The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-20
STUDY OF GUNsHoT WOUNDS.
Some Light Thrown on the Presi-
 dents Case-Modern Treatment.

Washington Letter in New York Even ing Post
 While the prospects of President Me Kiniey's recovery constitute medical question upon which no one away from the bedside is really competent to ex- press an opinion, the bureaus of the War Department are in possession of some very interesting facts relating to the mortality of bullet wounds under modern conditions of treatment, which throw some indirect light on the subject that any arm fired at very short range has an explosive effect, not that it does explode, but that the jar it gives the bles that produced by an explosion. Tests of firing into tin can filled with various substances at short range re- veal that, But aside, from the short range explosive jar, the hand pistol is much less dangerous weapon than the rifles of modern warfare. It is not be- lieved that the bullets which entered more than 600 feet. whereas the velocity of smaller arms used in warfare Is from three to four times as great; Hence. in comparing bullet effects observed in large numbers of cases in the surgical hospitals with what may be expected of Buffalo, it will be seen that there is much. on general principles in the Pres ident's favor.
 The war in South Africa has furnished vast amount of interesting surgical eX- perience, showing the. effect of modern
 
 hospitals While it Is too early to draw deductions from the statistics of war, it is worthy of note that when the records had been wounded, only 7S2 died of wounds received in action. This small mortality is attributed to the prompt respect to .promptness, the. Presidents treatment far exceeds anything that was possible in battle hospital The action of the Mauser bullet upon the human ff2E1pG dpnpn1G which it Is fired. Within 200 yards it has an explosive character. The nickel case seems to expand and become detached, causing a severe, lacerated and contuS ed wound. which heals very slowly. If 1t strikes a bone 1t crushes and destroys 1t. If fired at a longer range it makes while if it strikes soft parts of the body, cnly a small wound Is made. there being but little difference between the place which bl5eds but little unless an i'm pCrtent vessel is injured
 It is remarkable how few amputations ha,v been performed during the Boer war. Dr. Kendall Franks has reported that in his experience not more than twenty amputations had occurred in 50D cases, which Is attributed to the conserV- Sterling Ryerson relates that he saw at Kimberley 147 wounded Boers in q roller rink. which had been converted into ages from fifteen to sixty-five. They had been wounded at Pardeburg. and in many cases the wounds had been undresj4d for from fifteen to seventen days. lie tells of one man who had been shot through the elbow joint, and whose only treatment had been the universal Boer remedy. tobacco juice The arm was latous in appearance. A civil surgeon, however. took the case in hand with mod ern methods, with the result that the man made an excellent recovery. retain ing even the power to move his arm at the joint. Another man wh 1se case IS somewhat notable was shot through the body by q round ball from slrapnel S,hHll, The proiactile entered four inches below tn hart somewhat to the left, and came out through the sixth inter f"r,a sNqf' on on th tight ids ana sixt@sn pog7 days before but q the time D.. RNerson
 aW him he had nracticellv no symptoms Wmch IS rrmarkahle in view of the na-
 1T. "i the missile Dr. Ryerson relates that n@ n seen a good many pentratlhS Wouhds or the abdomen which nave pro dured nth immediate disturbance. one one Was the Ctf' of a medical olhceF %h9 was shot through the stomach. He had had httIe '" cat for twelve hours before I' %aS W,HH.''d and when that 2ccurrua s,i h' had thy good sense to abstain rom drinking. although very thirsty. He lay on the battlefield for twelve hours and Ytt mHfr dn excellent recovery. Ihe UT sroA r. t's that three months altSI- w2rd'. although his wound had healed, h' r mH -.I of q dragging sensauo9 l9 lh t,"hh,rhocG of the injury. 4nd " M cyeG Dllly sent home an lnVaIlG; i1i; L"" Of h's companions who naa otSn . same Way drank water and died from neHi@nitis but this may have .,i,,,,, hsem que; !!hf doctors think. to the hithihesS or
 It is understood to be the. experience of the surgeons in south Africa mat what is known as tke aodon,ihai sec sec inadvsabie Altogether wounds show a surprising tendency Ito heal rapiaiy, eVen under the most trying ctrcutnSSAnSesa