A. Gautam
Patent drawing of Hanger Limb
A prosthesis is a medical device for those who have missing body parts by birth, injury, or accident. Over time, there have been great advances in the technology and appearance of artificial organs, which offer comfort as well as emotional support to people.
The earliest example of a prosthesis ever discovered is a toe. The toe belonged to a noblewoman in Egypt (950-710 B.C.E.) The big toe was especially important to an Egyptian at that time because it was needed to wear the traditional sandals.
General Marcus Sergius is considered the first documented person to wear a prosthetic limb. After he lost his right hand in the second Punic War, he wore a prosthetic arm made from iron to hold his shield and continue fighting. More examples of soldiers and warriors using prosthesis has been documented in history.
In the early sixteenth century, army surgeon Ambroise Paré achieved great progress in the development of prosthetic limbs as well as amputation surgery. He not only introduced a hinged prosthetic hand but also a prosthetic leg with a locking knee joint. These techniques are still commonly used today.
The next big development took place in the mid nineteenth century when amputation surgery became more advanced. Doctors could shape the residual limb in such a way as to make it more receptive to the attachment of a prosthesis. This, in turn, increased comfort.
When the American Civil War led to a dramatic increase in the number of amputees, the demand of prosthetic devices also increased tremendously. A confederate soldier named James Hanger was the first recorded amputee in the war. After a war wound, a surgeon cut his left leg seven inches below the hip. Hanger invented the Hanger Limb, which is a prosthetic leg made from barrel staves and metal and featuring hinged joints at the knee and ankle. The Hanger Limb became the most advanced prosthetic limb of the time. James Hanger patented his invention and founded Hanger Inc., a company which became the leader in the production of prosthetic devices.
Despite massive losses of lives and limbs in the World Wars, there wasn’t a leap in the progress of prosthesis as in after the Civil War. Only in 1946, researchers at University of California, Berkeley developed a suction sock for lower-limb amputees. This attachment technology is still used today.
Inventor Ysidro M. Martinez made the next big improvement in prosthesis in the 1970s. His lower-limb prosthesis focused on improving gait and reducing friction. Martinez was an amputee, and his invention relieved pressure while making walking more comfortable.
Today, modern materials like carbon fiber, and technology like 3-D printing and biometrics have made prosthetic limbs lighter and stronger. Modern prosthetic devices are also well-designed and aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Question
The author includes paragraph 2 to
Responses
A suggest that appearance is more important than comfortsuggest that appearance is more important than comfort
B inform that prosthetic devices were not just used for war victimsinform that prosthetic devices were not just used for war victims
C compare the effect of tradition to the effect of warscompare the effect of tradition to the effect of wars
D reveal that prosthetic devices cannot be afforded by everyone
1 answer
The author includes paragraph 2 to:
B. inform that prosthetic devices were not just used for war victims.
Paragraph 2 discusses the earliest example of a prosthesis (a toe from an Egyptian noblewoman), indicating that prosthetic devices have a long history and were utilized for various reasons beyond military conflicts.
