Hydrostatic shock is a poorly defined idea in terminal ballistics that incapacitating effects are created by some kind of shock effect in the target. The term might be intended to be a combination of hydrostatics with the (misnomer) effect of hydrodynamic shock. On the other hand, the "shock" part of the idea might refer to physiological shock rather than a shock wave. Terminal ballistics, a sub-field of ballistics, is the study of the behavior of a projectile when it hits its target. ... Hydrostatics, also known as fluid statics, is the study of fluids at rest. ...

Background

The term hydrodynamic shock refers to a pressure wave that is created when liquid is suddenly displaced, such as by a high explosive or projectile. Although it is sometimes used by scientists,^[1] the term is a misnomer because shock waves do not occur in incompressible fluids. Such pressure waves are known to cause extensive tissue damage to organisms that they pass through, and have been studied for use in meat tenderization and antibacterial applications. A pressure wave in a fluid is a travelling disturbance consisting in a local change of pressure (hence the name). ... This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ...

Following the development of high explosives in the 19th century, it was discovered that setting off dynamite in water caused nearby fish to die en masse. Although highly efficient, blast fishing was found to be extremely destructive to the environment and has been widely banned, although it is still illicitly practiced in some areas.^[2] Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Some proponents of hydrostatic shock argue that because tissue is composed largely of water, an analogous situation can occur in tissue where organs are damaged in the same manner as fish, by the pressure wave than the projectile itself in addition to being crushed by the projectile.

If one interprets the "shock" in the term "hydrostatic shock" to refer to the physiological impact rather than the physical wave characteristics, one can consider the weight of scientific evidence and various claims regarding the possibility of a ballistic pressure wave to create tissue damage and incapacitation in living targets.

A questioned theory

Martin Fackler (and others) claim that the theory of hydrostatic shock has been conclusively disproven and that the assertion that a pressure wave plays a role in injury or incapacitation is a myth. ^[3] Tissue behaves similarly enough to water that a sonic pressure wave can be created by a bullet impact, generating pressures in excess of 100 atmospheres. ^[4]

A lithotriptor, which commonly used to break up kidney stones, produces sonic pressure waves of approximately 5 times the amplitude of those caused by many handgun bullets. Up to 2000 such pressure waves are used in a single treatment session. Martin Fackler argued that since a lithotriptor produces no damage to soft tissues whatsoever,^[5] this is conclusive proof that the ballistic pressure waves cannot damage tissue either. However, Dr. Fackler was simply wrong in his claim that lithotriptor waves do not damage tissue. ^{[6] [7] [8]} A lithotriptor is a medical device used in the non-invasive treatment of kidney stones (urinary calculosis) and biliary calculi (stones in the gallbladder or in the liver). ...

Recent work published by scientists M Courtney and A Courtney provides compelling support for the role of a ballistic pressure wave in incapacitation and injury. ^{[9] [10] [11] [12]} This work builds upon the earlier works of Suneson et al. where the researchers implanted high-speed pressure transducers into the brain of pigs and demonstrated that a significant pressure wave reaches the brain of pigs shot in the thigh. ^{[13] [14]} These scientists observed neural damage in the brain caused by the distant effects of the ballistic pressure wave originating in the thigh.

The results of Suneson et al. were confirmed and expanded upon by a later experiment in dogs ^[15] which "confirmed that distant effect exists in the central nervous system after a high-energy missile impact to an extremity. A high-frequency oscillating pressure wave with large amplitude and short duration was found in the brain after the extremity impact of a high-energy missile . . ." Wang et al. observed significant damage in both the hypothalamus and hippocampus regions of the brain due to remote effects of the ballistic pressure wave.

References

1. ^ Hydrodyne Process Research, Dr. James R. Claus. University of Wisconsin Madison. Retrieved on October 24, 2005.
2. ^ Dynamite fishing ravages Philippines' precious coral reefs. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on October 24, 2005.
3. ^ The Shockwave Myth. Fackler ML: Literature Review and Comment. Wound Ballistics Review Winter 1991: pp38-40.. Retrieved on April 11, 2007.
4. ^ Harvey EN, Korr IM, Oster G, et al.:Secondary Damage in wounding due to pressure changes accompanying the passage of high velocity missiles. Surgery 21:218-239; 1947.
5. ^ What's Wrong With the Wound Ballistics Literature and Why. Letterman Army Institute of Research, Division of Military Trauma Research. Retrieved on October 25, 2005.
6. ^ Evan AP, Willis LR Lingeman JE, McAteer JA, Renal Trauma and the Risk of Long-Term Complications in Shock Wave Lithotripsy, Nephron 78(1):1-8, 1998.
7. ^ Lingeman JE, Kim SC, Keo RL, McAteer JA, Evan AP: Shockwave Lithotripsy: Anecdotes and Insights. Journal of Endourology 17(9):687-693; 2003.
8. ^ Lokhandwalla M, Sturtevant B: Mechanical Haemolysis in Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL): I. Analysis of Cell Deformation due to SWL Flow-Fields.” Physics in Medicine & Biology 46(2):413-437; 2001.
9. ^ Courtney M, Courtney A: Review of criticisms of ballistic pressure wave experiments, the Strasbourg goat tests, and the Marshall and Sanow data. http://arxiv.org/ftp/physics/papers/0701/0701268.pdf accessed 5/29/2007.
10. ^ Courtney M, Courtney A: Ballistic pressure wave contributions to rapid incapacitation in the Strasbourg goat tests. http://arxiv.org/ftp/physics/papers/0701/0701267.pdf accessed 5/29/2007.
11. ^ Courtney M, Courtney A: Relative incapacitation contributions of pressure wave and wound channel in the Marshall and Sanow data set. http://arxiv.org/ftp/physics/papers/0701/0701266.pdf accessed 5/29/2007.
12. ^ Courtney M, Courtney A: A method for testing handgun bullets in deer. http://arxiv.org/ftp/physics/papers/0702/0702107.pdf accessed 5/29/2007.
13. ^ Suneson A, Hansson HA, Seeman T: Pressure Wave Injuries to the Nervous System Caused by High Energy Missile Extremity Impact: Part I. Local and Distant Effects on the Peripheral Nervous System. A Light and Electron Microscopic Study on Pigs. The Journal of Trauma. 30(3):281-294; 1990.
14. ^ Suneson A, Hansson HA, Seeman T: Pressure Wave Injuries to the Nervous System Caused by High Energy Missile extremity Impact: Part II. Distant Effects on the Central Nervous System. A Light and Electron Microscopic Study on Pigs. The Journal of Trauma. 30(3):295-306; 1990.
15. ^ Wang Q, Wang Z, Zhu P, Jiang J: Alterations of the Myelin Basic Protein and Ultrastructure in the Limbic System and the Early Stage of Trauma-Related Stress Disorder in Dogs. The Journal of Trauma. 56(3):604-610; 2004.

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See also

• Stopping power