The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-02-16
MODERN GUNS
IN WARFARE
soBURe Professors SAYS THAT
IN ORDER TO PRODUCE DEATH
A BULLET MUST BE SENT
THROUGH THE HEAD OR THE
HEART

Berlin, Feb. 15-Nothing less than a
bullet through the heart, the head OF an
important artery Is sure TO bring death
n the wars OF today. Abdominal wounds
involving even manifold presentations Of
mo mtesttnes, show a surprising per-
sentage of recovery, and little Is to be
cared from thoracic wounds that do not
nolest big arteries or the heart What
used TO be known as gangrene has vir-
tually disappeared, and only In rare In
stances does pus form at ALL When it
does IL is primarily due TO neglect or to
unSkilfu handling by surgeons
IneSe conclusions are set forth in an
article by Professor Frank Colmers. of
Ceburg, who took charge OF the hospitals
in soma at the request of King Ferdi-
uand upon the breaking out of the war
IN the Balkans Two things have brought
about the improvement over the days
when any wound OF the limbs meant am
outation and penetration Of the abdomen
was nearly always fatal One is, OF
course, the great advance of aseptic sur
gerry. The other is the form, constitu-
ticn and velocity OF the modern projectile.
Except at extremely close range-within
100 Yards. where the bullet of the armies
Of today tears a hole bigger than a man
hand at the point of exit-the projectile
ordinarily bores a neat hole through its
victim. Furthermore. 1t is rendered asep-
tic by the heat generated by its high We
locity. and 1t carries no particles OF cloth
ing into the canal of the wound The
wound Is therefore absolutely germ-free.
and II properly bandaged with sterilized
bandaEeS IL develops no. pus DR.. Coll
mers, who served in the Japanese hos
pitfalls during the Russo Japanese war,
warns against tamponing wounds to
check hemorrhage. Wherever this course
was foliowed-and a great many Bull
garian surgeons followed it-infeetion re-
suited.
III IS interesting 10 note that the proper
treatment for gunshot wounds puneturine
the intestines appears to be no treatment
at all The most favorable recoyertes,
says DR.. Celmers, were recorded IN the
cases of men who, shot through the alb
donen, had been missed and allowed to
nc on the field for two or three days
with nothing to eat and without being
moved. He recommends that arrange
ments should be made hereafter to care
for these men where they lie and leave
them there until the punctured intestines
have had a chance to start healing nat
uralIy.
many lies i'm the fact that the war in tbs
Balkans is the first time the projectile;
now used in the German Army rifle haS,
been used in actual combat. The Turk
are employing these bullets. They con
S!st Of steel jacket loaded with lead
They vary however, from those used ii
most other armies in that. instead 0
having an oval nose, they are decided,
pointed The center Of gravity of thi
round nossd projectile IS nearly in tn
middle, bur that of the pointed bullet i
nearer the base. As a result it has
tendency only overcome by the twist i'm
parted by the rifiing and by its grea
velocity. to change ends IN hight. Z
s'keyhole." as it is expressed. The in
slant the nose meets resistance this pc
tentiality is converted into effective ac
ton, the bullet turns in the wound
channel and the result is both NOR
extensive implication of tissues and tn
frequent lodging Of the bullet IN the body