Peg Legs

     Pirates often had to have their legs amputated because infection would set in after they were injured in a battle.  There were no antibiotics like we have today, so the leg would an infection called gangrene that would kill the person if they let the injured limb stay.  The ship's surgeon was usually the ship's cook too.  After the leg was amputated a fake leg called a peg leg was made out of a scrap of lumber, but it was too painful to be used for very long, so most pirates just walked with crutches if they had to have their leg amputated.