CASE OF GUNSHOT WOUND. By IvENXETII Civil
McLEOD, A.M., M.D.,
Assistant
Suegeom,
Jessoke.
?
On the 3rd of May, 1866, the body of a hoy, aged about nine years, was brought to me for examination. He had been accidentally shot on the previous day, under the following circumstances :? A young gentleman had eome to visit some friends at K , and lived in a bungalow with a verandah in front, raised from the ground three steps. On the morning of the 2nd May, taking a long single-barreled country-made gun, he ran out to shoot a bird which sat on a tree in front-flf the bungalow. He wa3 called by a friend, and ran back without having fired the gun. Meantime this boy and two others had come to sell mangoes, and had squatted on the verandah, waiting till the price of theru was
brought.
In ascending the verandah steps, the gun, which was carried under the right arm, went off, aud the charge entered deceased's forehead and killed him. The following points were kindly ascertained for me afterwards by W. E. Chambers, Esq., District Superintendent of Police of the barrel of the gun Diameter of ditto
Length
Weight of charge of powder Weight of charge of No. 4 shot
..
..
..
..
3 feet.
frds of aninch. 3j. gr. iij. 5vi. gr. ij.
No. of grains of ditto, about 70. Probable distance from deceased at 2 which the gun went off yards. Post Mortem Examination (about 24 hours after death.) Body well nourished ; rigor mortis present; limbs rigidly flexed ; no wounds, except that of the bead. The cloth surrounding the body was saturated with blood. Another cloth, which enveloped the head, contained the cerebrum, which had fallen out through a large chasm in.the face and forehead. This chasm occupied the left frontal and orbital regions, displaying through a large rugged aperture the cavity of the skull in which only remained the cerebellum. The basal ..
..
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
154
and central portion of the cerebrum was lacerated. Small lumps of clay, charcoal, and mud were found in and upon it. Fragments of comminuted bone and shreds of paper were also found in the cerebral pulp. The texture of ilie uninjured portion
sound. In the cavity of the skull were found clots of blood, portions of lacerated brain, bits cf paper (some folded), and the cerebellum, the upper part of which was lacerated and the lower portion sound. The right lobo was more extensively torn than the left, and a distinct channel or groove could be traced on the former from behind, forwards, and to the left through the Pons Varolii. The external wound was of somewhat circular form. Above the left eye its edges were rugged and blackened. Several long processes proceeded from the central aperture, one to within half an inch of the point of the nose, which looked like a tear; edges clean and sharp, and termination pointed ; another backwards over the right parietal bone; another over the left parietal bone ; and the last towards the left ear. All were similar tear-like wounds, with sharp angles and edges radiating from the central circular rugged wound, the whole having a stellate aspect. one in the Two small distinct wounds were observed, right frontal region, aud the Other in the lower eyelid, having probably been caused by distinct grains of shot; about two inches behind the right ear a small aperture was found about half an inch long and quarter of an inch wide, oval in form, with rugged edges. Through this wound the probe passed into the cranial cavity. The left eye was utterly destroyed, having been split open. The skull was completely comminuted, the comminution being more minute in the left frontal region and right lower occipital, and temporal at the j unction of the temporal, parietal, and occipital bones. Beneath the scalp in the latter situation, opposite to a chasm formed in the skull by comminution, were found a considerable number of shot grains and small bits of paper. There were 37 grains of shot variously mis-shapen, which were afterwards found to correspond to those in the possession of the owner of the gun, and 11 fragments. The Tentorium Cerebelli on the right side was carried away. All the cranial bones were more or less broken, and the superior and inferior maxillary bones, nasal and ethnoid, were also fractured. Right eye uninjured. Cavities of Walls of chest healthy. Both lungs anoemic. heart contained no blood. "Walls and valves healthy. Stomach, distended with food, healthy. Spleen adherent to surrounding structures; enlarged and granular(sago spleen) Liver, abnormally adherent to diaphragm; substance fatty. was
Kidneys ancemic, tissues healthy.
Remarks. This
is remarkable principally on account of the precision of the data, the accidental nature of the occurrence permitting of every inquiry being satisfied. It exhibits every point of medicolegal importance connected with this class of injury. The exact kind of weapon, nature and amount of charge, and the injuries inflicted are precisely known. Even had this been a case of homicide, the evidence obtained by dissection would have been exceedingly strong. The exact direction of the wound would have guided to the position of the murderer. The nature of the injury would have indicated at what distance he stood, while the kind of shct and the writing upon tne wadding would have materially assisted in his detection and identification. The case also modifies somewhat a statement made by Dr. Taylor, on the authority of Dr. Lachese, as to the distance at which a charge of small shot scatters (Manual of Medical Juris" prudence, 7tn Edition, page 385). At 36 inches," he writes, " a central opening was entirely lost, and the surface of the body was covered with shot." In this case the distance was at least 72 inches, and only two shot grains appear to have scattered. This was afterwards confirmed by an experiment made by Mr. Charribers, who used the same gun and charge, and fired it at the same distance at a stemt piece of pasteboard ; not a grain of shot scattered, and the opening which resulted was about fths of an inch in diameter. The surrounding surface was also blackened by the gunense
powder.
The stellate, torn appearance of the wound shows that some of the unexpanded semi-combused powder must have entered the cavity of the skull, and added to the comminution of the bones and laceration of the skin. It is also interesting to remark that the charge which penetrated the anterior and posterior wall of the cranium was stayed in its course by the scalp, only one or two grains absolutely escaping.
Jessore,
22mi
May,
1866.
[June 1,
1866-
McLEOD, A.M., M.D.,
Assistant
Suegeom,
Jessoke.
?
On the 3rd of May, 1866, the body of a hoy, aged about nine years, was brought to me for examination. He had been accidentally shot on the previous day, under the following circumstances :? A young gentleman had eome to visit some friends at K , and lived in a bungalow with a verandah in front, raised from the ground three steps. On the morning of the 2nd May, taking a long single-barreled country-made gun, he ran out to shoot a bird which sat on a tree in front-flf the bungalow. He wa3 called by a friend, and ran back without having fired the gun. Meantime this boy and two others had come to sell mangoes, and had squatted on the verandah, waiting till the price of theru was
brought.
In ascending the verandah steps, the gun, which was carried under the right arm, went off, aud the charge entered deceased's forehead and killed him. The following points were kindly ascertained for me afterwards by W. E. Chambers, Esq., District Superintendent of Police of the barrel of the gun Diameter of ditto
Length
Weight of charge of powder Weight of charge of No. 4 shot
..
..
..
..
3 feet.
frds of aninch. 3j. gr. iij. 5vi. gr. ij.
No. of grains of ditto, about 70. Probable distance from deceased at 2 which the gun went off yards. Post Mortem Examination (about 24 hours after death.) Body well nourished ; rigor mortis present; limbs rigidly flexed ; no wounds, except that of the bead. The cloth surrounding the body was saturated with blood. Another cloth, which enveloped the head, contained the cerebrum, which had fallen out through a large chasm in.the face and forehead. This chasm occupied the left frontal and orbital regions, displaying through a large rugged aperture the cavity of the skull in which only remained the cerebellum. The basal ..
..
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
154
and central portion of the cerebrum was lacerated. Small lumps of clay, charcoal, and mud were found in and upon it. Fragments of comminuted bone and shreds of paper were also found in the cerebral pulp. The texture of ilie uninjured portion
sound. In the cavity of the skull were found clots of blood, portions of lacerated brain, bits cf paper (some folded), and the cerebellum, the upper part of which was lacerated and the lower portion sound. The right lobo was more extensively torn than the left, and a distinct channel or groove could be traced on the former from behind, forwards, and to the left through the Pons Varolii. The external wound was of somewhat circular form. Above the left eye its edges were rugged and blackened. Several long processes proceeded from the central aperture, one to within half an inch of the point of the nose, which looked like a tear; edges clean and sharp, and termination pointed ; another backwards over the right parietal bone; another over the left parietal bone ; and the last towards the left ear. All were similar tear-like wounds, with sharp angles and edges radiating from the central circular rugged wound, the whole having a stellate aspect. one in the Two small distinct wounds were observed, right frontal region, aud the Other in the lower eyelid, having probably been caused by distinct grains of shot; about two inches behind the right ear a small aperture was found about half an inch long and quarter of an inch wide, oval in form, with rugged edges. Through this wound the probe passed into the cranial cavity. The left eye was utterly destroyed, having been split open. The skull was completely comminuted, the comminution being more minute in the left frontal region and right lower occipital, and temporal at the j unction of the temporal, parietal, and occipital bones. Beneath the scalp in the latter situation, opposite to a chasm formed in the skull by comminution, were found a considerable number of shot grains and small bits of paper. There were 37 grains of shot variously mis-shapen, which were afterwards found to correspond to those in the possession of the owner of the gun, and 11 fragments. The Tentorium Cerebelli on the right side was carried away. All the cranial bones were more or less broken, and the superior and inferior maxillary bones, nasal and ethnoid, were also fractured. Right eye uninjured. Cavities of Walls of chest healthy. Both lungs anoemic. heart contained no blood. "Walls and valves healthy. Stomach, distended with food, healthy. Spleen adherent to surrounding structures; enlarged and granular(sago spleen) Liver, abnormally adherent to diaphragm; substance fatty. was
Kidneys ancemic, tissues healthy.
Remarks. This
is remarkable principally on account of the precision of the data, the accidental nature of the occurrence permitting of every inquiry being satisfied. It exhibits every point of medicolegal importance connected with this class of injury. The exact kind of weapon, nature and amount of charge, and the injuries inflicted are precisely known. Even had this been a case of homicide, the evidence obtained by dissection would have been exceedingly strong. The exact direction of the wound would have guided to the position of the murderer. The nature of the injury would have indicated at what distance he stood, while the kind of shct and the writing upon tne wadding would have materially assisted in his detection and identification. The case also modifies somewhat a statement made by Dr. Taylor, on the authority of Dr. Lachese, as to the distance at which a charge of small shot scatters (Manual of Medical Juris" prudence, 7tn Edition, page 385). At 36 inches," he writes, " a central opening was entirely lost, and the surface of the body was covered with shot." In this case the distance was at least 72 inches, and only two shot grains appear to have scattered. This was afterwards confirmed by an experiment made by Mr. Charribers, who used the same gun and charge, and fired it at the same distance at a stemt piece of pasteboard ; not a grain of shot scattered, and the opening which resulted was about fths of an inch in diameter. The surrounding surface was also blackened by the gunense
powder.
The stellate, torn appearance of the wound shows that some of the unexpanded semi-combused powder must have entered the cavity of the skull, and added to the comminution of the bones and laceration of the skin. It is also interesting to remark that the charge which penetrated the anterior and posterior wall of the cranium was stayed in its course by the scalp, only one or two grains absolutely escaping.
Jessore,
22mi
May,
1866.
[June 1,
1866-
