The herald., 1895-07-15
MODERN RIFLE
Bullets Make Clean-cut Wounds Which Heal
Quickly
july1 W ( m to au1S


Quickly
The modern military small-bore rife,
with its armored bullet, copper or nickel,
is the result of a process of evolution into
the details of which we need not here eh-
ter. The reduction in caliber has gone
on steadily, and it is question whether
the limit has yet been reached. Italy
and Roumania have adopted a caliber of
no more than .256 inch. the American
navy is sabout to be armed with rife
of only .203 inch caliber. and Krukx and
Hebler have obtained ballistc results with
a bullet of only .19s inch caliper which
are unapproached by projectiles OF larger
size. Practically now the armies Of all
civilized nations are armed with weapons
whose caliber is under .3l5 inches or 8
nm.
= In a great measure our knowledge Of
the surgical results of this marked reduce
tion of caliber is based on theory, or the
results of experiments on the bodies Of
men and animals. At all times the char
acter of bullet wound depends on the
weight form, density and Velocity of the
projectile, and on the hardness or resist
ance of the part hit. The comparatively
large, soft.bullers of the older and larger
bored rifles, moving at a relatively mod
crate velocity, produced wounds. with the
character of which most medical men are
caliber, increased range. velocity and
penetration, with hard mantled bullets.
introduce new factors of Importance from
the surgical point of view.
I The softer and large bore bullets produce
wounds characterized by broad zone Of
trance, with wound canal lacsrated by
the easily deformed ball, extensively
splintered bones, great explosive action,
an aperture of exit much lacerated and
gaping widely, and with relatively little
hemorrhage. In the case OF direct hits
the action OF the new bullets may be
summed up by saying that they produce
clean-cut, slightly lacerated wounds of
the soft parts, exert less explosive action,
and splinter and displace bones less ex-
cept at short ranges. Their woudns offer
the best posi- bic conditions for rapid and
perfect healing, being small. aseptic as
rule, and clean cut, but prone to bleed
freely and at once.
At long ranges, toward the end of their
fight, these long, chin bullets tend to
somersault, and, by striking sideways,
often produce extensive splintering and
communion OF bone. Indirect and
rcochet hits with these new and mantled
bullets are especially to be feared, as con-
tact with any hard substance is sure to
split the mantle, and the naked and de-
formed bullet core then acts like the boil
low point bullets of express rifles. This
is factor winch may cause protective
works to lose much of their value when
attacked by troops armed with these SIN .
caliber rifles.
The increased explosive action given
to the new bullets by increased velocity is
more than counterbalanced by their lesser
LIABILITY to become deformed hence their
explosive action is, on the whole less
marked and less uniformly shown than
that OF the older kind. 1t occurs chiefly
in the skull and in connection with the
bones. In respect of this action on bones,
especially long bones, it is probable that
experiments made on horses. whose
bones are much stronger and more resist
ant than those of man, have given us
exaggerated ideas of the effect of the
small bullets on these tissues, but, even
so, the extensive assuring and COMMUNE
tion are so severe that considerable actual
experience is needed before We can be
justified in regarding the new arm of
small caliber as in any way minimizing
the horrors of war.-British Medical
Journal.