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ORIGIN OF WHEEL CHAIRS

  We don't know when appeared Izariguruma, prototype of 
wheelchairs. Supposedly it began to be used fairly early 
time in accordance with people's necessity.
  It was depicted in two different scenes in Hokusai Comic 
by Hokusai Katsushika in Edo period.
  Lower picture shows wheelchair with two levels, on which 
one can sit down. Upper picture shows a plain board wheels 
made of wood. They stroke with long poles against ground to
proceed, probably because it had smaller wheels than 
nowadays. 
  The man looks like a beggar or so, the other seems to be 
an intelligent person with social status like master of 
haiku, etc.. as he wears special cap and respectable clothes
. It is a good contrast that one uses only one pole, while 
the other uses two poles.
  It appeared, however, the speed and operational technique 
of the wheelchair with one pole could be much superior to 
the other.
  Relaxed flexibility and shrewd toughness. It expresses 
difference of characters derived from respective lives 
splendidly well.

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