Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-10-30
MODERN BULLET WOUNDS.


MODERN BULLET WOUNDS.
An Inyestigntion on the Action Of
Present Day Rife Bullets In the
Body.
Prof. Won Bruins, of Tubingen, the
eminent German surgeon, while con-
ducting his Investigations on gunshot
wounds found that in the wounds made
by modern small arm rifle projectiles
the surface at the point Of exit was
generally very badly torn, and In such
way as to indicate a very considera-
BILE distention of the skin as that point.
He therefore requested Profs. Cranz
and Koch, of Stuttgart, to make inves-
LEGATIONS to determine the exact condl-
tion Of the skin of a body rich In blood
at the point Of exit of a shot, espe-
cially at the instant the projectile
passed through the side of the body.
The point to be determined was, first,
whether a marked distention or bulg-
ing out actually took place, and Sec
ondly, at what instant-while the pro-
iectile was still in the body, or after
it had left it? For preliminary deter
mination, and with view to laying a
foundation for these Investigations, the
experimenters decided to use vessels
filled with water and closed at the SIDES
with rubber sheets in place OF the
bodies of animals. The small-arm used
was an experimental Mauser gun OF
6 mi!imetres (0,234) calibre, firing
smokeless powder and the ordinary
projectile with a velocity 100 meters
greater than that of the '88 model Mau-
ser gun.
The only previous Investigations
bearing on this subject were those OF
Tillmann, who took cinematograph
views Of a skull on being struck by
bullet. His apparatus allowed 5O sue
cessive pictures to be taken In one sec
ond; but he states that 1t Is very deslr-
able to increase this number, because
the most interesting phenomena pro-
bably take place between his first and
second pictures.
Prof. Cranz and Koch used tin CYL
inders, little less than inches long
and S inches in diameter, suspended
horizontally, one end closed with
parchment paper, the other with rub
ber sheet, the cylinder being filled with
water. They were enabled to obtain
instantaneous photographs at the In
slant the projectile was In any desired
part of the cylinder-just within the
entrance membrance or in the Interior,
or lust within the exit membrance, etc.
Their apparatus for this purpose con-
sisted of battery Of Leyden jars, the
current from which was interrupted by
breaks at two points, one OF which mad
a. glass tube inserted between the ter
minals to prevent for the time being
the passage Of the sparks; the other
was in the focus Of a parabolic ref1ec-
he
point inside the cylinder, and the gun
was so fired that the projectile broke
the glass tube, which caused a spark
to pass at both breaks, the second one
serving to light up the cylinder, when
was photographed by camera In the
axis Of the reflector
The first series of experiments show
ed that with the apparatus above de-
scribed and the ammunition used
there was no evidence Of any bulging
out Of the exit surface up to the time
the projectile reached this surface; the
bulging began after the projectile hao
passed through. While the projectlle
is still in the interior the water flows
in a Jet through the entrance hole to-
ward the gun: but the explosive action
of the contents of the cylinder, tearing
the latter in all directions, takes place
pletely through the cylinder.
with larger and stronger cylinders
and higher velocities very different re-
suits were obtained, as was shown
when wrought iron cylinders, feet
long and 54 inches in diameter, were
used, closed at the ends with rubber
and parchment paper as before. Inc
explosive action while the proJectile
was still inside was then distinctly
perceptible and very energetic. The
proiectile lost it's velocity before wall
and was upset and f1attered at the
reaching the next wall. and was upset
and f1attened at the front and much
torn, and finally swept out by the Jet
at the entrance hole. The parchment
paper at the exit hole was torn IN dill
ferent ways, depending on Its tension:
sometimes showing only a small, round
hole, at others a large, circular MOLE
sometimes a slit.
with the view to explain the cause
of this explosive action Of rapidly NOV
ing small-arm projectiles other exper-
iments were instituted. The explana-
ton reached by the experiments Is as
follows:
The rapidly moving projectile pro-
duces a compression wave In front OF
it. and the result is a motion Of trans
lation Of the entire mass fired through
causing a great or smaller tearing ef-
feet on the containing walls, depending
on their resistance. The action con-
sists in the projectile giving up Its en-
ergy Of motion to the body struck
when the lateral effect Cor explosive
action) is greater: the more direct this
giving up Of kinetic energy Is Tin otner
words. the greater the portion or the
body that is struck directly the small
er the amount Of energy used up IN
overcoming cohesion in the body; the
less the internal friction and the small
er the mass of the body struck.
When very large masses (of moist
clay, for example.) are struck, the hoie
inside Of the mass Is Of peculiar era
ter-like form, narrower at the entrance
than Just within, and finally taper
to q point where the bullet comes to
rest. If sections are taken at various
points through the crater-like hole IN
the clay mass exit holes Of different
dimensions will be obtained. This ex-
plains the different kinds of exit holes
made by bullets, for with compara-
lively thin plate of clay the exit hole
would be a little larger than the en-
trance hole, and with thicker plate
much larger: after passing the point
of maximum widening Of the crater
like hole the exit hole grows smaller
and smaller. So it Is in the human
body, the resistance offered correspon-
ding to the thickness of the clay plate.
The exnlosiye action is ALWAYS great