New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-25
A-elp9lorf DAILY tribune
GUN-SHOT HOUNDS.

lis sometimes said that soldiers have been killedby
tie wind of bal fired from distant artillery. The
statement 's credited because wound is found s1i
cet 20 carsc DEATH But it is quite impossible that
mere wind confusion should in itself produce a fatal
result. Air can be compressed into Il body of con-
siderable density when closely confined, but in the
oren atmosphere a procctic, though moving at the
utmost velocity atainato in artillery practice, Is IN
enable of condensng the air around II sufficiently to
cause serious injury by the in pact Instances have
occurred i'm tie present European military operations
where loss Of ife has been acr he'd 20 the influence of
air acted upon By rapidly NOV ug balls. In TIE siege
If Vera Cruz Major Nntou said TO have been
killed in this manner, 10 injury existing apparently
rroduccd from contact with the missile by which he
lost his life and an instance IL given in the records Of
military surgery Of boy who was carrying sand
hag upon bis head, from which it was knocked by
2i-lb slot He fell sonseo-s laboriOus respiration,
da,ed pupils ncessant nausea and weak, slow pulse
continued for - hours al the end of which time con-
vu,ious REQUIRED and he died.
more rational explanation exists than to attribute
tlc.c cases 10 tie effect Of condensed air. cannon
ban in tie fret part fits course moves in right line
When the impulse received from the explosion OF the
rowdcr commences to abate other influences begin
to act The resistance If the atmosphere and the at
traction of the earth the ball to reyolye upon It's
own axis in addition 70 It's forward impulse. II, with
diminished velocity and the consequent rotary mo-
ton tie ball strikes an object it Is not carried away,
as would be the case in the rapidlymoying por-
ton of IL course but, in consequence of the curYn-
car movement il has acquired, turns around the
object struck or rolls over it Ike a wheel passing
over resisting substance in its path. The effect pro-
duced resembles that resulting from the fall, upon
living part Of ponderous body which is arrested in
IL descent before il has proceeded tar enough 70
crush the object beneath sufficiently to ntic fatal
Confusion Tie head il obviously the part most sus-
coptible Of receiving ~uch severe injury IN me aD-
sense Of outward marks of violence
That ball can be turned from its course by COM
para,yeIy trivial obstacles ii often shown. trsing
/, eauay of surface or difference Of density Is sui-
fc.ent TO cause great divergence. An instance -
known where bullet entered the side Of the head,
ra,sed around beneath the scalp and fell out upon the
opposite side though bad passed directly through
tie BRAIN In another instance O bullet struck the
Adams apple, passed entirely round the neck and
lodged in the orifce by which it entered. solder
being struck in tie right arm, the ball wa found be-
meath the skin Of the opposite thigh; and in another
who was wounded ia the ankle when running, the
bullet was found above the knee.
4 soldier at Waterloo received q musketball upon
tie nose which split open the sharp edge Of the bone
rsrt Of the bullet was Immediately extracted, and
a. Continental troops sometimes fire split bahs' the
att er mart not being found this supposed 10 be
such an instance Tie man died upon the tenth day
fon Bleeding at the nose ind mouth, and on dissec-
ton tie missing portion Of the ball was discovered
inbedded by the side Of tho sgular yein which had
iLfamed and burst.
AT the same battle pocket, containing two I'VE
franc pieces and two copper coins was driven into
the owners leg AMI extracted after some days Three
ieces Of coin were removed from the leg Of Hano-
veriau solder five days aiter the battle As he hal
rei,hor money nor pocket, they evdetly came from
conradc who was killed beside him. The pain rom
oun.shot wound il said MT to be severe, bat NJ.
Guthrie distinguished Br fish surgeon, who serFei
through the Peninsslar war, aud war himself ~ounA'
ed. states it otherwise. Tie pain, he afirns 3 IN
A dead. heavy blow, and it causes great meh'ai 1'
N,"'' "' Is.