The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-03-15
GuNsHoT WOUNDS.
some cnrloa. Fact. In Regard to Them.

Some Curious Facts In Regard to Them.
Marvellously fortunate escapes from gum
shot injuries have been recorded. Bullets
have been known to rebound or glance off
the skin, leaving only dent, probably
from the oblique direction in which they
struck a spent ball strikes rib and drops
out again, or carries in portion of the
clothing before it, rendering it easy to with
draw. Sir Astly Cooper relates two extraor-
binary instances, in one of which q bullet
moving with full velocity entered the side
, and, coming in contact with rib, was de-
aeeted from its course, aud ran around
under the skin to the opposite side of the
body. In the other the bullet struck one
temple passed over the head under the
scalp to the other, and never penetrated the
skull at all
| The following case occurred in the practice
of an eminent srugeon, whose pupil was.
! A man was brought to him who had shot
himself in the side of the head with pistol
with suicidal intent. He was said to have
held the weapon only an inch or two from
his ear, and the extensive burning and laeer-
alton Of the skin bore evidence to the truth
of this statement; there was a ragged bullet
hole; nevertheless, no fracture of the bone
could be detected, and there was an entire
absence of "head symptoms that is,
those indications which point to some lesion
of the brain. So he was put to bed and
kept quiet, without any treatment at all be-
yond simple local applications. carefully
watched the while for any untoward mani
festations that might develop themselves.
But nothing came of it, and in a week or
two the man was nearly well. Then, for
tho first time he complained of a pain and
stiffness in the cheek, which, being examin-
ed, showed signs of impending abscess.
This formed and was opened in due course,
when ont dropped the bullet Now, how
of the head is an arch of bone, known tech
nically as the sygomaa it may be seen in
the skulls of animals, and serves to protect
and strengthen the hinge of the jaw, as 1t
were. The bullet, meeting the hard upper
edge of this arch--there was a mark on the
bullet caused probably by the bone-was
turned suddenly downward at right angles,
and lodged in the thick muscles of the up
per part of the cheek. But this would new
er have occurred if great disproportion
had not existed between the calibre of the
pistol barrel-an old-fashioned cavalry blum.
derbuss, and the size of the ball. which al
lowed much of the powders force to be ex-
pended around it.
II ia o well-known fact that bullets, coins
and other metallic objects will occasionally
remain impacted in the flesh for years, with
out giving rise to any irritation or annoy
ance. In case which came under my
notice in London several years since, ball
had undoubtedly passed into the chest, and
is undoubtedly there to this day; yet the
patient recovered without any bad symp-
toms, and is still alive and well
Two German students. being in love or in
debt but in any case in despair and wearied
of the world, agreed to put an end to their
troubles by shooting each other through the
| neart simultaneously. So much was gained
from paper signed by both of them, found
on their table when the police, alarmed by
the double explosion, broke into the room
where they lay on the floor, weltering in
their blood. one corpse and the other des-
perately wounded. But when the latter re-
covered sufficiently to speak, ne emphatical-
ly denied the truth of the allegation that he
had murdered his comrade, and stated that
though he had signed the paper he had re-
pented of his determination at the last mo-
ment; not 80 his friend, however, who,
Selling both pistols, had shot him in the
breast and then killed himself afterward. A
verdict OF willful murder was produced
against him by a coroner's jury; but when
he was put upon his trial, after long and
| dang rous illness, he was allowed the benefit
will cavil much.
Hennen states that he has seen five cases in
which bullets were lodged within the skull
and did not prove Immediately fatal; Cum
ninenam speaks of boy who survived
for twenty -four days with the breech of a
pistol weighing nine drachms, in his head,
| lying OH one of the membranes of his brain,
aud resting against the cavity of the
ocoiput; while Dr. O'Calahan has recorded
remarkable case of an officer who lived
seven years with the breech of fowling.
piece, three ounces in weight, lodged in his
forehead and actually supporting the right
hemisphere of the brain. Chambers jour
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