Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-14
S%BtRNS" BY BULLETS.
Missiles Heated by Their Flight
Through the Air.


Correspondence of the British Medical Journal
a curious case of possible burn from a
bullet was shown in wound received by a
corporal in the Queens Regiment. The
bullet POSSIBLY spent one) had struck the
shaft of the tibia close to the crest trans
versely. and apparently had drilled the
bone. There was little irreguiarity of the
bone. and a fragment may have been dis
placed. Close to the exit wound was a
mark resembling a burn the extent and
shape of bullet. The patients account
was that he had felt himself hit and felt
something burning his leg On removing
the puttie the bullet was found lying I'M
derneath it. The man stated that it was
red hot" perhaps pardonable exaggera-
ton. The bullet. at any rate. was too hot
to hold in the hand without pain. The bull
let was not ricochet in appearance. An
ether patient gave a somewhat similar ac-
count. In this instance the bullet entered
one inch to the right side of the eighth
dorsal spine, and made its exit three inches
below the clavicle on the same side with
out traversing the thoracic cavity. The
bullet dropped inSqe the shirt and burned
the skin. The bullet was found inside the
clothes a day or two later Such accounts
have to be received with a certain amount
of caution, but undoubtedly the marx on
Il
burn.
1t is often supposed popularity that the
temperature of bullets is greatly raised by
the friction of the air. The SuppOsition
does not seem to rest on an experimental
basis Arrest of movement would develop
heat, of course, but the prodigous range
of the small-bore bullet shows that the fric-
ton Is exceedingly slight. Markers at rifle
butts are familiar with the fact that
ricochet shots (Which are recognized by the
peculiar hum they make in passing through
the air, and which often fall dead by the
shelters or drop back off the target, if
picked up at once are warm, or even hot !;
but in such cases the movement has been
violently arrested. 1t Is possible that some
heat might be developed by the arrest of
the bullet by the clothing. but in such
case the missile cannot have been travelling
with any great velocity. A ricochet shot
loses the spin in its longitudinal axis that
ii acquires in passing through the riff I'd
barrel. but as it glances off after the i'm
pact 1t may revolve on transverse axis.
turning over and over in its flight 1t is
therefore, unlikely to make the small
wounds of entrance and axit characteristic
of the perfect small-bore bullet. Moreover,
the nickel sheath of the bullet will prob
ably split up as the bullet strikes the earth
and bounds up or glanres from it. 1t is
occasionally stated that the electrical cord
resulting from the passage of a smail-bore
bullet through soft tissues is due to the
cauteriznS action of the bullet. Such a
view is hardly to be taken seriously. The
clcatriX resembles no doubt that which
might be caused by passing thick gall
vanic wire through the tissues and then
raising it to a temperature sufficient to
burn the tissues. But the ciCatrix of a bull
let wound is not produced in that way.
The velocity with which it passes through
the tissues is too great to allow Tina for
any cauterizing action, even if the bullet
were at white heat.