Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-28
Peculiar Wounds Made by
the Rapid Fire Machine Guns

s~HE character OF warfare has been very largely
changed since the last Of first importance
by the development and perfection Of rapid Ore
machine guns
These guns throwing rife bullets at the rate OF $50
a minute will make 1t impossible for any force to
live If exposed to them for than certain time
Soldiers cannot advance against machine guns II
they have more than hundred yards to 70 in the
open, and then there must be terrible slaugh.
ter
Owing to the power OF these guns men are riddled
with bullets as they were before and conse
Quentiy they present new problems to the surgeon.
Dr. G. H. Makins. consulting surgeon to the British
forces, describes the OF soldier who had Ave
wounds made by machine gun bullets in line straight
across his chest Among the dead there must have
been many hundreds who were struck by an even
greater number Of machine gun bullets
This wounded man was hit by the bullets as the
gun was being played like garden hose by the gunner
from left to right the advancing line OF so,.
ders This is the customary way Of using the ma.
chine gun. If the gun had been kept still a number
OF bullets would have struck the man nearly in the
same place. a fate which has befallen many soldier.
1t is remarkable fact that the with the five
bullet wounds recovered Every one OF them had es.
had grazed the heart and lungs. In most cases the
shock of so many wounds would have been fatal even
without injury to vital organ but In this case
the ordeal.
Another soldier was struck four times on the head
alone ny mach,nc gun bullets. They struck him on
the left side OF the head he bending forward
and made line from the top Of the head TO the neck
The first struck him on the paretal bone the side
and near the top Of the head. causing fracture of
the Skull The next struck his scalp Just below the
third entered the angle of the jaw and the fourth
entered the root OF the neck, woundng the carotid
artery and ugular vein and causing an arterovenous
communication between them. He died from the in.
jury to the BRAIN but he lived for month
The most remarkable medical discovery of the
whole war has been made In connection with these
bullet wounds. An entirely disease called gas
phegmon, or gas gangrene." has been found 1t
Is quite distinct from the old hospital gangrene II
usually breaks out In wounded men who have been
LEFT lying on the ground for long time twentyfour
hours or more but 1t has been found men who had
merely fallen to the earth for few hours
The disease is caused by bacillus or germ found
only IN highly fortified SOIL 1t has been most com.
mon in the north Of France and in Belgium where in.
tensive cultivation has been carried to higher degree
than anywhere else in the world 1t is natures re.
venge for overlooking the soil The tetanus or lock.
Jaw germ has generally been found in fortified SOIL
but this new germ Is characteristic OF even more
highly cultivated ground During the Boer war which
was generally fought wild country, neither of
these germs was encountered by the army surgeons
Many Of the wounded men in France and Belgium
have been left lying for days on the muddy ground
or In the trenches with whatever When re.
covered by the surgeons they have been coated with
mud, SOIL and filth. Thus any bacteria in the soil
have plenty Of opportunity to get into their wounds.