It was necessary to visit my friendly prosthetist at Hanger Orthopedics yesterday for an adjustment, something I need to do a few times a year. The Hanger company came into existence during the first year of the Civil War. The story goes like this. In 1861 James Hanger's wound made him the first amputee of the Civil War. His biography tells that a suitable solution to walking again was not available. So he took to developing an artificial leg for himself, that first one being fashioned from barrel staves. Apparently it worked well enough to prompt the Virginia state legislature to commission Hanger to manufacture limbs for other veterans. Since its humble beginnings the company has grown to provide services from 600 locations.
One can only guess how many wartime wounds have caused amputations, but then we can only guess how many pails full of water are in the Pacific. I imagine dusty records in Washington could be tallied to an accurate number, but who cares. Whatever the count, there are too many. One source I read claims that among the Federal troops thirty thousand amputations were performed with a similar number among Confederates. The stomach turning facts tell of the high risk of infection and that due to frequent shortages of water, surgeons often went days without washing their hands or instruments. In spite of the conditions, 75% survived.
A company like Hanger can only grow. How many wars have we been involved in since the Civil War? Fresh client numbers are constantly being provided to them. Thankfully, the company and others like them keep developing new and better appliances and techniques to make life better for people who need them.
