Historical overview of wound ballistics research
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BALLISTICS REVIEW
Historical overview of wound ballistics research Nick Maiden
Accepted: 30 April 2009 / Published online: 23 May 2009 Ó Humana Press Inc. 2009
Abstract Ballistics involves the study of the scientific properties of projectiles, their behavior and their terminal effects on biological tissues and other materials. Wound ballistics deals with the analysis of injuries caused by projectiles and the behavior of projectiles within human or other biological tissues. The nineteenth century witnessed the development of both of these areas with Kocher’s hydrodynamic theory and the understanding of the significance of bullet deformation in causing tissue injury. The degree of traumatic disruption of tissues and organs was also related to direct energy transfer from projectiles. While subsequent research has concentrated on elucidating further mechanisms of injury, the exact cause of remote tissue damage from high energy projectiles is still the subject of ongoing research. Much of the contemporary literature regarding wound ballistics concentrates on the forensic aspects and their application for legal purposes, in particular the investigation of shooting scenes. There have been many advances in this area, particularly in relation to the identification of various types of gunshot wounds and how their appearance can be used to establish if a shooting was accidental, deliberate (homicidal) or self inflicted (suicidal).
Introduction Ballistics is the science behind the motion of projectiles. It is divided into four primary areas; internal ballistics, the study of the projectile in a firearm; intermediate ballistics, the behavior of projectiles as they leave a barrel; exterior ballistics, the behavior of a projectile in flight and terminal ballistics, the study of the penetration of a medium denser than air by projectiles [5, 6]. Wound ballistics is a part of terminal ballistics and refers to the study of the effects of projectiles that penetrate the human or animal body [1]. It can also be described as the scientific study of injuries caused by projectiles and the behavior of these projectiles within human biological tissues [5]. This paper will focus on the theories behind and major advances in the field of wound ballistics, that have played an important role in the development of better performing firearms and ammunition. Wound ballistics is also used extensively in forensic science to assist in the re-construction of crimes and this aspect has largely dominated contemporary scientific literature on the subject. As a result, although it is not the primary focus of this overview, the forensic aspects of wound ballistics will be discussed briefly.
Keywords Ballistics Wound ballistics Gunshot Bullet Explosive effects History Forensic Historical developments
N. Maiden (&) Discipline of Pathology, The University of Adelaide, Level 3 Medical School North Building, Frome Road, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia e-mail: [email protected]
The science of wound ballistics dates back to the 18300 s,
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