RESUMO
Thirty-four dogs were inflicted with blast injury from a shock tube with a diameter of 348 mm. The peak value of the overpressure was 1.05~1.33kg/ cm2, the effective time of the overpressure 40~45 milliseconds, and the speed of the blast wave 473~509m/s. There were 11 dogs (32.4%) with very severe damage, 5 (14.7%) with severe damage, 17 (50%) with moderate damage and 1 with mild damage. The peak value and the effective time of the overpressure were the decisive factors to determine the severity'of the damage, and the posture of the animal at the time of blast impact might also be important. The sensivity of different organs to the blast wave was not uniform, it was related to the position, size, degree of dissociation, and structural characteristics of the organ concerned. The order of the sensitivity of various organs, from highly to less sensitive, could be arranged as follows; the audotory apparatus, the liver, the lungs, the spleen, the heart, the urinary bladder, and the kidneys. It is suggested that in diagnosing a case of blast injury, an examination of the audotory apparatus and a total and differential white count be of value.The pathological changes caused by the blast wave from a shock tube were similar to those caused by nuclear explosion in nature but milder in degree since the effective time of the overpressure of the shock tube wave was shorter. The chief causes of early death of the animals with blast injury were massive hemorrhage and cranial injury.