ance, the
substance of one of the peripheral nerves which has been perforated
cannot be considered a desirable complication.

To recapitulate, it would appear that at mean ranges, both in striking
force and as regards the area of the tissues affected, the Lee-Metford
is a superior projectile to the Mauser, in spite of the greater initial
velocity possessed by the latter. On the other hand the comparative ease
with which the Mauser bullet undergoes deformation either without or
within the body, so ensuring more extensive injury and laceration,
renders it the less desirable bullet to receive a wound from when not in
its normal shape and condition.

I can say little about the remaining two rifles. The Krag-Joergensen was
little used, and beyond pointing out its capacity to inflict very neat
individual injuries, in which it must surpass even the Mauser, I can
only add that I had no opportunity of forming an opinion as to the
danger dependent on the great initial velocity imparted to the bullet.
The Guedes rifle has been included in the table because it approximates
in bore to the other three. Its bullet is of the same calibre as the
Austrian Mannlicher, one of the most powerful military rifles in use,
and it was used to a considerable extent during the war by the Boers.[8]
As to its capabilities, it appeared an inferior weapon, since want of
velocity and striking power of the bullets was indicated by the number
of these which were retained in the body, and by the fact that I never
saw one extracted that had undergone any more serious deformation than
some flattening on one side of the tip. On the other hand wounds of the
soft parts occasioned by it were only to be distinguished from Mauser
wounds by their slightly greater size, and at a short range of fire the
weight and volume of the bullet made it a dangerous projectile.

The question of deformed bullets will be again referred to at length in
the section on wounds of irregular type, and a number of type specimens
are there figured and described (p. 76). In the same chapter will be
found illustrations of a number of sporting bullets of small calibre, as
well as of large calibres in lead, found in the Boer arsenals and camps.
I have placed them in that position as mainly of interest in connection
with the occurrence of large and irregular wounds (see figs. 42 and 43,
pp. 95 and 98).

The small sporting bullets were mostly of the Mauser (.276), Lee-Metford
(.303), or Man