BAPTEB OCX-SHOT vrointos or THK ABDOMEX AXD BLADDKB. of the war, after Aj.ril 1st, 1855, show flesh and nple and severe) of the occurred l(il times, with a fatal in 17 i-ase.-. ji ecusequence; 60 deaths Four cases of rupture of VIM-ITU without wound were fatal. Tin: abdominal cavity, from the want of a bony pr< t i'ii in front, as well as from its large surface, is very liable to severe injury in battle, and there is no cavity in tinbody the injuries of which arc more serious, or more < fatal. The ril.s protect the contents of the and wounds fmm pieces of shell injii: it: l.nt when a jirojeetilc: i any force on the abd-mi' t its v, It is often diliieult to tell what inlhi'-ii.:d will produce <lomrn.
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Contusions by round shot are among the most dangerinjuries to which the abdomen is exposed. The hollow or the solid viscera, as is well known, may be thus ruptured, and rapid death follow, without much external sign of so severe an accident. Every campaign furnishes examples of this. A contusion may, however, arise from a less ponderous missile than a round shot, and the injury be not so serious. The stateof tension of the wall of the abdomen at the time of the accident, appears to exercise no little influence on tilteffects produced. When a man is lying on the ground, and the muscles are completely relaxed, then the injury inflicted on the contained viscera may be very severe; but if the muscles are in action and tense, then the force of the blow will be somewhat mitigated.
At least such is the only manner in which I could explain several anomalous cases that fell under my notice. Vomiting and pain in the abdomen are the signs of injury to which contusions of the cavity generally give rise; and if no serious damage has been done, all the treatment those cases require is such as will ward off peritoneal inflammation, which may steal on very insidiously. If any internal rupture has taken place, we can do little to prevent a fatal issue. Shell wounds of the walls of the abdomen are very commonly followed by extensive sloughing, and the danger of the morbid action laying bare the intestines, or at any rate favouring their subsequent protrusion, is considerable.
In one case which fell under my <>r ANI> IU.ADDKK.: D, nearly the whole of the anterior wall of the abdomen was destroyed by the sloughing caused b; shell wound. ithrie seems to think that a greater amount of curs in the abdominal walls, than ran be their mere injury; this loss being probab! i heir absorption. Is often traverse the abdominal walls for a conwithout entering the cavity, and they do this at times by so long a transit as to describe half th' circuit of the body. ( M' this very many cases oceunvd in the Crimea. The strong aponeurosis which protects the front of the abdomen, exercises a great influence in the ball when it has struck at all k which is thus made requires C ful man.;.luring cure to get it to close.
It' it Inlong, it is good practice to make a counter-uprninir at its re, in order to prevent the lodgment of pieces of cloth or pus in its interior. This can, however, lie n sary only when, neither by syringing nor by the introduction of an elastic bougie, we can get dominal wall be limited, then adn will take place between the parietcs and the Mtiun 01.,iii,l will afford a great Uod or iters into the.r.i;v <>F THE CHI.M KAN WAK. cavity.