Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-06
MODERN RIFLE BULLETS.
They Make C1can-Cut Wounds That
Are Easily Healed.

From the British Medical Journal.
The modern military smal-bore rifle, with
its armored bullet with mantle of steel,
copper or nickel. is the result of process
of evolution into the details of which we
need not here enter. The reduction in cali
Der has gone on steadily, and 1t is a ques-
ton whether the limit has yet been reach
ed. Italy and Roumania have adopted a
calibe1 of no more than .256-inch, the
American navy Is about to be armed with
a rifle Of only .203-inch caliber, and Kruka
and HELLER have obtained ballistic results
with a bullet of only .19S-inch caliber.
which are unapproached by projectiles of
larger size. Practically now the armies of
all civilized nations are armed with
weapons whose caliber is under .315 inches
or nm.
In great measure our knowledge of the
surgical results of this marked reduction
of oaliber is based on theory, or the results
of the experiments on the bodies of men
and animals. AT all times the character of
bullet wound depends on the weight,
FORM density and velocity of the projectilc
and on the hardness or resistance of the
part hit. The comparatively large, soft
bullets of the older and larger bored rifles.
moving at relatively moderate velocity,
produced wounds with the character of
which most medical men are familiar. But
the new rifles of reduced caliber, increased
range, velocity and penetration with hard,
mantled bullets, Introduce new factors of
Importance from the surgical point of view.
The softer and large-bore bullets produce
wounds characterized by a bread zone of
devitalized tissue about the point of en-
trance. with a wound canal lacerated by
the easily deformed ball, extensively splin-
tered bones, great explosive action, an
aperture of exit much lacerated and gaping
widely, and with relatively little hemor-
rhage. In the case of direct hits the action
of the new bullets may be summed up by
c ole Sl iph f1N-
lacerated wounds of the soft parts, exert
less explosive action and splinter and dis
place bones less. except at short ranges.
Their wounds offer tie best possible condi-
tons 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
flight, these long, thin bullets tend to SOM
ersault, and. by striking sideways, often
produce extensive spintering and COM
minution of bone. Indirect and ricochet
hits with these new and mantled bullets
are especially to be feared, contact with
any hard substance is sure to split the
mantle, and the naked and deformed bullet
core then acts like the hollow-point bullets
of express rifles. This is a factor which
may cause protective works to lose much
of their value when attacked by troops
armed with these small caliber rifles
Tho 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 mark
ed 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, espe-
cially long bones, it Is probable that exper-
iments made on horses, whose bones are
much stronger and more resistant than
those of man, have given exaggerated
ideas of tie effects of the small bullets on
these tissues. but, even so, the extensive
assuring and communion are severe
that considerable actual experience is need
ed before we can be justified ir regarding
the new arm of small CALDER as in any way
minimizing the horrors of war.