Dear Sir, - Finding my recent letter printed in the New Year's Eve Number was a pleasant surprise. I hope that my letter, and the one from "Another Biped", who agreed with me so heartily, will prove encouraging to our limbless lady friends and bring to your pages more letters and pictures. Nearly every number lately has had a letter from a new monopede, and I am looking forward to seeing some pictures in the next double number.
Perhaps other monopede lovers and monopedes will be interested in the following items which I have compiled from numerous letters, newspapers cuttings, and other sources, an the fascinating subject of limbless ladies.
Although the general average is about even, I find that in America the majority of one-legged girls have lost their left legs, while among British girls the majority are minus their right legs. The percentage is about 60 per cent, in both cases. Although I know of only one or two British girls with missing arms, in America the same percentage holds true - 60 per cent, being minus their left arms.
Also in this number are five girls minus both legs, and two minus both arms.
Only one girl is mono-limbed, possessing only her left arm. She lost the other three limbs in a motor-train smash about two years ago. She is a Californian girl, and 21 years old at the time of the accident. I learned of her through a newspaper article which told of her work in bringing cheer and happiness to crippled children in a radio broadcast.
A most interesting fact is that of all the girls with missing legs whose ages I could get, every one is between 20 and 25 years of age, and all but one-fifth of them, or less, lost their limbs within the last five years. This certainly points to the highly dangerous aspect to life and limb of the present machine age with its speed and accidents.
However, since the ladies who suffer the loss of their arms and legs do not seem to mind their limblessness (and those who find cause to complain are only a small minority), I don't suppose much needs to be done about it. Besides that, the menfolk seem to like them just as well.
Yours truly,
A Mere Biped.
Singapore.