• ABSTRACT
    • Missile wounding was carried out to the hind legs of 46 mongrel dogs. The impact velocity was 730-1,570 m/s. The shot fragments were 0.44-1.03 gm in weight, 4.76 mm in diameter. The number of bacteria in devitalized muscle tissue, at 6, 12, and 24 hours after wounding, was studied by the usual bacteriologic methods. The studies showed that the number of aerobes in devitalized muscle was 10(3)-10(4)/gm tissue at 6 hr, 10(5) at 12 hr, and 10(5) at 24 hr after wounding. The number of anaerobes at 6 hours after wounding was 10(4)-10(5). The number of bacteria in the devitalized zone was greater than that in the healthy zone. Bacterial cultures were always positive if the specimens were taken immediately after injury.