An artificial big toe found on the foot of an Egyptian mummy could prove to be the world's earliest functioning prosthetic body part, it was announced today.Volunteers who have lost their right big toe are now being recruited to see how effective replicas of the prosthesis are.The fake toe from the Cairo museum in Egypt was found in 2000 in a tomb near the ancient city of Thebes. Archaeologists speculated the 50- to 60-year-old woman the prosthesis came from might have lost her toe due to complications from diabetes.
The wood and leather prosthesis dates from 1069 to 664 B.C., based on artifacts it was found with in the mummy's burial chamber. This means it predates what was previously thought of as the earliest known functioning prosthesis, the Roman Capua Leg, a bronze artifact dating from about 300 B.C. The leg was once at the Royal College of Surgeons in London but was destroyed by bombing during World War II. (Read More from this source)
Although this is a really cool find for the world... all I can think of when I see this is that John Wayne movie " The Wings of Eagles" where Wayne playing--Cmdr. Frank "Spig" Wead. stars as as a reckless WW1 Naval aviator who becomes estranged from his wife Minnie (Maureen O'Hara) after the death of their baby. Drinking heavily, Wead tumbles down the stairs of his home, and as a result he is apparently paralyzed for life. With the help of happy-go-lucky Navy mechanic Carson (Dan Dailey), Wead is able to regain minimal use of his legs and thus is the "I'm gonna move that toe" scene. Very shallow on my part, but it's the truth.
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