The San Francisco call., 1897-04-11
STRANGE BATTLE CASUALTIES

Curious stories are often told of men who
have been severely wounded in battle and
who have themselves only discovered it after
the heat ana excitement of the action were
over. Others have been known to die OF
shock from wounds which existed only in
their Imagination.
The round balls used in the cannon of for
mer days often played strange freaks. Their
effect in ricochet was often remarkable the
ball in its bounding course carrying every.
thing before It. The spent balls would often
cause death and leave no external marks, and
for many years death in such cases was popu-
larly attributed to ''windage'' or the effect OF
the passage OF ball close to the person, but
not hitting him. During the Indian mutiny
spent ball struck a gunner, passing over his
body, cutting away portion of his vest and
breaking his arm. No other injury was ap-
parent, but three days later the greater por.
ton OF his leg fell away and he died firm in
the belief that he was killed by "windage." !"
In :he Crimean war an officer of the Forty
second Hlghlanders was struck in the body,
fell and died while being carried off the field.
NO trace OF injury was visible and the cause
OF death, as usual, was given as "windage." "
The autopsy. however, revealed the fact that
all OF the internal organs had been ruptured
by blow from spenI ball.
Coins, buttons and pieces of clothing are
ing bullet. Pieces of knives, watches, swords,
etc, are found in arms and legs after every
great battle. The story is told of two French
coins formerly in the Nutley Museum. These
were found in an English soldiers leg during
the Crimean war. As he was noted spend
thrift and never had a piece of money about
him the mystery remained unexplained until
1t was found that French soldier fighting
beside him had had his pocket and its con-
tents entirely carried away by q shot.
Soldiers who are hit in battle frequently
complain that they were shot by their CON-
rades from the rear. This is due to a curl
Gus fact, well known by surgeons, that the
hrst twlnge OF pain may be felt, not where the
bullet strikes, but where 1t comes out
When a bone is broken or q nerve ruptured
the pain is intense, but If the bali only passes
through the flesh it may not be observed at all
or may be felt only as a blow from stick might
be. Much depends on temperament. Many
faint and die from wounds which others
would scarcely feel. The nervous shock due
to severe blow is frequently not felt for
some hours after it is inflicted, and then the
patient is suddenly prostrated.
Tne feeling produced by the passage of q
bullet is variously described ss like a blow
from a sledge-hammer, or, again, like a red
hot iron. The actual pain experienced by the
wounded on the battle field we may conclude
has been much exaggerated on the whole.
The principal sufferings are due to lack of a.
tention after the battle resulting in fever and
thirst. Prompt treatment Will 10 much TO al.
leviate this. With the greatly improved sani.
tary and medical service of modern armies
and the respect now paid to hospitals and
doctors we may expect that the principal suf.
ferings OF the battlefield will be in future
greatly reduced.