A MECHANICAL FACE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6451, 24 February 1908, Page 9

A MECHANICAL FACE.

TRIUMPH OF MODERN SURGERY. The latest triumph of fnrgleal science I h«u» aoijiuily the of a i iiujudU wAii j. n< »v vi«I age t K a t ; hoiK'-s a p'«-siDie icr him once I more to mingle with HjUU if Tin* teat na.s been accomplished in i Pans by Or Del sire of tho i rench Academy of Aiedicuje, ami is the wonder of savants and physicians and a _ marvel !of mechanical ingenuity. Nothing has ever been done that is like it. It is the last word m all that is wonderful In surgery. Some month© ago Henri do Poueset, a weathy man, went out tor a day's Bhooling m the woods. At his first shot his gun exploded, tearing away both jaws, Ms chin, the upper lip, and nose. Practically nothing was left of the poor follow’s taco but his eyes and forehead. fie was picked -up apparently dead. There were, however, a few signs of lire, ojul though it seemed like a miracle, tli© victim recovered consciousness. He was told that fie could not possibly survive, but to tho astonishment of every on© ho did. And in due season, horribly maimed as h© was, M. de Pouaset recovered hia health and strength. Eut ho was a horrible sight to look upon, with the lower half of his face completely shot away and the interior of his head exposed. It was then that Dr Debar© w»o colled in. After many conjvnftations and examinations he told the victim that if lie would have patience he woTtld try ot givo him a new, face. Tho most delicate measurements were taken and numerous trial models were built up. Finally Dr Delaire got what ho wanted —aperhwt mechanical face that at ten feet distance cannot ho told from on© moulded by Nature. Tho missing organs have been replaced by trtifieial parl<=, and M. de Pousset can now speak without di/iiculty. iJe can masticate his food with nearly tho same ease as lie could before the accident which all but killed him.

Even in a weM lighted room at a few feoc distance no ono would notice that thorn was anything wrong with the man with the mechanical face, ilo simply appears an ?> person of rather immobile, features, nothing more; hut it i> said that ho Loughs and talks and oats with tho same apparent ease as one who still Jins the feature.'; which Nature gave him ot begin with.

Thor* are four parts (o this wonderful oontrivaneo of rubber and inMal. The part is a shaped bar of silver, which is groov'd. In it are pet some of the larger lower teeth. This | is attached to a dental apparatus of tin.

in which are fixed the remaining lower teeth, of course, all of porcelain. Tho second part of the face is the upper jaw. It is made of gold and vulcanite, in. which is got a full row of artificial upper teeth. This is affixed to two small protuberances, which fit snugly into the nasal cavities, all that is left of the nose. This also fills up the I jrght isinus, which was smashed in. At tho back is a piece of gold mechanism with hooks, which fasten on. the face piece. Tho third part of the face consists of an artificial chin, and lower lip made of India rubber, and painted so exactly the colour of healthy skin as to resemble a real chin and lip of flesh and blood. The illusion is further heightened by a false beard made of real human hair. At tho back of the false lip are two tiny bolts which pass through holes in the false teeth and firmly fixed the artificial lip to tho false jaw. When th© few remaining muscles work on the jaw the false lips move in a manner so true to life that a person on the opposite side of tho table would hardly notice M. do Poueset’e management of his food.

The fourth and last piece of this remarkable apparatus is its crowning triumph. This is the upper lip and nose. So close to Nature has Dr Dclaire fashioned them that no one passing M. de Pous*et in the street would turn to look nt him twice. The upper lip is of rubher, painted the hue of real flesh, and from it sprouts a luxuriant moustache. At the back are two small clasps to which tho upper dental piece and jaws are fixed. .Remnant? of several muscles are etill left in M. de Pousset'B face. These arc sufficient to work tho jaws and enable the interior of the mouth and tho remaining portion of the tongue to perform th® normal functions of mastication and swallowing. Apparently M. de Pousoct suffer* little or no inconvenience. while his digestion is perfect. This mechanical face has one advantage—it eon be taken off at night and put away. Once a day K. de Pousset carefully unhooks Ids fare and washes it thnronghlv in soap and water—think of a man bmnsr able to take off his face and handle it for ablntionary mimeses!

?vf. do Ponsset has taught himself to artmub-te so -wdl bv means of hi* artificial H”« and the stump of hi* tongue that his defeat, even after only a few weeks* practice, is hardly noticeable.