Portion of a prosthesis made from wood carved to accommodate a left leg that had been amputated below the knee. Sheet copper and copper nails were used to create a brace on either side to serve as an attachment to the wearer’s leg.
There is also a liner cup made from sheet copper. A ship’s name “Victory” and the date “1830” have been inscribed into the wooden portion. The original footpad, made from the skullcap of a muskox, is missing.
Other
Related Material
Check the Beaver Index - e.g., The Victory Relics, by William Gibson, December 1929.
Did
You Know?
The small steamer "Victory" was navigated into arctic waters in 1829 by the Scottish Rear Admiral and Arctic explorer, Sir John Ross.
The ship became ice-bound for four winters in the Prince Regent Inlet area, during which time Ross, assisted by the Inuit of the area, explored the region to the north and west.
The prosthesis was made for an Inuk hunter by the name of Tulluachiu who had lost the lower part of his leg due to an encounter with a polar bear. As a goodwill gesture, Captain Ross ordered his ship’s carpenter to fit the man with a wooden leg.
The ship’s surgeon and carpenter examined Tulluachiu on January 12, 1830 and completed the leg on January 15.
