{"id":"01KG8AMH6KCKM7XNY6VVPJS1GT","cid":"bafkreihvaczgafj4g6uyiwsgxamoytr4jx67uunqpkiwaql3t5rogbhsx4","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":10202,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:36.274Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 7","source_file":"01KG89J19NC56FFGBCM2SWEZZY","start_line":10128,"text":"search. That ball, young gentlemen, must have taken a most circuitous\r\nroute. Nor, in cases where the direction is oblique, is this at all\r\nunusual. Indeed, the learned Henner gives us a most remarkable—I had\r\nalmost said an incredible—case of a soldier’s neck, where the bullet,\r\nentering at the part called Adam’s Apple—”\r\n\r\n“Yes,” said Surgeon Wedge, elevating himself, “the _pomum Adami_.”\r\n\r\n“Entering the point called _Adam’s Apple_,” continued Cuticle, severely\r\nemphasising the last two words, “ran completely round the neck, and,\r\nemerging at the same hole it had entered, shot the next man in the\r\nranks. It was afterward extracted, says Renner, from the second man,\r\nand pieces of the other’s skin were found adhering to it. But examples\r\nof foreign substances being received into the body with a ball, young\r\ngentlemen, are frequently observed. Being attached to a United States\r\nship at the time, I happened to be near the spot of the battle of\r\nAyacucho, in Peru. The day after the action, I saw in the barracks of\r\nthe wounded a trooper, who, having been severely injured in the brain,\r\nwent crazy, and, with his own holster-pistol, committed suicide in the\r\nhospital. The ball drove inward a portion of his woollen night-cap——”\r\n\r\n“In the form of a _cul-de-sac_, doubtless,” said the undaunted Wedge.\r\n\r\n“For once, Surgeon Wedge, you use the only term that can be employed;\r\nand let me avail myself of this opportunity to say to you, young\r\ngentlemen, that a man of true science”—expanding his shallow chest a\r\nlittle—“uses but few hard words, and those only when none other will\r\nanswer his purpose; whereas the smatterer in science”—slightly glancing\r\ntoward Wedge—“thinks, that by mouthing hard words, he proves that he\r\nunderstands hard things. Let this sink deep in your minds, young\r\ngentlemen; and, Surgeon Wedge “—with a stiff bow—“permit me to submit\r\nthe reflection to yourself. Well, young gentlemen, the bullet was\r\nafterward extracted by pulling upon the external parts of the\r\n_cul-de-sac_—a simple, but exceedingly beautiful operation. There is a\r\nfine example, somewhat similar, related in Guthrie; but, of course, you\r\nmust have met with it, in so well-known a work as his Treatise upon\r\nGun-shot Wounds. When, upward of twenty years ago, I was with Lord\r\nCochrane, then Admiral of the fleets of this very country”—pointing\r\nshoreward, out of a port-hole—“a sailor of the vessel to which I was\r\nattached, during the blockade of Bahia, had his leg——” But by this time\r\nthe fidgets had completely taken possession of his auditors, especially\r\nof the senior surgeons; and turning upon them abruptly, he added, “But\r\nI will not detain you longer, gentlemen”—turning round upon all the\r\nsurgeons—“your dinners must be waiting you on board your respective\r\nships. But, Surgeon Sawyer, perhaps you may desire to wash your hands\r\nbefore you go. There is the basin, sir; you will find a clean towel on\r\nthe rammer. For myself, I seldom use them”—taking out his handkerchief.\r\n“I must leave you now, gentlemen”—bowing. “To-morrow, at ten, the limb\r\nwill be upon the table, and I shall be happy to see you all upon the\r\noccasion. Who’s there?” turning to the curtain, which then rustled.\r\n\r\n“Please, sir,” said the Steward, entering, “the patient is dead.”\r\n\r\n“The body also, gentlemen, at ten precisely,” said Cuticle, once more\r\nturning round upon his guests. “I predicted that the operation might\r\nprove fatal; he was very much run down. Good-morning;” and Cuticle\r\ndeparted.\r\n\r\n“He does not, surely, mean to touch the body?” exclaimed Surgeon\r\nSawyer, with much excitement.\r\n\r\n“Oh, no!” said Patella, “that’s only his way; he means, doubtless, that\r\nit may be inspected previous to being taken ashore for burial.”\r\n\r\nThe assemblage of gold-laced surgeons now ascended to the quarter-deck;\r\nthe second cutter was called away by the bugler, and, one by one, they\r\nwere dropped aboard of their respective ships.\r\n\r\nThe following evening the mess-mates of the top-man rowed his remains\r\nashore, and buried them in the ever-vernal Protestant cemetery, hard by\r\nthe Beach of the Flamingoes, in plain sight from the bay.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 7"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJTJS3AFC49VHXZ381X49","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J19NC56FFGBCM2SWEZZY","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AMH6F06AS68QEASXFJZ4G","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:40.147Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:51.376Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}