IT IS POINTED OUT THAT THE TYPES OF WEAPONS USED IN BATTLEFIELDS ARE ALSO FOUND IN CIVILIAN LIFE. MACHINE GUNS AND RIFLES ARE ENCOUNTERED IN CIVIL DISTURBANCES, AS ARE A VARIETY OF EXPLOSIVE DEVICES. THIS ARTICLE IS WRITTEN BY THE DIRECTOR OF A FIELD HOSPITAL IN VIETNAM TO HELP CIVILIAN SURGEONS RECOGNIZE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WOUNDS INFLICTED BY MODERN WEAPONS AND TO TREAT THEM EFFECTIVELY. THE BASIC THEORIES OF BALLISTICS ARE GIVEN. TABLES GIVE DATA ON TYPES OF WOUNDS THAT WERE MOST FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED IN THE SECOND SURGICAL HOSPITAL, VIETNAM, IN 1966. IT IS POINTED OUT THAT SOPHISTICATED WEAPONS ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT HALF OF THE INJURIES. HOMEMADE 'PUNJI' STICKS ACCOUNTED FOR 15 PERCENT AND OTHER TYPES OF TRAUMA ACCOUNTED FOR 21 PERCENT OF THE INJURIES. IT IS OBSERVED THAT THESE LESS SOPHISTICATED WEAPONS INFLICTED WOUNDS WHICH WERE HARDER TO TREAT BECAUSE OF THE INFECTIONS THAT RESULT FROM THEIR USE. THE CIVILIAN SURGEON IS ASKED TO SHOW THE SAME RESPECT FOR SIMILAR WOUNDS ENCOUNTERED IN THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM. THE DISCUSSION THEN GOES THROUGH TYPES OF WOUNDS INFLICTED BY BULLETS, BY PIECES OF METAL HURLED WITH EXPLOSIVE FORCE, BY DIRECT CONTACT WITH AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE, AND BY VARIOUS TYPES OF HOMEMADE BOBBY-TRAP DEVICES. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SURGICAL MANAGAEMENT ARE REVIEWED. PHOTOGRAPHS ILLUSTRATE THE DISCUSSION. AN EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. (GLR)