However light, strong and mechanically perfect an arm and hand may be made, its success or failure—provided the stump is sound and of sufficient length—depends much upon the continued patience and perseverance of the wearer in getting accustomed to its use. The preservation of the form and the general improvement in the appearance produced by a properly constructed and comfortably fitted arm, to say nothing of its usefulness and convenience, should be an incentive to persistent effort on the part of the wearer to habituate himself to it, and if this is practiced for a few weeks there need be no fear of the ultimate result. _Sockets for the Stumps_ For amputation below the elbow the neatest and best fitting socket is made from specially prepared stiff leather moulded over a cast of the stump, supported with a framework of steel and lined with buckskin or kid. The advantages over a wooden socket are that it is less clumsy, adheres more closely to the stump, that there is no danger of splitting, and withal is equally as durable. We make them, however, of wood if desired. For amputation above the elbow the artificial elbow is made of wood, and it is sometimes desirable to extend the wood upward in one piece to form the socket. _Aluminum_ Much has been anticipated and hoped for in artificial limb work from this new and extremely light metal, but it has proved objectionable for any parts in both arms and legs that come in near contact with the stumps, owing to the rapid oxidization that takes place from perspiration, and its practical use is confined to fingers, toes, and such other minor fixtures as are not likely to come in contact with any part of the body. _Artificial Hands_ Whatever their mechanical perfection, artificial hands can, in fact, possess but one useful quality, that of seizing objects like pincers. In nearly every act performed by the natural fingers are combined flexion, extension, prehension, and many other different movements; this combination no mechanic has ever been able—and probably none ever will be able—to successfully reproduce in an artificial hand. It is, therefore, practically useless that the fingers should be movable, since a less complicated, lighter and stronger hand can be made with fingers rigid, in a half-closed, natural position, articulating the thumb only, which results in a more powerful spring and consequently a greater degree of firm grasping power. The fingers being strengthened with steel plates running through them, reinforced with a covering of rawhide, and securely fastened to the hand, heavy objects may be lifted without danger of the fingers straightening out and the object dropping to the ground. While we furnish the hand with movable fingers, and the rubber hand with ductile rubber fingers, the wooden hand with rigid fingers and movable thumb is recommended as giving the most practical, durable, and satisfactory service. _The Color_