The remaining energy of the American “Springfield,” or German “S” bullet, for instance, will pass it through the bodies of two men at 2,000 yards and an energy of 8 kilogram-meters, which remains at about twice that distance, will cause a disabling wound. Wound infections are more rare in campaign in the more sparsely settled and rough countries with soldiers of the more primitive class, simple domestic habits, and greater natural resistance. Wound treatment should be primarily directed toward the control of infection with only secondary regard for the correction of deformities which should follow as a secondary measure after resolution is established. All treatment should be based on principles applied in the following order: (1) Life saving. (2) Restoration of function. (3) Economy of the patient. Amputation should be very rare. Conservation to a degree that seems to be beyond the experience and conception of the civil surgeon should always be practiced, as reiterated by Delorme, who says: “In order to avoid the excess of operative measures which has been seen in recent wars I am urged to enjoin all potential military surgeons to practice almost uniform conservation.” _Weight and muzzle velocity of several projectiles._ -----------------------+------------------+----------------- | Weight. | Velocity. Projectile. +--------+---------+---------+------- | Grams. | Grains. | Meters. | Feet. -----------------------+--------+---------+---------+------- American (Springfield) | 9.07 | 150 | 800 | 2,700 French | 12.8 | 197 | 701 | 2,301 German | 10.0 | 154 | 860 | 2,821 Austrian | 15.8 | 244 | 626 | 1,952 -----------------------+--------+---------+---------+------- [Illustration: Plate 1.] RIFLE--PLATE 1. HEAD. Gunshot Fracture of the Skull, with Lodgment of the Missile. The bullet in this case was so badly deformed by ricochet that part of both core and jacket were lost. While the appearance of the shadow seems to indicate a direct impact of the nose of the bullet, the line of contact with the skull must have been tangential, with some laceration of the scalp; otherwise a cursory examination of the scalp wound would have revealed the slightly protruding end of the bullet. The dark shadow above the projectile is due to material used in dressing. The great thickening of the scalp in the region of the wound shows a marked cellulitis. Small particles of the lead core of the bullet can be seen about the wound. In such cases there is often a marked infection of the scalp without extension of infection to the cranial cavity, except from neglect. This is a case, though apparently simple, in which the radiograph was necessary for correct diagnosis without exploration.