Reproduction
Object numberRCSHC/P 336
Scientific nameHomo sapiens
CollectionHunterian
CategoryDry preparations
Object nameParietal bone, Wounds, Gunshot, Gunshot Injuries, Mounted dry bone
DescriptionA parietal bone showing two deep depressions of the external table and diploe following the embedding and subsequent discharge of two shots.
At the base of one of the depressions the inner table of the bone has a small perforation. The adjacent bone is quite healthy.
Production date Estimated 1760 - Estimated 1793
Preparator
Owner/user
presented
Physical Location
LocationOn display in the Hunterian Museum, Room 4: The Long Gallery
Physical Information
Physical descriptionDry preparation of bone mounted in an oval glass jar with glass lid.
Materialglass (material)
Dimensions
whole height: 154 mm
whole width: 156 mm
whole depth: 89 mm
whole weight: 1096 g
whole width: 156 mm
whole depth: 89 mm
whole weight: 1096 g
Bibliography
SourceCraig 1993
pages 15-16
NotesThis specimen is described on page 15-16 and figured on page 16 (Fig.2). The author was Commander Medical UK Land Forces.
TranscriptIt is a parietal bone showing two separate spherical depressions, both presumably the resulyt of musket balls. One has just breached the inner table and the other almost so. The fact that there are two suggests that the were the result of two different weapons as reloading used to take a minimum of 20 s. The Hunterian Institute very kindly took casts of the depressions which were measured. From these it has proved possible to estimate the diameter of the original balls. As all were made of lead, as opposed to iron, and were roughly spherical, their extrapolated weight comes to 23.7g. The French muskets of the 1760s fired balls weighing 23.8g, whereas the British equivalent, the famous 'Brown Bess' a ball of 31.5g. It would seem likely, therefore, that the weapon which inflicted these parietal bone wounds was a precursor of the French 'Charleville' musket.
SourceProger 1966-1972
Vol. 1, page 234.
NotesText taken from Stanley & Paget (1846-9), and Paget (1882-5).
TranscriptA parietal bone, in which are two deep depressions of the external table and diploe, consequent on the lodgement and subsequent discharge of two shots. At the bottom of one of them is a small perforation of the inner table, but in other respects all the adjacent bone is healthy.
SourceClift 1830 Part 2
NotesCatalogue number is 553.
TranscriptA parietal bone, in which are two deep indentations in consequence of gun-shot. The shot have been discharged or extruded from the wounds.
