THE MEDICAL SIDE OF THE WAR.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4749, 2 May 1900, Page 4

THE MEDICAL SIDE OF THE WAR.

Sir William MacOormac contributes some more interesting notes to the " Lancet." Corporal Thomas, of the Worcester Eegiment, Mounted Infantry, was wounded at Arundel on ( November 23, 1899, whilst with a party reconnoitring the hills at Arundel. He was leading his pony up a hill (writes the eminent surgeon) when a Boer about 400 yards distant fired at him and hit him four times. All the bullets came from the same rifle. He caw the Boer standing up to fire at him. The first bullet struck the fifth metacarpo-phalangeal joint of the right hand on the extensor Burface, smashing the ends of the bones composing the joints, passing along the palmar surface of the metacarpal bones obliquely to its exit be- 1 tween the first and second metacarpal bone, and making an irregular ovalshaped wound, the largest diameter of which was 3in. The exit wound was on the extensor Burface of the hand. The irregular ragged appearance of the wound of exit was caused by smashed bones. The second bullet had its entrance in a small, found, punched-out wound, typical of the Mauser bullet, at the base of the palmar surface of the left thumb, and passed obliquely upwards and outwards. Its exit was at the extensor surface of tbe lower extremity of the radius, the exit being irregular. The third bullet entered at the inferior angle of the left scapula, passing directly from behind forwards. (He had turned round after being struck a second time.) The exit was at a corresponding level in front through the sixth interspace, about 2 in from the medium line. The track of the bullet must have been in immediate proximity to the heart, the pericareiuin, and the large blood vessels. Both the entrance wound and the exit wound were small, round, regularly punched-out, and typical of the Mauser bullet when striking soft structures. The fourth bullet entered behind on the left side in the tenth intercostal space, 4m from the middle line, passing through the lower part of the chest and the upper part of the abdomen. It emerged in the line asemilunaris about the level of the twelfth rib. The entrance wound and the exit wound were typical of wounds from the Mauser bullet. There were no symptoms of internal injury to either the chest or I the abdomen. The patient had a slight rise of temperature for three dayß. I 1 saw him sitting up in the train a few days afterwards regretting his transfer down country, his chief trouble being ! stiffnesf of his right little fiagar joint. I There were two other men wounded, one in the left upper arm and the other in the left thigh, both by Mauser bullets. Both had received flesh wounds, and were able to retire unassisted.