ins* War Dept, 2Helpful Hints to Those who Have Lost iliin bs, Pamph let No, &-7 WAR DEPARTMENT PAMPHLET No. 8-7 HELPFUL HINTS to those who have lost limbs WAR DEPARTMENT • 15 MARCH 1944 WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington 25, D. G., 15 March 1944. War Department Pamphlet No. 8-7, Helpful Hints to Those Who Have Lost Limbs, is published for the in- formation and guidance of all concerned. [A. G. 461.01 (19 Jan 44).] By order of the Secretary of War: G. G. MARSHALL, Chief of Staff. Official: J. A. ULIO, Major General, The Adjutant General. HELPFUL HINTS TO THOSE WHO HAVE LOST LIMBS WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. It will take you only a few minutes to read this booklet. But the information it contains is very important to you. So study it carefully. Its purpose is to tell you how best to take care of your- self and your artificial limb. You’ll find here the an- swers to many of your questions. PREPARATION OF THE STUMP. In order to prepare your stump for a limb, some re- shaping of the stump is required. Ordinarily the stump is too bulky at first, because of excess fat and flabby un- used muscles. For successful use of an artificial limb, the stump should be in the shape of a cone instead of a cylinder. While your stump is on the way to healing, you will receive treatment by a physical-therapist at your hospital. Cooperate fully when instructions are given you regarding exercise, bandaging, and other forms of treatment. This will help to hasten your early recovery. Maximum shrinkage will be secured if you will wear an Ace type elastic bandage on the stump at all times. Your physical-therapist will teach you how to apply the bandage. 578636°—44 2 You should learn how to do this properly from the start. Leaving the bandage off for any length of time may hinder your recovery, because your stump will swell instead of shrink. Make certain the bandage is on snugly, but not so tight as to be uncomfortable. If it feels uncomfortably tight, remove it and put it on again. Carefully launder the bandage each day. In order to retain elasticity, washing should be done with warm water and white soap, followed by thorough rinsing in cold water to remove all soap particles. Do not hang the bandage up to dry but spread it on a soft towel which is placed on a flat surface. When it is dry, roll the bandage up firmly. EXERCISING THE STUMP. Though you will be given a course in the proper exercise of your stump during your physical-therapy treatments, it is to your advantage to do your own exercising as well. This will keep your muscles supple and active so that you will have better control and use of your new limb when you get it. Full use of your stump muscles doesn’t come overnight. Be patient and exercise them constantly. Thus you will not only shorten the time before you get your new limb but will also be in a better position to use it successfully. TENDER STUMP AND JERKING MUSCLES. Your stump may be tender at first, due to injured tissues and nerve endings. This is expected. The tenderness will gradually disappear during the time your stump heals and becomes ready for your new limb. Don’t fret if your stump jerks up and down at times. Frequently there is no apparent cause, and it will grad- ually disappear with lapse of time. You can help to over- come this by your own patience and selfcontrol. WALTER ANTONOWIECZ WALKS WELL . . . CLIMBS STAIRS . . . AND EVEN A LADDER . . . CROSSES HIS LEGS . . . . . . AND DANCES EASILY 4 PHANTOM PAIN. Persons who have lost a limb are oft-times conscious of feeling in their missing member, such as pain, itching, motion, etc. Some men can even describe various move- ments as if the limb were still there. The types of pain differ in various individuals. It may be an ache, a throb, or a cramped feeling. This simply means that the raw nerve ends still telegraph sensations to the brain, just as if the rest of the nerve and limb were still there. Gradually this will disappear as the nerve ends heal, and you get used to the fact that the member is no longer there. Use of an artificial limb will be beneficial in helping to relieve these sensations. GETTING YOUR NEW LIMB. Don’t be impatient if you don’t get your new limb right away. Your doctor will decide the proper time, for this will depend on a number of factors. The wound must be soundly healed, the injured nerves must be in a suitable McGONECAL SHAVES . . . COMBS HIS HAIR ... 5 condition, blood circulation must be reestablished, and your stump must be shaped properly. Your hospital staff will give you a new limb as early as possible, but it is useless to give you one until you can actually use it, and your stump is in proper condition to receive it. As soon as possible you will be fitted with a standard Army adjustable limb. This type permits complete adjust- ment during the time your stump is shrinking. Eventually, shrinking will stop, and major adjustments will no longer be necessary. GETTING USED TO YOUR NEW LIMB. At first your new limb will feel like a foreign object— heavy and awkward. Gradually it will become comfortable. Eventually it will become a part of you—something that you will put on and off like a shoe, a glove, a pair of glasses, or some bridgework. Many adjustments will be necessary to give you a well- fitting limb. You must wear it diligently from the start BRUSHES DOWN A STRAY LOCK PULLS ON HIS SOCKS . . . 6 to find what changes are necessary to give you maximum comfort. But you can’t get a comfortable fit unless you give your new limb a chance to show what it can do for you. YOUR NEW ARM Few people realize how useful an artificial arm can be. At first you may find it difficult to use. Stick to it, and you will find that you soon will be mastering the knack of doing little and big things alike. There are many types of artificial arms and working appliances, some of which are more complicated and heav- ier than others. Experience has proven that the best all- round working tool is the type of hook with which you will be supplied. Take full advantage of occupational therapy. The pro- cess of learning to use your new arm should be gradually progressive. You didn’t learn to write overnight; neither will similar skillful acts with the artificial hand be per- formed immediately. SHOELACES . . . AND VESTS ARE EASY 7 YOUR NEW LEG. Learning to walk again is not easy. You can’t just buckle on your new leg and walk away. You must educate your stump and yourself to proper walking habits. This learn- ing should be gradual and progressive. When you receive your leg you will of course receive proper‘instructions on how to walk. Follow these instruc- tions exactly from the very start, in order not to develop any bad walking habits. Don’t look down at your feet when you walk. Rely on your muscles for your sense of position, so that you will develop good walking balance and a natural gait. Unless you have exercised your stump muscles while the stump has been healing, you will find extra difficulty in walking when you first start. CARE OF YOUR STUMP. Take good care of your stump; see that it is not injured or abused. Discontinue wearing your new limb promptly if any unusual soreness or irritation develops. If you are GOING TO BREAKFAST . . . GOOD TOMATO JUICE . . . 8 still in an Army hospital, your doctor will take care of any trouble. If you are discharged, see your nearest veterans’ facility. Be extremely careful to keep the stump clean with plepty of good soap and water. The use of a little talcum powder will lessen any friction that may develop, partic- ularly during warm weather. Change your stump sock at least once a day. This is important! If you are particularly active, you may require more frequent changes. Your main object should be to keep the stump as dry as possible. CARE OF STUMP SOCKS. Use a good grade of soap flakes when you wash your stump socks, and follow the directions on the soap package as to the washing of woolens. Every trace of soap should be rinsed from the socks. Naturally you will wash these socks after each wearing. Place the socks on a flat sur- face to dry, and smooth in all directions to prevent wrin- kles. Handle your socks carefully when you wash and dry M-M . . . REAL CREAM . . . A TEASPOON OP SUGAR . . . 9 them; they must not shrink smaller than original size, and should be soft and fluffy when you wear them. Keep a record of your proper sock size to use in re- placing. ADDITIONAL SOCKS. The Veterans’ Administration, upon request to the near- est office, will furnish you additional socks, within reason, during each year, to keep you comfortably supplied. CARE OF YOUR NEW LIMB. You don’t toss your g asses or your bridgework around; be careful with your new limb. It is made of several delicate parts. Usually these last a long time. If you abuse the limb, it will give you poor service and require frequent adjustments and repairs. Keep the knee and ankle joints tight; have major adjust- ments and repairs done by an experienced limb mechanic. DELICIOUS COFFEE . . . CRISP BACON . . . 10 ADJUSTING AND REPAIRING YOUR LIMB AFTER DISCHARGE. This is the responsibility of the Veterans’ Administration. Contact their nearest office listed in back of this booklet. There you will receive advice as to where you can get your limb adjusted and repaired, of course, at no charge to you. You may visit this office personally at your own expense, if it is nearby. However, if it is any distance away, you should write and you will be informed what steps to take. Should it be necessary to travel any considerable distance for your adjustment or repair, the Veterans’ Administration will furnish transportation, meals, and lodging. REPLACING YOUR LIMB. Should it be impossible to place your limb in a satisfactory and serviceable condition by adjustment and repair, or should it be damaged not due to your own wilfull neglect, or should it wear out through fair usage, you will receive a replacement through the Veterans’ Administration. TIME FOR A SMOKE . . . A CIGARETTE . . . 11 Limbs are manufactured of different materials and in various styles, and each manufacturer incorporates special features that may be advantageous in certain cases. How- ever, the basic principles are similar in all modern artifi- cial limbs. The manufacturers under contract with the Veterans’ Administration provide the best limbs available. Contact the nearest office of the Veterans’ Administration listed in this booklet, and you will be instructed how to secure a replacement for your worn-out or damaged limb. A manufacturer near your home will be the best one to fit your limb, for in this way your fitting will be a personal one as it was in the Army before your discharge. Also, this will make it easier for you when minor adjustments are necessary. Remember that personal contact between you and the limb fitter is an ideal method of securing proper fitting. INSURANCE, JOBS, PENSIONS, ETC. Information about insurance, getting a job, filing your claim for pension, hospitalization, retirement pay, etc., will AND A MATCH . . GIVE SMOKING PLEASURE . . . 12 be found in the new War Department Pamphlet No. 21-4, “Information for Soldiers Going Back to Civilian Life.” You will receive a copy of this when you are ready to be discharged. FALSE PRIDE. C. G. McGonegal, pictured herein, who lost both arms in the last war, now uses hooks rapidly and readily for all matters. He tells this very interesting story about himself: When he first received the hooks he thought they looked sort of peculiar, and decided to use wooden hands instead. One hot summer day while walking down a street in a midwest community, he noticed a passerby stare and heard him say to his wife, “Look at that farmer, dear. No doubt he just got into town, bought himself a new outfit, and insists on showing off his new kid gloves even though it is in the middle of the summer.” From that time on, McGonegal states, he decided to put aside his pride in looking like everyone else, and acquire a new pride in accomplishment. He therefore switched from THEN TO WORK . . . LECTURING TO ASSISTANTS . . . 13 his good looking “hands” to his more practical hooks. To- day he can be justly proud of what he can do with them. Among other things he writes beautifully and can even rope horses. Follow McGonegal’s example and that of other veterans who have adjusted themselves to the use of new limbs. Don’t be embarassed because you have them. Thought- less people may stare at you, and make remarks or ask fool- ish questions. Be tolerant of them. Don’t let needless embarassment rob you of the excellent opportunities which await you in the future. Let pride in your accomplishments with your new limb lead you on to further attainments, and the full realization of your ambitions. MAKING A SALE . . . FILLING OUT THE ORDER . . . 14 VETERANS’ ADMINISTRATION OFFICES. Certain Veterans’ Administration establishments are set up to handle matters pertaining to the repair and replace- ment of limbs and the furnishing of stump socks. They are as follow; Alabama Montgomery Arkansas 1' Little Rock Arizona T ucson .... . 1 Los Angeles California r c r- J han hrancisco Georgia Newington Idaho Denver Illinois Bay Pines Connecticut-, Atlanta Colorado Boise Florida Hines Indiana Indianapolis lowa Des Moines Kansas Wichita Kentucky Lexington Louisiana New Orleans Massachusetts Boston Maryland Ft. Howard Maine Togus Michigan Dearborn Minnesota Minneapolis Mississippi Jackson . f Excelsior Springs Missouri < j a• i tjenerson barracks Montana Ft. Harrison Nebraska Lincoln Nevada Reno New Hampshire Manchester New Jersey Lyons New Mexico Albuquerque New York | Jatavia I Bronx North Carolina Fayetteville North Dakota Fargo TYPING A LETTER . . . WATCH THAT SNEEZEI 15 Ohio (Brecksville [Dayton Tennessee Murfreesboro Texas Waco Utah Salt Lake City Vermont-White River Junction Virginia Roanoke Washington ; Seattle West Virginia Huntington Wisconsin Wood Wyoming Cheyenne Oklahoma Muskagee Oregon Portland Pennsylvania- ( Philadelphia [Pittsburgh Rhode Island Providence South Carolina Columbia South Dakota Sioux Falls Name Serial Number Date of injury Date of original fitting Medical Officer Hospital PLAYING CARDS IS FUN . . . AND SO 15 POOL! UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1944