Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-29
TORN BY MODERN BULLETS.
Bodies on Guantanamo Field show
Terrible Work of New Arms.
(By the Associated Press)

BAY. CUBA, via PORT ANTONIO, ia
MAICA. June T.-Ever since the intro
duction OF the modern high-power small
calibre rife among the armies of the
world there has been intense interest in
the medical profession as we'll as among
laymcn to know the effect OF the new
arm i'm the nature OF the wounds II would
irfiet and the proportion OF mortality 10
wounded.
DR.. Orlando Quicker, Of the American
Medical Association. who is here to study
the practical aspects of battlefield sur
gerry as well as tropical diseases and
their treatment, went over the battle
field Of Cusco mountain with Surgeon
Edgar. OF the Marine Corps and exam
ined the bodies there. A sight Of the
battlefield gave the impression of big
ger fight than had been conveyed by
the cold official statement Of the case AT
Camp McCalla last Tuesday. The ad-
ditiOnal bodies found raised he estimate
Of Spanish killed from fifty-eight, the
first days count. to more than seventy
five. Many bullet pierced straw hats lit
tered the ravine where the Spaniards
made their last disastrous retreat. The
narrow glen was literally covered with
empty Mauser shells for half a mile.
NUilt CACTUS UldUtS were DleHuluilN pep
pered with the tell-tale bullet holes, and
trees were SCARED and twigs were hang
ing in profusion along the close-grown
footpath.
Only eight bodies were found in condl-
ton TO examine. The doctors brought
back two bullet-punctured Spanish skulls.
Speaking Of what he learned, DR.. Quicker
said:
LIKE AN EXPLOSIVE BULLET.
1.-THE effectiveness Of rifles Of small
calibre but Of great initial velocity. like
the Krag-Jorgensen, Lee-Metford or
Mauser. for instance, should be regarded
as settled, II we accept the results Of the
battle Of Cusco Mountain on June 18th.
One of our soldiers received a flesh
wound in the left arm at a distance OF
200 yards. The ball struck just below
the elbow as the arm was being extended
(semi-fXed). The wound at the entrance
was. no larger than the ballet. but the
exit was terrible liberation, so great
ia fact that 1t was supposed until min
ute examination had been made that an
explosive bullet had been used.
"Of the Spanish soldiers examined one
had sustained A comminuted fracture Of
the fifth and sixth ribs. at the anterior
curvature. The soldier was evidently
STOPPING and running when struck by
the fatal bullet, the ball entering the
back below the tenth rib. and ranging
upward. striking the inner side OF the
sixth and the outer side OF the fifth rib.
shatterlng them for the space OF two
inches The second was a negro Spanish
guerilla with the usual thick negro skull.
The wound at entrance was near the mid
die OF the left parietai bone, tearing
away the outer table for a quarter
of an inch around II. but leaving
the inner table intact, except clean
cut hole the size OF the bullet. The bail
passed through the right orbit, tearing
away half OF the floor and all Of the in
ner wall. There was complete lo1Situ-
dinal fracture OF the skull. extending
from the ciliary ridge OF the right side.
to the occlpital suture on the same side,
passing one inch above the wound at
entrance.
1.-The third Spaniard was one Of the
regulars. judging from his uniform. and
n man about % years old. He was evil
IDENTIFY STOPPING forward and facing our
troops. as the ball entered the rigk5
frontal bone, two inches anterior 20 the
parletaI suture. and two and a half
inches above the temporal articulation,
the brain longtudinally, pass
ing out through the right side OF the
occipital bone on a line Of and midway
between the mastoid process and oc-
ciptal proturbance. The wound al exit
was irregular in shape. but one by
seven-eighths OF an inch i'm size dam
aging alike both the inner and outer
table OF the skull.
BULLET TEARS IT'S WAY OUT.
This wound at entrance was clean cut
and the size OF the bullet, so far as the
inner table was inolved. but along the
lower margin extended three-qIarters OF
an inch on either side and one inch be-
low the entrance the outer table was
completely torn away. as though il had
been excavated by "A chisel A complete
fracture extended from the
roof OF the right orbit through the fon-
tai bone passing half an inch above the
wound at entrance to two-thlrds the
distance OF the right parietal, the other
extending downward and outward 10
the middle and posterior margin OF the
bone In both cases OF wounds OF the
skull the longitudinal fracture did not
with the wound at en-
trance or exit. In both cases
the fracture was parallel to the
course OF the ball and complete. thin
bladed knife was passed through the
fractures. The shooting was from 60o TO
800 yards. and the fractures along the
line OF greatest pressure.
whether a ball passing through the
head from side to side will cause a frac-
ture al a right angle 90 the long dame
ter Of the head or not further investl-
cation will demonstrate. The bursting
OF the skull is no doubt due 10 the great
o; the ball through the brain
substance. giving not sufficient time for
cell compression.
INCREASE THE MORTALITYH
Another fact yet remains "a" be
proven whether the mortality Is greater
from the use OF the modern or the Ole
style rifles. In the case OF our own
troops. the fatality was greater TO the
proportion OF wounded than formerly.
However, that will require further DEM
as the results OF the 18th
may have been purely accidental az TO
fatalities.
There IL yet no means Of ascertain
Ing the proportion of wounded 10 the
number killed OF the Spanish troops du-
ring the engagement referred TO. but IL
might be safely assumed that in the
case OF the Spanish the mortality was
also larger than normal. The topogra-
ply OF the region where the fight nc
CURED and the evidently scanty means
Of transportation at hand makes II un-
likely that the Spantards could have
all their wounded. had there
been great number OF them. As mat
ter OF fact. however. not a sing'e
IA 4.