THE WANT OF FORE-ARMS AND HANDS. 455 
the surface formed by the soft integuments of the right 
stump. It is then, as usual, preserved in its position by the 
pressure of the bony extremity of the left defective limb. 
The lad was requested by one of my friends to receive a 
sixpence, purposely exposed before him on the open hand. 
After placing the extremity of his right arm on the edge of 
one side of the palm, and with his left limb removing the 
piece of silver to the position necessary for receiving it be- 
tween the two stumps, his next object was to transfer the 
coin to his mouth. Here it was for a few moments retained, 
until he had inserted one of his stumps within his waistcoat- 
pocket, which being opened for the purpose very wide, al- 
lowed the money to fall into it from his lips. In the ope- 
ration, however, of tying a common bow, every organ con- 
nected with the mouth is employed. As the occasion may 
require, either one extremity of the string with which the 
knot is to be made, or the two ends of a double, are fixed 
between the teeth. That flexible member, the tongue, as- 
sumes, by its guidance and gentle pressure, the functions 
of a finger, being employed to pass one thong under an- 
other. This office of the tongue having been executed, 
either of the two extremities of the string, or either of the 
two doubles that may have been formed, is caught and 
retained by the stumps; and when, after one string or 
double has been received between the teeth, and another 
between the stumps, it is necessary that they should be 
pulled in opposite directions from each other, a synchro- 
nous and corresponding motion of the head and the ossa 
humeri soon complete the task. All these complex motions 
incidental to the formation of the knot, are performed with 
such celerity and adroitness, that it requires the utmost at- 
tention to trace the work in its progress. 
In many operations, the chin is an organ of no small im- 
portance. The lad, in undertaking to stir up the coals 
