The appearance which gunshot wounds present will to a great extent depend upon the form of the projectile, and the distance at which the firearm was discharged. Round halls make a larger opening than conical. Small-shot, fired within a short distance of the body, make one large ragged opening. The scattering of the shot depends on the calibre of the gun, on the charge of powder, and essentially on the distance. A charge of ordinary (No. 5) shot, to make a single hole, must have been fired at less than _one foot_; but experiments should always be made with the alleged weapon. A patent cartridge would make a single hole at a considerable distance--five or six yards. Round bullets may split, but the conical ones seldom do. The edges of wounds produced by the discharge of firearms are always more or less ecchymosed; this condition appears in about an hour after the infliction of the injury. If the ball strikes obliquely, the edges of the wound may be much lacerated, or the opening may be valvular and of small size, if the skin over the part be in any way tightened, or if a conical ball has been used. The injury to bones is greater from conical than from round balls. The old round balls were easily deflected; the conical are not so easily turned aside. The track of the ball _widens as it deepens._ This is the reverse of an ordinary punctured wound. The ball may either lodge in a part, or perforate it. Should it have lodged, it must be preserved and compared with the alleged firearm. Bits of clothing or wadding may be carried into the wound. The latter should be carefully kept, as they may prove important as a means of identification.