Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-03-26

'AAN4 SANatS9h eAA PAAoSS VI tuS Wal
have been the extraordinary
character Of wounds produced by
shells and high velocity bullets, and the
woundless deaths and disablements
caused by the shock of bursting high ex-
plcsives. Medical and surgical science,
examining these effects, have made some
very important new discoveries which
are announced here for the first time.
One Of the most astonishing is that
the small calbre, high velocity and
pointed bullet. used by the French
and the Germans, causes its greatest
damage, not by the bullet itself, but by
capsule of compressed air which, be-
cause Of the bullets great speed, II
carries in front Of it. This compressed
air is forced into the tissues when the
bullet strikes expands rapidly and pro-
duces Jagged Eissue.shattering wounds
that are sometimes as large as saucer
Splinters Of shell, moving by the force Of
high explosive, produce the same effect
The Death -.
Bubbles in the Blood.
, The woundless deaths ana disable
nents have an equally surprising cause.
We all know that charged waters or
wines have air and earbonic acid gas in
solution Inside the bottle, with. the
cork air tight, pressure keeps the bub-
bles in solution When we take out the
cork we see the bubbles appear and
come up through the liquid This is
because pressure has been lessened, re
leasing the air and gas which gather
INTO bubbles.
shell filed with high explosive.
bursting, has exactly the same effect on
man close 10 II. IN our blood are ar
and carbonie acid gas in solution. The
violent displacement of the air from the
explosion creates partial vacuum about
the bursting centre. The gases from
the shell themselves are much lighter
than air. Responding to the lessened
atmospheric pressure the air and the gas
ia solution in the blood form immediate.
" into bubbles. These go into the ca
pillaries and stop the circulation. Death
at once results,
Conversely. the high explosives pro-
duce enormous air compression. This
compression causes an abrupt fall in the
blood pressure, producing an immediate
lowering of the oxygen supply In the
blood and so disturbs all the nervous
processes that death, loss Of memory,
insanity, blindness and other wound
less disabilities occur
The investigations into the effects Of
the bullet. shell and grenade wounds has
been headed on the German side by
DR.. Herman Matti, of Berne DR.. Matti
mas made his results known In the
Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift.
Discussing bullet wounds he calls atten-
ton to the fact that the moment bullet
leaves the muzzle of the gun it en-
counters air resistance. This is a very
real resistance, as any one who has ever
tried to run against heavy wind knows.
Just as a boat rushing through water
piles up a wave at It's bow, SO does the
bullet pile up little wave Of air in front
Of It. The greater the velocity of the
bullet. the denser is this wave or capsule
Of air before u. both the french ana
German small calibre bullets have an
initial velocity of half q mile second.
In cases OF short range this air capsule
Is driven into the tissues before and with
The bullet and with the checking Of speed
expands just like a charge Of gunpowder.
Fragments Or shell. and particularly
Of the hand grenadea, frequently carry
this same compressed air capsule ON a
larger scale. When this happens the
victim Is blown 10 pieces not from
without but from expansion within!
In no previous war has there been