Gunpowder Tattoos Research Articles

Theodore Roosevelt’s Tattoos and the Presidential Election of 1912

On April 10, 1912, America’s leading humor magazine, Puck, featured on its cover a satirical political cartoon entitled The New Tattooed Man: He Makes an Exhibition of Himself. The illustration depicts Theodore Roosevelt’s skin covered with tattoos. This contribution tells the story behind this political cartoon and the role that it played in the 1912 presidential election. It also corrects mistaken Internet folklore that claims that Theodore Roosevelt had his family crest tattooed on his chest. He did not have such a tattoo. Roosevelt did, however, have gunpowder tattoos that he accidentally inflicted on himself as a 13-year-old boy. A brief review of gunpowder tattoos is provided.

Obrażenia i ślady na rękach strzelca spowodowane oddaniem strzału z broni palnej

1) evaluation of the frequency of occurrence of traces and injuries on hands of persons firing firearms, 2) detailed description of types of traces and injuries as mentioned above, 3) detailed evaluation of the mechanism of their arising in respect to types of firearms and ammunition, and the way of holding firearms during shooting. The material consisted of 8 cases in which traces or injuries were found on the upper limbs of the person firing the shot. A total of 217 firearms, including 68 pneumatic firearms, were tested during the period under investigation, with approximately 1100 sample test shots. Traces and injuries were only revealed in about 5% of all shots fired from a particular type of firearm. They were not found in the case of pneumatic firearms. The lesions took the form of singeing, gunpowder tattooing, and various shapes of epidermal abrasions and superficial wounds caused by moving elements of firearms (lock, hammer). Some of them reflected the design of the moving parts of the firearms. In criminal and forensic medical practice, detailed knowledge of the type and mechanism of traces and injuries on the shooter's hands may have significant evidential value in cases concerning the use of firearms. The results of this analysis confirm the need for further study and observation in this area.

Concentración de Pólvora para Determinar la Distancia de un Disparo de Arma de Fuego

OBJETIVO: Ensayar un método de diagnóstico adecuado con la medición de la concentración de partículas de pólvora incrustadas en los tejidos periféricos al orificio de entrada (OE) para precisar la probable distancia de disparo. METODOLOGÍA: Usando un revólver calibre 38 con munición FAME se realizó cinco series de disparos contra fragmentos de piel de cerdo con cobertura de tela desde distancias conocidas, verificándose la presencia del tatuaje sobre la piel y la tela. Las muestras fueron microfotografiadas para cuantificar los gránulos de pólvora presentes sobre la piel. RESULTADOS: Para todas las distancias de disparo se establece un espacio claro periférico al OE, un inicio del tatuaje, una extensión del tatuaje y un final del tatuaje o zona clara postatuaje, variando esta relación de modo directamente proporcional a la distancia del disparo e inversamente a la concentración de restos de pólvora. CONCLUSIÓN: Puede determinarse con mayor precisión la distancia aproximada de disparo, en un rango de 30 a 100 cm, midiendo la concentración de partículas de pólvora incrustadas en la superficie cutánea por medio del método de microfotografía estereoscópica. Se propone el término "Tatuaje en Escarapela" para referirse a este tipo de distribución.

Treatment of Gunpowder Tattoos with a High-Speed Diamond Drill

Treatment of Gunpowder Tattoos with a High-Speed Diamond Drill

A Peculiar Case of Oral Firework Explosion Caused by Russian Roulette

Sir: The use of commercial explosives such as fireworks is a typical cause of explosion injuries, located mostly on the hands and face. Only a few cases have been described in the medicolegal literature regarding oral explosions, in cases of suicide.1–3 The case we report is very peculiar because of the rarity of the trauma and because of the modality. A 25-year-old man was referred to our department on December 31, 2005, because of a mouth injury caused by an explosion. He was playing a type of Russian roulette with some friends, who had been passing each other an explosive among the teeth in succession, until the firework blasted into his mouth. The patient presented multiple lesions of the middle and lower thirds of the face, with laceration of the gums and dislocation of the inferior incisive tooth. There were multiple lacerations around the entire mouth, which involved the lips and adjacent skin for a 12 × 9-cm area. Blast-induced abrasion and contusion of the skin covered an 18 × 15-cm area (Fig. 1).Fig. 1.: Preoperative frontal view showing the results of a blast injury to the face, including the mouth, nose, and surrounding tissues.The nasal septum and wing cartilages were torn also. Gunpowder tattooing caused by the explosion was present on the entire face. An accurate exploration of the facial nerve showed its bilateral interruption close to the mouth. After accurate débridement and removal of burned tissues, a superior and inferior vestibuloplasty was performed. The inferior incisive tooth was extracted and an implant was put successively in its place. The right facial nerve was exposed. Because it was transected without a significant tissue loss and evident contusion, it was coapted by four to five 10-0 epineurial interrupted sutures. In contrast, the left facial nerve showed a 2-cm-long bruised tract, so it was microsurgically transected for a 2.8-cm length and a graft was taken from the anterior branch of the right medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve and interposed between the proximal and distal stumps to bridge the nerve gap. We then performed face reconstruction with rotation-advancement local flaps. Muscle and skin layers were closed primarily by means of 5-0 Vicryl (Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, N.J.) and nylon interrupted stitches, respectively. A reconstructive rhinoplasty, with special attention paid to the tip, was then performed. The patient was discharged from our department on the eighth postoperative day. Follow-up at 6, 12, and 24 months showed good results regarding functional and aesthetic appearance (Fig. 2).Fig. 2.: Postoperative frontal view obtained at 24-month follow-up.Because these wounds exhibit a spectrum of complexity that includes extensive soft-tissue trauma complicated by burns, foreign bodies, and multiple fractures, the first acute surgical step is a wide débridement followed by immediate reconstructive procedures4,5 using local flaps. In selected cases, acute nerve and, more rarely, vessel reconstruction has to be performed. In our experience, only in cases with extensive tissue loss is the use of distant flaps (e.g., pectoralis major or supraclavicular island flap) or free flaps (e.g., latissimus dorsi or anterolateral thigh flap) suggested. Giovanni M. Di Benedetto, M.D., Ph.D. Luca Grassetti, M.D. William Forlini, M.D. Aldo Bertani, M.D., Ph.D. Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Marche Polytechnic University Medical School Ancona, Italy

Forensic value of gunpowder tattooing in identification of multiple entrance wounds from one bullet

Multiple entrance gunshot wounds can give useful information in forensic evaluation of deaths from homicide and suicide. Although the presence of multiple entrance gunshot wounds does not absolutely exclude the possibility of suicide, they are important to the forensic investigators and pathologists in cases of assault, attempted homicide and suicide as they provide important clues for determination of number of shots fired and direction of firing. We present a case of 16 years of young woman who was shot to death by her husband. External examination revealed an entrance wound with semi-lunar shot residue at the dorsal side of her left hand at 5th metacarpus, and exit wound on the hypothenar muscle. There was also a second wound entrance located on her left zygoma. Direction of the bullet was downward traveling from left-to-right. Initially it was thought that there were two close shots, but when her left hand was placed over the malar area her face, it was determined that the gunshot powder tattoos were completing the nature of a single shot from a close distance. Crime scene investigation revealed only one cartridge casing. The autopsy and radiography findings showed that the bullet was entered from dorsal site of the left hand exiting from the palm and re-entering from the zygomatic region, hit the base of the skull, and remained in the soft tissue of the right mandible after passing the soft palate. The bullet was caused an incomplete laceration of the right internal arteria carotid and she died of internal and external bleeding. Detailed investigation of gunshot residues can provide important information for clarification of close distance gunshot wounding. We present this case due to its interesting nature, and to highlight the importance of detailed investigation of the gun powder residues in cases with multiple entry wounds.

The Use of Alexandrite Laser During the Acute Phase of Treatment of Gunpowder Tattooing of the Face

The Use of Alexandrite Laser During the Acute Phase of Treatment of Gunpowder Tattooing of the Face

A Technique for the Removal of Gunpowder Tattoos

The explosion of gunpowder in proximity to exposed skin surfaces can result in the ingraining of numerous pigmented particles in the dermis. The cosmetic defect of such tattooing, if extensive, can be great. Similar particulate matter embedded in the skin following abrasive contact of skin areas with hard, dirty surfaces can be removed by brushing the anesthetized wound with a stiff brush. However, gunpowder tattooing, because of its depth in and intimate adherence to the dermis, can be completely resistant to such brushing, as well as to other direct methods of removal. In the course of treating a case of extensive gunpowder tattooing of the face, a technique for removal of the embedded particles was evolved. This technique facilitated the removal of more than 600 separate conglomerations of pigmented matter from the forehead, eyelids, nose, cheeks, and ears in a reasonable period of time, with virtually no residual scarring. Because