Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-31
Guu.shot wounds Their Nature and
.a r.I Enect. IOWA

..a tI Eneot. l.fl
GuD-shot wounds, in their general charac-
ter, partake {. the nature Of laeerated aud
confused wounds. They are, Of course, the
most common and dangerous LESSONS met
with in military practice, often killing in
stantly, or, at all events, so mutlating the
patient as TO destroy him within few hours
or days after their receipt. The most formi-
dabe wounds Of the kind are made by the
conieal rifle and musket balls, and by cannon
balls; the latter often carrying away the
greater portion of limb, or mashing aud
pulpifying the muscles and viscera in the
most ftightful and destructive manner;
while the former commit terrible rayages
among the bones, breaking them into nu-
merous fragments, each of which may, in its
turn, tear up tie soft tissues, in a way
perhaps not less mischievous than the ball
itself The old round ball is a much less
fatal weapon than the conical which seldom
becomes flattened, and which has been
known to pass through the bodies Of two
men, and lodge in that of third, some dis
tapce Off 11sft U.. 1904 at
When a ball lodges it makes generally only
one oTifce; b1t it should be remembered
that it may make two, three, and even four,
and at last bury itself more or less deeply.
Such cases are, however, uncommon,
Should the missile escape, there will neces
sarily be two openings; or, If II meet sharp
bone and be thereby divided or cut in
pieces, as sometimes happens, there may be
even three, The orifice Of entrance aad the
orifiee of exit differ in their appearances.
The FIRST is small, round, and often little
discolored from the explosion of the powder;
the other, on the contrary, is comparatively
large, slit-like, everted, and free from color.
These differences, however, are frequently
very trifling, particularly il the ball be pro-
jected with great velocity and it do not en-
counter any bone. The opening of entrance
made by the round ball is often a little de-.
pressed or inverted, but such an appearance
is extremely uncommon in wounds made by
the conical ball.
1t is often matter Of great importance to
determine, when two openings exist in
limb whether they have been made by one
ball, which has passed out, or by two balls,
which are retained. The question is of grave
importance, both in practical and in a me.
dice. legal point of view; but its solution is,
unfortunately, not always possible. Some-
times the openings of entrance aud exit are
materially modified by the introduction but
non-eseape of n foreign body, piece of
breast-plate, belt or buckle, along with the
ball, which alone passes out or by fattening
yof ball against a bone, or its division by a
bone into several fragments, each of which
may afterwsrd produce a separate ori6ce.
Generally speaking, the missile, at the place
/ u
| Tends the skin where it escapes, the former
being often found in the wound.
Bullets sometimes glance, lbruising the
skin, but not penetrating it; at other times
they effect an entrance, but instead of pass
ing on in a straight line are detected,
coursing, perhaps, partially round the head,
chest or abdomen, or partially round limb.
Such results are most commonly caused by
a partially spent bullet coming in contact
with bones, aponeuroses and tendons; and
the round is more frequently served in this
way than the cOnioal. -. 81 I'D 20
Gun-shot wounds bleed profusely only
when tolerably large artery has been in
jured, and In this event they may speedily
prove fatal. During the .Crimean War, how
ever, many cases occurred in which there
was no immediate hemorrhage, imperiling
life, notwithstanding the limbs, lower as
well as upper, were. left hanging merely By
the integuments. Under such circumstances
Intermediary hemorrhage, as it is termed, is
apt TO show itself as soon as reaction takes
place; generally within few hours after the
accident. -,s br.f-f -s... L.. -.....1
The pain is Of dull, burning, smarting, OF
aching character, and ths patient is pale
weak, tremulous nAuseated, and respondent
often in degree far beyond what might bt
expected from the apparent violence of tbs
injury, and ihat, too, perhaps, when the indi
yidual is Of the most undaunted courage ant
self-possession in the hesi of battle. A
other times man may have LIMB torn of
or be injured in some vital organ, and ye
perhaps be scarcely conscious that he Is Sc
Iiously hurt. Tho pain and prostration ar
always greater, other things being equal
when bone has been crushed or a laTgt
joint laid open, than when. there is a mer
flesh wound. t.-. p. -, 5.,...., .-.g