Experiment and experience with the rifle / by Henry G. Beyer.

  • Beyer, Henry Gustav, 1850-1918.
Date:
1901
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Experiment and experience with the rifle / by Henry G. Beyer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    lie had alreadj', tlien, convinced liimself by experi- ment and observation that every increase in the front- age or tlie cross area of tlie attacking surface of a projectile was followed by diminished jienetration and an increased explosive effect. It made no difference whether this surface was peculiar to the size of an original bullet or whetlier it was secondarily produced by deformity of a smaller bullet, owing to greater velocity being given to it than it could bear without becoming deformed. Kocher, therefore, demanded that every furtlier increase in the velocity given to any bullet should at once be compensated for by giving it a corre- spondingly increased hardness, because that alone could prevent the conversion of a small calibre pro- jectile into one of large calibre by deformity on im- pact. It was upon principles such as tliese that the early experimenters worked and succeeded in counteracting and correcting the disadvantages to mankind growing out of the higher velocities given to bullets for merely technical reasons ; and so successfully did they strug- gle and do their unselfish work that today, it may he said, it is chiefly owing to these humane efforts on the ])art of experimenters that explosive effects for the human body have been practically eliminated from every part of it, except the vei'y hardot portions of bone and those organs that contain a large ])ercentage amount of fluids in their coin[)osition. That this is true, recent experience in war has so fully demon- strated as to produce almost the impres>ion of disap- jiointment upon the surgeons, not acquainted with either the views or the results of experimenters. Whence, otherwise, the seeming embarrassment on the ]>art of some surgeons with regard to the lodg- ment of bullets ; for instance, that low velocity
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