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The study consisted of a prospective investigation of 45 consecutively admitted patients who had sustained a mild head injury. In all cases the duration of post-traumatic amnesia was less than 24 hours. Head injury patients had an average of three adverse life events in the year preceding injury compared with 1.5 for controls. Using the PSE, 39% of the group were diagnosed psychiatric cases at six weeks after the injury. For cases the mean level of chronic social difficulties (3.3) was four times that for non-cases (0.8). Six months after injury, 28% of the head injury group had three or more symptoms. These chronic cases were on average ten years older than those whose symptoms had remitted. Chronic cases had, on average, three social difficulties, twice as many as found among those whose symptoms had remitted. The emergence and persistence of the postconcussional syndrome are associated with social adversity before the accident. While young men are most at risk of minor head injury, older women are most at risk of chronic sequelae.

Of 1532 explosion victims only 9 died in hospital. Injury to the chest or abdominal organs was rare (10 patients of whom 5 died). Primary blast lung was apparent in only 2 patients. Major limb amputations occured in 16 patients of whom 4 died. None of the 50 patients with burns required skin grafts. Injuries were predominantly to the head and neck and limbs, suggesting the protective effect of clothing. Half of the patients suffered from emotional shock, most with no physical injury and 82 per cent of whom were female. Eighty-three per cent of patients arrived at hospital between 10.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m.

The injuries in 90 patients caused by rubber bullets are described. There was 1 death and 17 people in the series had permanent disabilities or deformities. In 41 patients the injuries necessitated admission to hospital. One fatality outside this series is known. Injuries to the head and neck were frequent and severe.