Yet another lateral thinking puzzle

**soxfan**[$] · #1 09-24-2003, 11:48 AM

I gotta start remembering the titles for these.

Anyway, here goes:

One day a man received a parcel in the post. Carefully packed inside was a human arm. He examined it, repacked it and then sent it on to another man. The second man also carefully examined the arm before taking it to the woods and burying it. Why did they do this?

Ailsa

P.S. If you know the solution, please do not post it so other people can have the fun of figuring it out.

theeye · #2 09-24-2003, 11:52 AM

Was the first man a medical professional of any sort?

How about the second man?

Is the first man expecting to receive another such package?

How about the second man?

*emeleel* · #3 09-24-2003, 11:52 AM

Was it fresh?

**theworm**[$] · #4 09-24-2003, 11:57 AM

When you say "human arm" do you mean a persons arm that was cut off their body and then mailed to these men?

**soxfan**[$] · #5 09-24-2003, 11:59 AM

Was the first man a medical professional of any sort? No.

How about the second man? No.

Is the first man expecting to receive another such package? No.

How about the second man? No.

Was it fresh? No (ewwwww).

When you say "human arm" do you mean a persons arm that was cut off their body and then mailed to these men? Yes.

**theworm**[$] · #6 09-24-2003, 12:01 PM

Was the arm surgically amputated?

Did the 2 men who received the arm in the post have both of their natural arms still attached to their bodies?

*emeleel* · #7 09-24-2003, 12:02 PM

Was it a mummified or preserved arm?

Was it an (medically necessary) amputation?

theeye · #8 09-24-2003, 12:02 PM

Was either man (by 'either' I mean 'one or the other or both') hoping for a particular result from the examination?

Was either man missing an arm?

Was the arm male?

Did the first man make a decision to send the arm to the second man based on the results of his examination (and might he have foregone sending it on if the results had been different)?

**soxfan**[$] · #9 09-24-2003, 12:03 PM

Was the arm surgically amputated? Yes.

Did the 2 men who received the arm in the post have both of their natural arms still attached to their bodies? No.

Was it a mummified or preserved arm? No (not that it matters).

Was it an (medically necessary) amputation? No.

**soxfan**[$] · #10 09-24-2003, 12:04 PM

Was either man (by 'either' I mean 'one or the other or both') hoping for a particular result from the examination? No.

Was either man missing an arm? Yes.

Was the arm male? Yes.

Did the first man make a decision to send the arm to the second man based on the results of his examination (and might he have foregone sending it on if the results had been different)? No.

*emeleel* · #11 09-24-2003, 12:04 PM

Were the two examiners missing one arm each or both arms each?

theeye · #12 09-24-2003, 12:05 PM

Did the arm originally belong to one of the two men?

Were both of the two men missing an arm?

#13 09-24-2003, 12:06 PM

Did the arm have a tattoo?

**theworm**[$] · #14 09-24-2003, 12:10 PM

Quote:

file13 said

Did the arm have a tattoo?

DRat! that was my next question!

**soxfan**[$] · #15 09-24-2003, 12:24 PM

Were the two examiners missing one arm each or both arms each? Sorry, does not compute. Please rephrase as a yes or no question.

Did the arm originally belong to one of the two men? No.

Were both of the two men missing an arm? Yes.

Did the arm have a tattoo? Irrelevant.

**theworm**[$] · #16 09-24-2003, 12:26 PM

Was the mailed arm a left arm?
A right arm?
A Male's arm?
A female's arm?

theeye · #17 09-24-2003, 12:28 PM

Did the arm belong to someone known to at least one of the two men?

Had the men received such packages in the past?

Were they expecting to receive more such packages in the future?

Did the arm belong to the person who had performed an amputation on one or both of the two men?

Did either of the two men lose an arm as a result of a crime committed against him?

**theworm**[$] · #18 09-24-2003, 12:32 PM

Was the arm sent to either of the men for a business reason?
For a personal reason?
As a mistake?

**soxfan**[$] · #19 09-24-2003, 12:37 PM

Was the mailed arm a left arm? Irrelevant.
A right arm? Irrelevant.
A Male's arm? Yes.
A female's arm? No.

Did the arm belong to someone known to at least one of the two men? Yes.

Had the men received such packages in the past? No.

Were they expecting to receive more such packages in the future? No.

Did the arm belong to the person who had performed an amputation on one or both of the two men? Yes.

Did either of the two men lose an arm as a result of a crime committed against him? No.

Was the arm sent to either of the men for a business reason? No.
For a personal reason? Yes.
As a mistake? No.

theeye · #20 09-24-2003, 12:43 PM

Note: For convenience, I will refer to the owner of the packaged arm as X and to the first and second men as A and B.

Did X perform amputations on both A and B?

Did X amputate his own arm?

Did X mail the arm to A?

Were the amputations on A and B the result of a mistake or misunderstanding?

Is X alive?

Is/was X a medical doctor?

**theworm**[$] · #21 09-24-2003, 12:44 PM

Did the first man cut off the arm as an act of revenge for the 2nd man?

theeye · #22 09-24-2003, 12:44 PM

Were any of the amputations performed because of a bet or wager?

**soxfan**[$] · #23 09-24-2003, 12:46 PM

Note: For convenience, I will refer to the owner of the packaged arm as X and to the first and second men as A and B. Works for me.

Did X perform amputations on both A and B? Yes.

Did X amputate his own arm? No.

Did X mail the arm to A? Yes.

Were the amputations on A and B the result of a mistake or misunderstanding? No.

Is X alive? Yes.

Is/was X a medical doctor? Yes.

Did the first man cut off the arm as an act of revenge for the 2nd man? No.

Were any of the amputations performed because of a bet or wager? No.