of an explosive type in connection
with fractures of the bones. There can be no doubt that a considerable
number of the most severe injuries we saw were produced by the various
soft-nosed or expanding forms of bullet, also that others of an equally
serious nature were produced by Martini-Henry or large leaden sporting
bullets. Allowing for this, however, I think a considerable proportion
were the result of deformation from bony impact, or ricochet deformities
external to the body acquired by regulation Mauser bullets, and I think
these bullets can be quite as formidable as any of the sporting
varieties met with. The soft-nose varieties of small calibre may not set
up enough to cause severe injury, while the large leaden bullets often
flatten out so completely as to lose all penetrating power. As far as
my impressions went, the small soft-nosed bullets needed to be
travelling at a very considerable rate of velocity to be dangerous. In
the form of soft-nose Mauser employed, the soft-nose was too short to
allow of as successful a mushrooming of the bullet as often occurred
with the regulation projectile, because, as already explained, the
mantle acquires increased stability from its closed base.

FRACTURES OF THE SHAFTS OF THE LONG BONES

_Types of fracture._--The common types of fracture of shafts of the long
bones are illustrated diagrammatically in fig. 50. Of the whole series
comminuted fractures were by far the most frequently met with, while the
various wedge-shaped forms were the most strongly characteristic of the
special form of injury in which we are interested.

[Illustration: FIG. 50.--Five Types of Fracture: A. Primary lines of
stellate fracture; wedges driven out laterally and pointed extremities
left to main fragments. B. Development of same lines by a bullet
travelling at a low degree of velocity; suppression of two left-hand
limbs and substitution of a transverse line of fracture; a spurious form
of perforation. See plate XXIII. C. Typical complete wedge. See plate
VII. D. Incomplete wedge; impact of bullet, lateral or oblique, and two
left-hand lines seen in A are suppressed. E. Oblique single line, one
right and one left hand line seen in A, suppressed. The influence of
leverage from weight of the body probably acts here. Compare plates XVI.
and XXI.]

[Illustration: PLATE III.

Skiagram by H. CATLING

Engraved and Printed by Bale and Danielsson Ltd.

(23) SPURIOUS PERFORATION OF CLAVICLE

Ra