P A I N  B U L L E T S  ~ PURE  HOLLYWOOD!!

OPIUM was discovered almost before recorded history, and has severeal variants:  (Morphine, Laudanum, Paragoric, Heroin, etc.) and Ether, Nitrous Oxide, and Chloroform (first "discoverd" about 1846...) were in common use since 1847- 48.  There is ABSOLUTELY NO JUSTIFICATION to call a chewed  bullet  a "pain" or a "Hospital" bullet.  What these actually  are are dropped bullets of the Civil War period that, over the years,  have been picked up by animals (hogs, primarily...) in the belief that they were something good to eat !  On discovering that they were inedible, they were spit out.  In fact, I have a communication from a "digger" who was at a European 1870's battle site who actually SAW  a hog do this very thing!  When he investigated, he found a chewed Prussian Dreyse Needle Gun bullet ~  He has several in his collection.

     "Biting a bullet"   is PURE  HOLLYWOOD and T.V. mythology, acknowledged as such by several noted experts.  (Dr, Michael Echols is just one...)

  I was not there,  of course...  But I have been in Civil War re-enacting since 1959 (49 years...) and studied medical practices of the period extensively. No trained professional would EVER put a bullet in the mouth of his patient, knowing that it will be aspirated at the first touch of the knife! Even in the event of a shortage of anesthesia (I've found TWO  documented cases ~) a cloth or leather wrapped stick is a much more likely object to "bite" on than a BULLET !  (And remember....  Bullets were counted carefully, with records of soldiers being charged for lost or unaccounted for rounds!)  Plus ~ Why take the time to unwrap a cartridge, take out the bullet, find a safe way to dispose of the powder, etc. ~ All to get a BULLET for a soldier to bite?  COME  ON!  How much of a reach are we GOING for here? If you wanna list your treasure as a "Chewed"  bullet,  I have no quarrel with you ~  But  a medical related-item is it    N O T !!!

                Major Larry C.  Denny, M.S.

  President: The Field Hospital -  Member: GCLHA - Actor in EIGHT Civil War Combat episodes - Lecturer, U. S. University of the Health Sciences - Med. Advisor: Naval History Museum, Columbus, Ga. - Med. Advisor, USS Constellation, Balltimore, Md. - Member: Society of Civil War Surgeons -  Member:  Washington Artillery New Orleans   and  more.....