Evening star., 1943-03-02
THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON c,
Nazi Raiders Usinq
Pho$phorus-Poison
Bullets on brifons
Medical JournoI Tells
How They Operate to
Contominote Wounds
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Star Staff Correspondent.

LONDON (By MaiD German
raiders now are using explosive ma
chine-gun bullets containing small
amounts Of phosphorus.
When these penetrate a wound
they may cause fatal phosphorus
poisoning or, in any event, render
medical treatment much more diff
ficult. ..-.-.
This is revealed in letters from
physicians just published In the
British Medical Journal. The
mechanism of these became known,
it Is reported. when a plane crashed
In July and thousands of the bullets
were scattered about. Their peculiar
property was not suspected at the
time and the majority were picked
up by country people near the scene
OF the wreck as souvenirs.
Appears as Ordinary Bullet.
Cases Of phosphorus us-contaminated
wounds, however, led to a closer ex-
animation OF some Of them All are
described as being of the .312 Mauser
pattern, but differently marked to
denote the ways in which they
operate.
The first type apparently is an
ordinary bullet with a solid center,
containing no poisonous ingredients
which can be determined. The sec
ond type Is ingenious. 1t Is un-
painted and copper colored, with
an outer case of copper-plated STEEL
This bullet has lead nose in which
is set hardened steel cone which
tapers as it leads toward the end
Of the bullet. The end OF this cone
Is, set in a lead weight which Is
bored out in the center and then
plugged with lead plug so that
one examining it superf1cially would
not recognize its nefarious char
acter. The small space inside is
filled with 10 grains Of powdered
phosphorus.
The lead weight, on impact, slides
up the cone, splits the casing and
squeezes the phosphorus out into the
lacerated tissues.
One Carr1eS Explosive.
The third and most nefarious Of
these bullets is on much the same
principle as the second except, that
it carries an explosive charge to split
the casing. 1t can always be
recognized, says DR.. A. j. Blaxland
In his communication to the Journal,
by q black band painted around the
outside.
Meanwhile, the Journal records,
considerable progress has been made
in new treatments for phosphorus
sprayed from bombs on the outside
OF the skin. This is recorded by Drs.
M. w. Goldblatt and s. H. Oakeshott
Of Imperial Chemical Industries. It
has been the practice In the past
they say. to treat the skin with solu-
tions Of copper sulfate in water. This
combines with the phosphorus, under
ideal circumstances, and renders it
essentially innocuous. III.
The dimculty. the scientists point
OUT Is that phosphorus does not
combine readily with water. They
have succeeded, they report, in get
ting the copper sulfate In an oil
solution, with other ingredients
which are able to dissolve rubber.
Combined With Rubber.
Phosphorus from a bomb, they saw,
Is very likely to be combined with
fine particles of rubber which make
1t adhere to the skin and which are
very diniflcult to remove. The new
mixture dissolves this rubber and
gets at the injurious element itself.
The phosphorus action is delayed,
they say. There is no evidence that
when sprayed on the skin it has any
immediate bad effects. The danger
comes from the likelihood of ignitine
hours, or even days. afterward and
causing painful. slow-healing burns.
But If 1t ignites after the copper
sulfate in oil has been applied. the
f1re Is Immediately extinguished.
But the new remedy, they say.
could not be used for phosphorus
which had penetrated the tissues. as
would be the case from the bullets
described by DR.. Blaxland