Wounds from High Velocity Projectiles
| Author | Sydney Smith |
| Published date | 01 January 1943 |
| Date | 01 January 1943 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X4301600105 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
WOUNDS
FROM
HIGH
VELOCITY
PROJECTILES
23
contacting the prosecutor before the case is called in court.
If
this is
done, the prosecutor will be able to stand up to his motion, if it is
challenged either by the defence or by the judge.
Where the offence charged is serious, so
that
it is not within the
magistrate's jurisdiction (e.g., theft by housebreaking), the matter
assumes a new aspect. A remand is still competent (McPhee, 1933,
S.C. 163);
but
the magistrate may well be less willing to grant it.
There
is great force in the point taken frequently by defence
agents-that
the
fair course, in such a case, is to refuse the remand and insist on an
immediate remit to the sheriff, who can apply his mind to the question
of bail. Anumber of magistrates, in the present writer's experience,
have preferred this course.
Wounds
from
High Velocity Projectiles
By
PROFESSOR
SYDNEY
SMITH,
M.D.
University of
Edinburgh
IN a previous paper in this
JOURNAL
I drew attention to certain
interesting and important effects produced when high velocity
projectiles strike a semi-diffluent mediumsuch as soft clay. Experiments
showed that when soft clay was struck at distances up to three hundred
yards the bullet penetrated for a short distance, approximately an inch
or so, then produced art explosive effect, forming a cavity several inches
in diameter.
It
was also observed
that
in such cases the bullet itself,
though surrounded by a stout cupro-nickel jacket, in many cases
exploded into fragments which were distributed over the inner surface
of the cavity. Cases were also reported showing that the experimental
effects noted were reproduced when the human tissues were struck
under similar circumstances.
It
was suggested that the effects on the soft clay were produced by
the summation of the effects of the velocity of the bullet, its spin, and
the possible gyration of the base or tip around the axis of flight.
To follow the matter further it was thought advisable to try the
effects of high velocity bullets on somewhat firmer material, and for this
purpose clay was used which was allowed to harden to such a con-
sistence that it could not be cut with a wire or knife,
but
had to be
sawed through. Fig. Ishows an experiment in which a .303 Service
rifle was discharged at a distance of 18 feet.
The
bullet made a clean-
cut entrance hole, three-quarters of an inch in diameter, then, instead
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