Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VIII.djvu/347

 GUN-SHOT WOUNDS GUNTER 333 ray, but simply rolls over it like a wheel, crushing the unyielding and resisting tissues, without necessarily lacerating the skin ; con- tusing the viscera, for instance, without open- ing the abdominal cavity. A ball in its course may meet and force into the body pieces of clothing, bone, or other foreign bodies, more mischievous than the original projectile. The pain of a gun-shot wound is dull and heavy, though in the excitement of battle it would be less noticed than a sabre or bayonet wound. The bleeding is generally less externally than would be supposed, unless a large artery be severed. The constitutional disturbance is great and peculiar. Paleness and coldness of surface, trembling and weakness of limbs, faint- ness, alarm, and confusion of mind, are more marked than in other kinds of wounds of equal severity. In common cases, inflammation comes on in the course of 24 hours, with swell- ing and stiffness, and pain ; pus forms on the third or fourth day, and in the course of the next five days more or less of the parts torn by the ball slough away; this over, granula- tions form, the wound contracts, and heals in six or eight weeks, the lower opening closing first. In healthy persons the constitutional disturbance is neither great nor of long dura- tion. In unhealthy constitutions inflammation runs high, the suppuration is profuse and ob- stinate, and the patient recovers with a dis- abled limb or an enfeebled body. If the ball or a foreign body carried with it enters a sen- sitive or vital part, there will be no safety until it comes away; but if it enters parts without much sensibility and presses upon no nerve, it may remain for years without inconvenience. Mortification of a limb after a gun-shot wound may arise from the severity of the wound, the excess of inflammation, or division of the large blood vessels. Another dangerous complication of these wounds is secondary haemorrhage from excess of arterial action, separation of sloughs from arteries, ulceration of their coats, or general inflammatory exudation ; this is most likely to occur in persons of sanguine temperament, when exposed to the depressing influences of hospital life. The prognosis in these wounds should be given with much re- serve, as it is impossible in most cases to pre- dict the exact result. If the thoracic and ab- dominal cavities or the joints are penetrated, or any important organ is wounded, with in- jury of large vessels or nerves, or comminuted fracture of bones, the danger of a fatal termina- tion is great. But, apart from the battle field, there are instances of survival after great in- juries of vital organs. Perhaps the most no- table case is that of Alexis St. Martin, recorded by Dr. Beaumont. (See BEAUMONT, WILLIAM.) Among other cases are those of William Poole, a New York rough, who lived for some time with a ball lodged in the substance of the heart, and of Virginia Stewart, a woman of the town in the same city, who lingered for several days after a pistol bullet had passed through her brain. The wounds made by conical rifle balls are attended with much laceration of soft parts and _ splintering of the bones. The treatment of simple gun-shot wounds does not materially differ from that of lacerations and deep punc- tures. Cleansing of the openings, the arrest of haemorrhage, stimulants and opiates, anti- phlogistic and soothing applications, free exit of pus, and rest of the part, are the princi- pal points to be attended to; if there is but one opening, search should be made, by dilata- tion if necessary, for the ball or other foreign body, which should be extracted if it is likely to prove inconvenient or dangerous; seconda- ry haemorrhage will require compression, cold, caustic, or the ligature, according to circum- stances^ In cases of severe laceration with splintering of bones, the question of primary or secondary amputation becomes one of the most difficult the surgeon has to decide. In the " Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion," published by the United States government in 1870, will be found the best collection of cases and illustrations of gun-shot wounds in any language. GUNTER, Ednmnd, an English mathematician, born in Hertfordshire about 1581, died in Lon- don, Dec. 10, 1626. He was educated at West- minster school and at Christchurch college, Oxford, where he gave his attention principally to mathematics, and in 1606 invented the sec- tor. Subsequently he took orders; but his tastes being altogether mathematical, he pro- cured in 1619 the professorship of astronomy in Gresham college, which he filled until his death. His works, consisting of the Canon Tri- angulorum, " The Sector and Cross Staff," &c., have been several times printed in a collec- tive form, the best edition being that of 1673 (4to, London). His inventive faculty was very usefully exercised in the production of the chain, the logarithmic line, the quadrant, and the scale bearing his name, of which de- scriptions are subjoined. GUNTEE'S CHAIN, the chain employed in land surveying, is 66 feet or 4 rods in length, and is divided into 100 links, which are connected with each other by one, two, or three rings. The length of each link, together with half the length of the rings con- necting it with the adjoining links, is 7'92 inch- es; every 10th link is marked by a tally of brass, for convenience in measuring, and part of the first link at each end is formed into a large ring for the purpose of holding it with the hand. Ten square chains, or 100,000 square links, make one acre. GUNTEE'S LINE, a logarithmic line, sometimes termed the line of lines or line of numbers, and usually gradu- ated upon scales, sectors, &c., consists simply of logarithms graduated upon a ruler, thus serving to solve problems instrumentally, as logarithms do arithmetically. It is generally divided into 100 parts, every 10th division being numbered from 1 to 10. By means of this line the following problems can be solved : 1. To find the product of two numbers: the