Unearth a variety of artefacts revealing the understanding and treatment of physical disability from the 16th century up to today, central to which is one of the finest collections of artificial limbs in the world.
Orthopaedics
1900-1930
Left boot, for use with leg support, British military issue, 1900-1930
1975-1985
Pair of artificial/prosthetic legs, adapted for a teenager user living with thalidomide impairments, to wear high heeled shoes with nylon stockings, made by J E Hanger and adapted by a limb fitter at Queen Mary's Roehampton, United Kingdom, 1975-1985
1991
Left below knee prosthesis worn by an Army parachutist who lost his leg as a result of an IRA bomb, c1970s. Lace-up leather thigh corset with 4-point socket suspension. Above the knee restraining strap. Strap-type trouser guard. Polycentric knee joints fitted to the side steels. Foot is moulded and similar to a shop dummies with texture of skin and nails. Metal shin and plastic foot with imitation toes. Following the supply of his first prosthesis the patient was picked for the 'Red Devils' Display Team. The prosthesis was also worn by him on the "Time & Tide" which competed in the Global Challenge Yacht race in 1996.
1940-1965
Black leather boot for deformed foot, from the Lord Mayor Treloar Orthopaedic Hospital, Alton, Hampshire, England, 1940-1965
1960-1980
Pair of child's adjustable crutches, with curved rectangular crutch ends and enclosed arm supports, from the Lord Mayor Treloar Orthopaedic Hospital, Alton, Hampshire, England, 1960-1980
1801-1900
Leg suspension hook, japanned iron, European, 1801-1900
Heavy-working arm for a right above elbow amputation. Leather socket with metal reinforcement. Very short stem-type forearm (providing mechanical advantage when lifting). The elbow is flexed by means of a leather cord, attached to a neat little chain, passing through a metal cam. The joint may be locked, in any one of four different positions, by means of a spring loaded bolt, sited on the medial side of the socket, just above the elbow joint. For free movement of the joint, the bolt is held in the unlocked position by means of a pivoted hook. Date and origin unknown. N.B. The only remnant of the forearm, in this exhibit, is the upper ring-like housing. (Weight: 2.2 lbs 1 kg)
c. 1925
Carpenter's toolholder (adjustable clamp, guide for screwdriver, ball plunger for holding nails). Fixed plain adaptor. Made by McKay c.1925.
c. 1906
Old and well-worn above elbow prosthesis with a leather socket, wooden forearm, covered with leather (mostly worn away) and ball-type plywood tenon elbow joint. A shoulder saddle is missing. A short, thick small plain hook is fitted. Probably made by C.A. Hoefftoke c.1906.
c. 1930
British metal above knee prosthesis with light leather corset supported by wire container set into a lower encircling metal container. Light metal shin standard wooden foot, ankle and toe joint. Made by Edsell c.1930. (Weight: 6.25 lbs 2.8 kg).
Wooden divan crutch with Shiraz inlay work, Persian, 19th century
1890-1930
Wooden splint for foot(?)
1677
Wooden handle only, consisting of a cylinder carved with a series of figures in relief depicting life and death, and with inscriptions, surmounted by a carved hour glass
Brass divan crutch, Persian, 19th century
Thomas' splint for patient with disease of right hip, 1901-1920
Wooden splint for thigh
1901-1920
Wooden crutch, 1901-1920
Fine ebony divan crutch, Shiraz inlay work, Persian, 19th century
1920-1931
Splint
Triple hooked pulley from suspension loop
Two arm splints
1701-1920
Adjustable splint, iron, 1701-1920
Wrist splint, ivory, no provenance, 1701-1900
Wooden divan crutch, inlaid with mother of pearl, Turkish, 19th century
1850-1930
Axilla pad for broken collar bone, 1850-1930
1850-1910
Right leg and foot support, child's, probably English, 1850-1910
1900-1920
Wooden "gutter" foot splint, c. 1910
1820-1940
Elbow splint for ankylosis, iron and leather, 1821-1940
Concealed steel dagger from a divan crutch, jade handle, Persian(?), 19th century
1861-1930
Sleeve support for knee, 1861-1930
Pair of leg splints
Artificial right leg for amputation above knee
1801-1920
Splint for lower leg, metal and leather, 1801-1920
Leg splint of iron, 1850-1930
1901-1919
Artificial leg for amputation above left knee, 1901-1919
1978
Swedish myo-electric hand attached to a plastic forearm, with a Münster type 'cup-socket' fitting, for a 4 year old child (with a right congenital below elbow deficiency). There are two gold-plated electrodes and an 'earth' fitted each side of the socket, internally. These electrodes are sited over the 'extensor' and 'flexor' muscles just below the child's epicondyles. The rechargeable battery is fitted into a plastic socket (which is clipped into the child's pocket). Connection to the electrodes is effected by a long cable. Made by Steeper 1978.
1801-1830
Model of orthopaedic bed, mahogany, with levers and supports for attaining different positions, early 19th century
1751-1900
Copper inlaid iron divan crutch, N.W. Indian or Persian, 19th century
c. 1935
Rubber cover to go over prosthetic forearm for household duties. Fitment for holding a dish cloth. Made by Steeper c. 1935.
1946
Heavy-duty arm for a man with a left below elbow amputation. Blocked leather socket with a 'non-corset' webbing appendage with a leather front-V assembly and cordovan (leather) axillar pad. Long flat operating cord fitted with a large S-hook, attached to a lever for activating a 'push-rod' mechanism. {This operates a terminal device by means of a rod being extruded within the rotary when the lever is pulled upon}. Made by Steeper in 1946.
1973
Pair of CO2 powered upper limbs for a 10 year old boy born with absence of the left arm and a rudimentary right above elbow stump. Plastic sockets with a leather inner socket on the right side. Full shoulder cap on the left side. Standard (Dorrance) right split-hook, [body powered by means of a Bowden cable, routed to the outer side of the arm]. CO2 gas powered left split-hook operated by the shoulder (acromion process) activating the valve set on the shoulder cap. Powered right wrist rotation unit, operated by valve sited on the outer side of the socket and activated by stump pressure. Left split-hook operated by Bowden cable with perlon cord. Fully-automatic elbow mechanisms with locking/unlocking control from perlon cables sited across the chest. Made by Steeper 23 November 1973.
c. 1946
'Steeper' heavy-working arm for a right above elbow amputation. Leather socket fitted into a fully automatic elbow locking unit which is controlled by a leather strap, originally attached to appendages which are now missing. The elbow can be locked in six different positions or set to allow free movement. A flexion cord (also missing) should extend from the body appendages and pass through a pulley, sited at axilla level, and then through the metal eyelet on the medial side of the elbow and extended finally to any activated terminal device that has been fitted. The rotary face has three spring-loaded balls which eject the terminal device when the release catch is operated. They also allow the device to be rotated into a number of different positions. The small ball-headed lever on the wrist activates a lock to prevent such rotation. Made by Steeper, c.1946. (Weight: 2.2 lbs 1 kg)
1850-1920
Leg splint of iron, 1850-1920
Swiss above knee prosthesis. There is no socket but it bears a padded ring, on the Thomas splint principle. Side steels, adjustable for length. Knee joint, leather shin mounted on wooden lower end, ankle and toe joints. Made c.1935. (Weight: 6.75 lbs 3 kg)
