States. Two of them are at the capital. So the wounded survivors of the war were in some instances able to get their passage hither from their homes and back for nothing. About 8,000 of the crippled soldiers entitled to arms and legs at Uncle Sam’scost will receive new ones during thenext fiscal year, or else a cash equivalent. There are not far from 16,000 sueh veterans on the roll, and each one of them getsone or more substitute limbs or the money value every three years. The law formerly made the period five years. On January 31 last there were 3,657 men on the roll who had lost one leg; 33 had lost both legs, 87 one foot, and 18 both, feet. Each of the 3,535 veterans had lost one arm, 24 both arms, and 57 onehand. One hud lost both hands, and one had lost both arms and both legs. There never were hut two on the list who had lost both arms and botli legs, because such Injuries are almost invariably fatal.

From the above reckoning it is apparent that less than half of the 10,000 old! soldiers on the roll have lost limbs. A. majority of them have merely lost the use; of arms or legs. However, that amountsto the same thing under the law. If a hand is merely disabled or a foot cut off at the ankle the claim fora whole arm or leg is good. Of course, in such case,, veterans take the money commutation' instead of the limbs—#7s for adeg and* SSO for an arm. 8o do nearly all those who have lost their arms, because an artificial arm is of scarcely any use except as an ornament, though an imitation leg of good make serves almost us well as a real one to walk with. Most of those who need legs do not get them, preferring to accept the money instead. Some of them are chronically hard up, and SSO or $75 in hand seems more desirable than the finest artificial limb that was ever made. Besides, life is short, and they have a reasonable expectation of obtaining another leg or arm in the next world. Furthermore, there are a few crippled men who cannot wearthe improved imitation legs, because their stumps are tender and arc rendered sore by the contrivances of willow wood, and rubber with machinery inside of them. They can gat along very well with ordinary pegs,, properly cushioned, but these new-fangletu jointed affairs do not suit'them. OwJngto all these facts, not more than 800 arms and legs arcdrawn “in kind!’ by the 16,000 pensioners. The rest of (hem prefer to take the cash.