Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Miscellania
FAQ Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 25th January 2017, 08:17 AM   #1
Anandalal N.
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 84
Default Possible Antique Bullet Extractor? - Medical

Any thoughts welcome.

Used to extract bullets lodged in the human body? Syringe shaped. When plunger depressed the grabber opens up and so may be carefully moved around the lodged bullet for extraction.
Attached Images
   
Anandalal N. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25th January 2017, 08:20 AM   #2
Anandalal N.
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 84
Default

See also:

http://www.ssplprints.com/image/1308...n-17th-century

Note that this instrument displayed here is slimmer and so easily inserted into the opening caused by the travelling bullet. The object illustrated in the above post has a widening at the base that is not consistent with this type of use?
Anandalal N. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25th January 2017, 10:47 AM   #3
Roland_M
Member
 
Roland_M's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Germany
Posts: 525
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anandalal N.
Any thoughts welcome.

Used to extract bullets lodged in the human body? Syringe shaped. When plunger depressed the grabber opens up and so may be carefully moved around the lodged bullet for extraction.
Hello,

this thing is too large for a bullet extractor.

Some time ago I have read a very interesting german paper from late medieval about the treatment of arrow and bullet wounds.
In most cases the bullet/arrow was left in the wound and they used different mixtures to cause ulceration (purulence), which brings the bullet out of the hole by itself or often by gravity.


Roland

Last edited by Roland_M; 25th January 2017 at 12:14 PM.
Roland_M is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25th January 2017, 01:52 PM   #4
Anandalal N.
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 84
Default

Hi Roland,

The more I look at this the more I tend to agree with you that this would be cumbersome to use as a bullet extractor though it follows the same principle.

As for leaving the bullet in the hole there seems to have been multiplicity of opinion. For example Thom. Longmore in a Treatise on Gunshot Wounds 1862 states the following:

On arrival at the hospital, where comparative leisure and absence of exposure afford means of careful diagnosis and definitive treatment, the following are the points to be attended to by the surgeon: firstly, examination of the wound with a view to obtaining the correct knowledge of its nature and extent; secondly, removal of any foreign bodies which may have lodged; thirdly, adjustment of lacerated structures; and fourthly, the application of the primary dressings.
Anandalal N. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25th January 2017, 02:09 PM   #5
RobertGuy
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 135
Default

Perhaps culinary rather than medical?
Attached Images
 
RobertGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25th January 2017, 02:14 PM   #6
RobertGuy
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 135
Default

Just found an even closer match
Attached Images
 
RobertGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25th January 2017, 02:23 PM   #7
fernando
(deceased)
 
fernando's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Portugal
Posts: 9,694
Default

That was my instinctive guess; just didn't want to disenchant the thread author .
fernando is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25th January 2017, 03:29 PM   #8
Roland_M
Member
 
Roland_M's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Germany
Posts: 525
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anandalal N.
Hi Roland,

The more I look at this the more I tend to agree with you that this would be cumbersome to use as a bullet extractor though it follows the same principle.

As for leaving the bullet in the hole there seems to have been multiplicity of opinion. For example Thom. Longmore in a Treatise on Gunshot Wounds 1862 states the following:

On arrival at the hospital, where comparative leisure and absence of exposure afford means of careful diagnosis and definitive treatment, the following are the points to be attended to by the surgeon: firstly, examination of the wound with a view to obtaining the correct knowledge of its nature and extent; secondly, removal of any foreign bodies which may have lodged; thirdly, adjustment of lacerated structures; and fourthly, the application of the primary dressings.
Hello Anandalal,

Thats pretty interesting for me. One reason could be the discovery of Morphine in the early 19th century. In Medieval and Renaissance times they only had alcohol, a leather strap between the teeth and/or a wooden hammer for "anesthetization". But lead is not very healthy inside the body. This might be one reason for the different treatment of shootet wounds.


best,
Roland
Roland_M is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25th January 2017, 04:02 PM   #9
Anandalal N.
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 84
Default

Hi Roland,

Clearly you may be on to something. In fact Dr. Longmore advocates the use of Chloroform as an anaesthetic agent although there is interestingly no mention of Morphine that I came across. He states: The complete applicability of chloroform on the field to injuries caused by gunshot, as to all others in civil practice, is established among Continental surgeons, and among a majority of British army surgeons.

Thanks Robert. That settles the issue as to what it is though very curious that an Ice Grabber should follow the design of a plunger in a syringe.

Best.
Anandalal N. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25th January 2017, 04:03 PM   #10
Anandalal N.
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 84
Default

Since we are on the topic does anyone have examples of arrow and bullet extractors?

Rgds.
Anandalal N. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25th January 2017, 04:25 PM   #11
fernando
(deceased)
 
fernando's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Portugal
Posts: 9,694
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anandalal N.
...In fact Dr. Longmore advocates the use of Chloroform as an anaesthetic agent although there is interestingly no mention of Morphine that I came across. He states: The complete applicability of chloroform on the field to injuries caused by gunshot, as to all others in civil practice, is established among Continental surgeons, and among a majority of British army surgeons...
Hi Anandalal,
You may read out there that Morphine, being a strong analgesic, is or was used before induction or during maintenance of anasthesy, to potentiate sedation.
Concerning Clorophorm, this was indeed a controversial composit but, there being apparently no alternative, this still was used as late as in 1950, having myself been put asleep with it.
fernando is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 07:11 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.