War and Prosthetics

This week I wanted to focus on a topic that both Jeff and Chris brought up in their presentations. That topic deals with war and prosthetics. Both guys did a great job talking about 2 different situations where guys had to deal with some sort of disability.

According to asme.org, prosthetics were created during the Civil War Era; however, these artificial body parts were created during the 1500s but didn't see a "spike" until the bloody American Civil War. Surgeons during the Civil War would rather do amputations than use artificial limbs during surgery because many surgeons were not qualified with using this procedure. When the Civil War ended in 1865, the US government commissioned the creation of the "Great Civil War Benefaction, an organization to provide prosthetics to all disabled veterans." The first group that created prosthetics was Hanger Inc. This organization is very ironic because the founder, Edward Hanger, was the "first documented amputee of the Civil War."The company is still around today and is the main force behind prosthetics. "Business ads for prosthetics from the time Civil War were usually familiar and tried to depict the primitive technology." (according to unc.edu)

During WWI, with the creation of the telephone and the newspapers field rising, doctors advertised prosthetic ads to help veterans get "back into the routine of things" with these artificial limbs. Even today the field for prosthetics is growing. With numerous of servicemen/women coming back from the war in the Middle East, there are more amputees and people in need of artificial limbs. 

The people that have artificial limbs should NOT be judged or be subjected to harsh humiliation. These people have found bravely for our country and have scarified a part of their body to maintain our freedom and basic inalienable human rights!! These people should not be looked down upon; their deserve the utmost respect from us!! 

http://www.asme.org/kb/news---articles/articles/bioengineering/the-civil-war-and-the-birth-of-the-u-s--prosthetic
http://www.unc.edu/~mbritt/Prosthetics%20History%20Webpage%20-%20Phys24.html
http://www.unc.edu/~mbritt/Prosthetics%20History%20Webpage%20-%20Phys24.html http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/war-and-prosthetics/