The Palmer Limbs 1870 order form ("No. 1 - Measures for a Leg...")

Single sheet, 11 x 8.5 inches. Order form with measuring chart printed on very thin paper. The form has a printed date of 1870 and requests information about the buyer's amputation and "When will you come for the leg?" The measurement instructions also request the buyer to use the back of the paper to trace the outline of their foot with a pencil. Palmer's business had expanded after the Civil War, securing the business of soldiers who petitioned the government to disburse the value of their allowance for artificial limbs so they could upgrade to Palmer's superior prosthetics ("Will the American Government present an artificial arm (not a "clutch") to the mutilated American soldier? petition of three hundred soldiers.)" Palmer was the first person to patent an artificial limb in 1846. Having lost part of his leg in a childhood accident, he developed a prosthetic and patented it in 1846. His success boomed after the Civil War, when he expanded to several cities. This form comes from the Philadelphia office, located at 1609 Chestnut Street. The form is blank, but is faintly inscribed on the reverse: "See my new boots. See how they fit..." along with some difficult-to-decipher names and two mentions of Venango County, Pa. In Very Good condition with a few spots of foxing, creasing, and a small chip at the right edge (no loss to text).