Elements of medical jurisprudence / By Theodoric Romeyn Beck and John B. Beck.

  • Beck, Theodric Romeyn, 1791-1855.
Date:
1838
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Elements of medical jurisprudence / By Theodoric Romeyn Beck and John B. Beck. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    even of abrasion, beyond this single severe excision.* The French soldiers sometimes caused their teeth to be filed off or extracted, so as to be unable to bite off the end of the cartridge. After the bloody battles fought by Napoleon at Lutzen, Bautzen, and Wurchen, it was insinuated to him that some of his soldiers had voluntarily mutilated themselves, particularly in the hands and fingers. On investigation, nearly three thousand were found thus injured. They were collected together, and a medical jury was appointed, over which Larrey presided. On examination, it was found that nearly all the wounds had been inflicted by contusing bodies, propelled by fire- arms, and but a few by polished weapons. Again, a majority of them presented other wounds on various parts of their bodies. : The verdict was favourable to the gallant soldiers. Larrey ascribes the great predominance of this kind of injury to the fact, that they fired in three ranks, and those in the second and third involuntarily rested the barrels of their guns on the hands of those in the first rank; and again, the enemy occupied the summits of several hills, and of course fired down upon the French, who, in return, would have their hands constantly raised to their guns.+ A case in civil life was investigated by Dr. Mare. The individual, under the idea, as it would seem, of rendering himself of importance to a relative, or to secure his gratitude, pretended to have had a mur- derous conflict with some assassins, although no dead bodies could be found. His head was wounded longitudinally, to the extent of about an inch, and in direction from left to right. The integuments only © were divided. The hat, of soft felt, was cut for nearly three inches, and in a direction from right to left. A cotton bonnet, and a silk handkerchief, which he wore under his hat, were also divided. Dr. Mare observes, that a blow so powerful as to divide all these should have inflicted a less superficial lesion. . As collateral evidence, the appearance of the knife used in killing the assassin, was adduced. It had a thick covering of blood. Now this was hardly consistent with the idea of stabbing, since, on drawing it out, the flesh and the clothes would both rub off a portion, and what remained would be in longitudinal striae. Dr. Mare was of opinion that it had been daubed on. He deemed the whole case pretended, the effect not corresponding with the force of the ascribed cause.t Similar cases have been recently detected at Paris, principally from the slightness of the wounds: they were not such as a robber or murderer would inflict. The celebrated Dupuytren was called as an * Marshall, p. 179. It is now provided, that in all cases of maiming, whether the injury occurred on or off duty, whether accidentally or intentionally, the soldier shall be tried by a district court-martial, as soon after the event as possible.—Bal- lingall’s Military Surgery, p.587. No pensions are granted except the injuries occur in the performance of military duty. is Larrey’s Surgical Memoirs, translated by Dr. Mercer, p. 107. Chaussier, p- 487. { Annales d’Hygiéne, vol. i. p. 257. There is another doubtful case of assas- sination in vol. ix. p. 417, although the physician, Dr. Breschet, inclines in favour of the wounded person. All the wounds were extremely superficial, yet evidently made with a cutting instrument,