Bly’s Anatomical Leg

History

In 1858 Douglas Bly developed what he called the “anatomical leg,” which incorporated an ivory ball in a rubber socket to provide a wide range of ankle motion. This innovation was one of many technological developments in prosthesis technology in the nineteenth century. For more on these innovations, see chapter 1 of Ryan Sweet’s free 2022 book Prosthetic Body Parts in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture.